Veteran Returns to Lebanon Site Where Soldier Fell 38 Years Ago

Thirty-eight years after his subordinate, Yaakov Ohana, was killed in an APC rollover, Shimon Cohen returned to the site in Lebanon where Ohana fell. Cohen, who was the squad leader, traveled to the Naqoura area and stood at the exact spot of the incident, holding a large sign that read, "We have returned after 38 years."

Cohen's pilgrimage was an opportunity to convey a message to his fallen soldier, emphasizing that Ohana's memory endures decades after his death. "We came to tell you that we have not forgotten Yaakov and will never forget Yaakov," Cohen stated at the location. "We came to tell Yaakov that we are here. We returned to the exact same spot, so we remember him and will never forget him."

Cohen recounted the personal bond he shared with Ohana during their service in the Golani Brigade. "Yaakov was my friend and my soldier who died from an APC rollover in 1988," he said, explaining his desire to visit the site to tell him, "that we simply haven't forgotten him."

The connection, Cohen noted, extended beyond their service years. He and other comrades have maintained contact with the families of fallen soldiers over the years. "We still come, we visit the families, we are in touch with the families," he shared.