The 2026 Veterans Day program held in front of the St. Tammany Parish Justice Center in Covington on November 11 featured Judge-elect Michael Cochran speaking on the importance of the day and the sacrifices made by the men and women in service to their country.
The event was hosted by Robert H. Burns American Legion Post No. 16 in Covington, with Dennis W. Charlesworth as emcee. Special guests included Parish President Mike Cooper, Lane Carson, Bryan Delchamps, and Brenda Ogden with the Auxiliary. Malcolm Maginnis is Post Commander for the local American Legion post.
Here are some pictures from the activities.
A group photo of all the veterans present
Click on the image to make it larger.
Malcolm Maginnis designated the POW-MIA Chair.
Richard Perl delivered the Invocation at the beginning of the program and Benediction at the end. Post 16 is the second largest American Legion post in Louisiana with some 370 members.
Charlesworth explained the difference between Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Armed Forces Day, and President Cooper spoke about the importance of the Day and contributions made by the American Legion post over the years. He thanked the group for recognizing the veterans of the community. Cooper is a member of the Sons of the American Legion, and his father, the late Ernest Cooper, was one of the first presidents of the group. Cooper served as the mayor of Covington for over two decades.
He noted that St. Tammany Parish had the highest number of veterans per capita of any parish in the state, nearly 17,000 veterans total, and they contribute much to the area. They are served by two Veterans service offices, one in Covington and the other in Slidell. Cooper said he wanted to thank the veterans for what they do for the community today, over and above what they contributed while on active duty.
Councilman Roberts stood in for Mayor Mark Johnson. Roberts thanked the veterans in attendance for their service. "When your country called, you answered, sacrificing your own comfort and safety to protect your community," he said, noting that even after leaving the service they are continuing to contribute to the community in many ways.
Brenda Ogden told the group about the American Legion auxiliary's monthly veterans breakfast and her charity which sends care packages to veterans in the community. Delchamps thanked the veterans for raising their hands and taking the oath to serve their country when they were needed. He represented the Marine Corps League, McLeese Detachment 1487 in Covington. "These veterans deserve our gratitude and respect, " he said.
Lane Carson, head of the St. Tammany Veterans Foundation, spoke about how Mrs. J.C. Burns raised funds to build a War Memorial in front of the old courthouse. When the new courthouse was built, a memorial was designed and construction at the new location, honoring all of the armed services, with over 13,000 bricks engraved in honor of the memory of loved ones who served and sacrifice for freedom. Donations for the bricks helped fund the new memorial. He mentioned the outstanding services offered by the Veterans Foundation and how it worked with parish officials over the years. Plans are being made for a parkway walk through the trees around the memorial. making it a place of reflection and appreciation.
He also announced the recent publication of a brand-new Veterans Resource Guide for St. Tammany Parish.
Cochran, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq, told those gathered about the service, leadership and the responsibilities they all shared. Prior to being elected District Judge, he was a police officer in New Orleans, a detective, and later a felony prosecutor with the 22nd Judicial District. He told the group that freedom and public service come with an immense amount of responsibility. He recalled the sacrifices of the men who, some 250 years ago, created the American Republic. But the sacrifices have continued over the past 250 years, he noted, as men and women were called upon to leave their homes from time to time and fight for continued freedom.
He spoke about leadership and the difficult ability to endure sacrifice and be ready to go wherever and whenever veterans were needed. He called upon the veterans of the community to put their leadership skills to use in their own communities. "Decisions we make close at home impact our children's opportunities and the safety of our families," he explained, urging veterans to become more involved in public service at home.
