Please click here to view a student eulogy for Cohen at Long Island National Cemetery in 2025: https://youtu.be/28x14jzB5aQ. 

Biography

Early Life
Jack Leonard Cohen was born on December 4, 1930, in Port Chester, New York, the youngest son of Albert and Celia Cohen. Growing up during the Great Depression, Jack lived with his parents and three older siblings, Irving, Lillian, and Mary. He attended Port Chester High School but did not pursue higher education. Before adulthood, his life was marked by the close bonds of his family, including later living with his brother-in-law, Ernest Lovitch, and niece, Sharon Leslie Lovitch. 

In 1950, he went to work as a laborer for Pryer Fowls, a retail company, which marked an early entry into the workforce. Since he was only in his middle teens in 1945, he did not serve in World War II and, when he left school. Even though he did not play any sports at Port Chester High School, upon leaving there, the 6’2”, 190-pound Cohen pursued a career as a hard-throwing, right-handed, professional baseball pitcher, both prior to and following his time in the military.

Homefront
Port Chester, New York, Jack Cohen's hometown, was a small community of about 24,000 residents that experienced steady post-World War II growth. While direct agricultural contributions are less documented, the area's industrial sector played a role in the Korean War effort. Notably, the nearby Brooklyn Navy Yard, crucial to wartime production, saw a resurgence during the conflict, with ship reactivation and aircraft carrier remodeling, including the significant construction of the USS Constellation, which boosted local employment. 

Port Chester also saw an increase in corporations that wanted to set up shop in the community after World War II. Port Chester was home to a diverse immigrant population from Ireland, Poland, and Italy, many of whom worked in local factories like Beech-Nut LifeSavers. Additionally, the neighboring town of Rye had a direct connection to the war, with three of its residents lost in action, which showed the personal impact of the war on the local community.

Military Experience
Jack Cohen worked his way up the baseball ladder and into the big leagues as a New York Giants baseball player when he was drafted into the U.S. Army for Korean War service on November 7, 1951. Because most of Cohen’s military records were burned in a fire, many specifics about his service remain somewhat unclear. 

It is known that Cohen trained and served as an infantryman. Records show he served with the 224th Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division. His DD-214 notes that his most significant assignment was with the 1812 Honor Guard. He spent 11 of his 23 months of military service deployed overseas. During his time in the military, he was promoted to private first class.

Honorably discharged from active duty in November 1953, at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, Cohen then entered the Army Reserves. As a result of his military service, Cohen was awarded the Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Combat Infantry Badge.

Veteran Experience
Following his honorable discharge from the Army, Jack Cohen returned to civilian life and rekindled his baseball career. Having played for the New York Giants before his military service, he resumed pitching and showcased his talent with teams like the St. Cloud Rox, Fargo-Moorhead Twins, Spartanburg Peaches, and Kokomo Dodgers. 

Despite the travel inherent with professional baseball, Cohen maintained strong ties to his home community in Westchester County, New York, where he lived with his family and later worked for Westchester Credit Corporation. 

Cohen’s dedication to the sport of baseball extended beyond his professional career, as he continued playing baseball within his local community throughout the 1950s with the Rye Laddies. 

Jack Cohen married fashion designer Naomi Ratchick in 1962. They enjoyed traveling and spending time in Florida. Jack Cohen continued to contribute to his community until his passing in 2006.

Commemoration
Jack Cohen died on November 2, 2006. He rests at the Long Island National Cemetery in East Farmingdale, New York.

Bibliography
Primary Sources

California League Gold Book. 1954. Questionnaire. Digital Images. https://ancestry.com. 

“Can Stars Extend Home Skein? Eye 9th Rec Park Victory As Cohen Faces Pelicans, Valmas For CBL Pennant." The Daily Item [Port Chester, NY], September 10, 1960. Newspapers.com (714879928).

Cohen, Jack L. New York State. Marriage Index. 1881-1967. https://ancestry.com. 

Cohen, Jack L. United States. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2. https://ancestry.com.

Jack Cohen. New York State Marriage Index, 1881-1967. Digital images. https://ancestry.com. 

Jack Leonard Cohen, DD-214, Department of the Army. National Archives and Records Administration - St. Louis.

“Laddies Win SSBL Flag As Cohen Hurls Perfect Game." The Daily Item [Port Chester, NY], September 4, 1956. Newspapers.com (714619959).

“Naomi Ratchick is Fiancée of Jack L. Cohen." The Daily Item [Port Chester, NY], July 1, 1961. Newspapers.com (714763790).

New York. Westchester County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital images. http://ancestry.com. 

New York. Westchester County. 1950 U.S. Census. Digital images. http://ancestry.com. 

Ordnance Building, Camp Kilmer, Stelton, New Jersey. Photograph. November 1, 1959. Library of Congress (2018731193). https://www.loc.gov/item/2018731193/.

“Port Chester. Inventory and Analysis.” Department of State, New York State. Accessed December 5, 2024. https://dos.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2019/05/portchestersii.pdf. 

Secondary Sources

Brenner, Elsa. “A Village Takes Stock as More Retail Moves In.” New York Times [New York, NY], October 24, 2004. https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/24/realestate/a-village-takes-stock-as-more-retail-moves-in.html. 

