Chaplain's Corner

Good Beginnings To My Sister and Brother Legionnaires,

I am honored beyond words to accept the position of Chaplain of our magnificent Post #43. May, June and July are important veteran-centric months, as are they all; here's just a sampling:

As Emeritus Chairman of the Los Angeles National Cemetery Support Foundation, our Board spent the months leading up to May and during May to create and produce Memorial Day 2023; it was our finest hour. When we consider the Special Guest Speakers - our new Mayor, Karen Bass, Major General Evan Dertien, Commander of Edwards Air Force Test Center; and Steve Misca, VA Executive Director of the PACT Act, it was a solemn and informative presentation.

Then, we added the Presentation of Colors by the Mounted Buffalo Soldiers; music by the 300th Army Band; presentation of Wreaths of Hope and Peace by representatives of all branches of service, by many Consul Generals and by elected officials and leaders of the community; and by a presentation of the American Legion Hollywood Post #43 Wreath by our Commander, Dennis Kee, and 1st Vice Monica Nichelson, it was truly a magnificent tribute to our 90,000 servicemen and women entrusted to the LA National Cemetery Staff. We closed with a flyover of two aircraft trailing white smoke.

But the day was not over. We then came to our Post #43 for the Remembrance Ceremony with our Members, Auxiliary, Sons Of and many of their families. We were joined by Major General Dertien, Emmy Award-Winning US Army Vietnam Combat Photographer and Purple Heart Recipient, Ronnie Guyer. Then, some of us met at the USS Battleship IOWA for closing Fleet Week Ceremonies and Memorial Day Remembrance with Sons of the Legion Past Commander, Glen Schecter and Legionnaire B J Lange, who served as a great MC.

As your Chaplain, I was truly honored to participate in each ceremony and to have served as Producer and Emcee at LA National.

What's in our near and long-term future? An energized and re-invigorated Post #43, doing the great community work we are best known for doing: creating a caring group to more expansively reach out to those of our own who are aging, ill or distant, including our very own Chaplain Emeritus, Jimmy Weldon; and to plan for the arrival of the the Replica 375' Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall That Heals (and the reading of all 58,281 names of those KIA and MIA) and other important programs and exhibits at LA National Cemetery; aboard the USS Battleship IOWA; aboard the SS Lane Victory; at the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall; and at the LA Coliseum, with major leadership and involvement from our Post #43 family.

May God keep you healthy and may you re-dedicate yourselves to the historically excellent work of our American Legion for our active duty, our veterans, their families and our community.

And, for those many who have asked, DOV is the acronym for Directing Opportunities to Veterans.

Chaplain DOV Cohen

Vietnam War Era Chaplain

61 years in Chaplaincy

(617) 605-7750

ChaplainDOV@aol.com