Jerusalem – First Lieutenant Natan Cohen Was To Be Married In Three Months, Laid To Rest (photos)

Jerusalem – Hundreds of mourners paid their last respects to First Lieutenant Natan Cohen, who was laid to rest in Modi’in cemetery on Wednesday evening.

The 23-years-old IDF soldier from Modi’in was a company commander in the Armored Corps and was one of two IDF soldiers killed Tuesday evening in Gaza, according to the IDF Spokesman’s Office.

Cohen, who friends described as “always happy,” was to be married in October to his fiancée of five years, Tal. The two had already planned their dream wedding and she had even picked out her dress, she told reporters on Wednesday.

“He was an amazing person. People who knew him admired him, he always looked at things in a positive way, always tried to find solutions to problems and I believe that even now he would want us to find solutions to problems,” she said.

She added that the two had waited “a long time” to finally tie the knot and that both their families had been excited for the occasion.

According to Tal, Cohen had not been home to visit for a month and a half and when he was granted a half day’s leave from the army for his 23rd birthday he surprised his fiancée so the two could celebrate together.

Tal told reporters that the two had developed a code word should he be deployed to Gaza. “He sent me this word, wrote that he loved me and that we would speak later and that’s it,” she said.

In Modi’in, residents took the news of his death hard, as Cohen was the second soldier to fall this week from the city along with Co. Dolev Keidar.

“This is a difficult morning for our city. We had not even come to terms with the death of Co. Dolev Keidar, of blessed memory, and a short time ago another resident’s name was cleared for publication,” said Modi’in Mayor Haim Bibas on Wednesday.

“On behalf of the residents of Modi’in we send out condolences and a big hug to the Cohen family and pray that this will be the last fallen of the IDF. May his memory be blessed,” he said.

First Lieutenant Natan Cohen is survived by his parents and four siblings.

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