“Jack L. Cohen.” Find a Grave. Updated February 11, 2011. Accessed December 4, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65543512/jack-l-cohen. 

“Jack L. Cohen.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed May 4, 2025. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/JACKLCOHEN/460D033.  

“History of Farm Gardens in NYC Parks.” NYC Parks. Accessed November 25, 2024. www.nycgovparks.org/about/history/community-gardens/farm-gardens. 

“Jack Cohen.” Baseball Reference. Last modified July 18, 2006. Accessed December 3, 2024. https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Jack_Cohen. 

“New York after WWII.” Public Broadcasting Service. Accessed November 23, 2024. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/newyork-postwar/. 

“New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn – Historical Photographs.” Historical NYC Blog, March 5, 2015. Accessed April 30, 2025. https://historicalnyc.wordpress.com/2015/03/05/new-york-navy-yard-in-brooklyn-historical-photographs/.

“Rye Korean War Veterans Memorial.” Historical Marker Database. Last modified June 16, 2016. Accessed December 3, 2024. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=38716. 

"'The Wrong Complexion for Protection.’ How Race Shaped America’s Roadways and Cities.” NPR, July 5, 2020. https://www.npr.org/transcripts/887386869.

This profile was researched by Advanced Placement United States History Alumni, Class of 2025, mentored by New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies teacher Mr. Patrick D. Sprinkle, as part of a Veterans Legacy Grant Program led by National History Day in the 2024/2025 academic year.

This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.



This article announced the marriage of professional baseball player Jack Cohen to Naomi Ratchick in 1961.The Daily Item, July 7, 1961.

Newspaper article titled, "Naomi Ratchick Is Fiancee of Jack L. Cohen."

Columbarium marker for Jack Cohen at Long Island National Cemetery, April 8, 2025. Courtesy of Patrick Sprinkle.

Columbarium marker for Jack Cohen at Long Island National Cemetery

Jack Cohen’s successful baseball career, as well as the joy he derived from playing the game, continued even after he took a two-year hiatus to serve his country during the Korean War. The Daily Item, August 14, 1958.

Newspaper article titled, "Cohen Faces Bridgeport in 6 PM Contest."

Jack Cohen's DD-214, detailing his military service. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. National Archives and Records Administration.

Cohen's DD-214, detailing his military service.

Cohen was a dominant athlete, despite never playing high school sports, which prompted his entry into professional baseball. This 1954 Pacific Coast League Questionnaire provides a peek into his personal life, baseball career, and military service. Ancestry.

A questionnaire filled out by Jack Cohen for a baseball statistics publication.

The Cohens were a working-class family from Port Chester, New York, in 1940. National Archives and Records Administration.

The Cohen family in the 1940 U.S. census.

Jack Cohen. The Daily Item, August 14, 1958.

Jack Cohen, wearing a baseball uniform and hat.

Long Island National Cemetery

Private First Class Jack Leonard Cohen (December 4, 1930–November 2, 2006) lived a life shaped by hard work, family loyalty, and service to country. Born and raised in Port Chester, New York, Cohen grew up during the Great Depression as the youngest child of Albert and Celia Cohen, surrounded by his siblings Irving, Lillian, and Mary. Like many Americans of his generation, he entered adulthood early, working as a laborer before building the kind of perseverance and grit that defined his life. Though he never played sports in high school, Cohen pursued an unlikely path: he developed into a dominant right-handed pitcher and began working his way into professional baseball—proof of both raw talent and determination.

In November 1951, as the Korean War demanded more troops, Cohen was drafted into the U.S. Army, pausing his baseball career to answer the call of military service. He trained and served as an infantryman, ultimately reaching the rank of Private First Class. Records show he served with the 224th Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division, and spent 11 months overseas during a total of 23 months in service, later being honorably discharged in November 1953 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, before entering the Army Reserves. Much of Cohen’s official military file was lost in the 1973 records fire in St. Louis, leaving gaps in the full story of his service—yet his awards speak clearly to the seriousness of his role. Cohen earned the Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Combat Infantry Badge, recognitions that reflect courage and direct participation in the hardships of war.

After returning home, Cohen resumed civilian life and returned to the game he loved, pitching for several professional teams including the St. Cloud Rox, Fargo-Moorhead Twins, Spartanburg Peaches, and Kokomo Dodgers. Even as baseball demanded constant travel, he stayed connected to the people and places that shaped him. Later, Cohen built stability through his work with Westchester Credit Corporation and remained tied to his local community, continuing to play baseball well into the 1950s. In 1962, Cohen married Naomi Ratchick, a fashion designer, and together they built a life marked by family, travel, and enduring bonds.

Jack Leonard Cohen’s story matters because it reflects a generation that often served without seeking attention. He is part of the Korean War’s larger legacy—a conflict sometimes called the “Forgotten War,” but one defined by the real sacrifices of individuals who stepped forward when needed. Cohen passed away in 2006 and is now honored at Long Island National Cemetery in East Farmingdale, New York (Section A1, Row D, Site 107). His life stands as a reminder that history is not only made by presidents and generals, but also by everyday citizens—workers, athletes, neighbors—who carried responsibility during difficult times and returned home to keep contributing

JACK L COHEN

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