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RIP Private William Long

By: Caleb Howe (Diary)  |  June 9th, 2009 at 11:44 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Monday, June 8th was the day Pvt. William Long was to ship out for his first duty station in Korea. Instead his journey ended at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery, there buried with full military honors. He was 23 years old. He was a son and brother. He was a soldier.

Last week, Pvt. Long was killed in the line of duty, in service to his country. Outside the recruiting station where he was serving temporary duty in the Hometown Recruiter’s Assistance Program, Long and Pvt. Quinton I. Ezeagwula were attacked in a craven act of terrorism. Long is the first military member killed by Islamic terror on our shores since September 11th.

Pvt. Long’s funeral was held at Harlan Park Baptist Church in Conway, Arkansas. The service was private, attended by 200 or so family, friends, and fellow military members and veterans. Outside the church the Patriot Guard Riders lined the streets with motorcyles and flags, acting as a barrier between the service and would-be protesters. Gov. Mike Beebe and Rep. Vic Snyder were in attendance. Flags across the state were at half-mast.

Pvt. Long’s brother, Pfc. Triston Long, placed his unit’s insignia in the casket. “My brother taught me valuable lessons and made me the man I am today,” he said. “My commander said, ‘Make your brother one of us.’ I will miss my brother with all that I am, and I serve in honor of him.”

The family’s military tradition and dedication to service were praised by Long’s pastor, John Harrington. “No one is more military, no one is more patriotic than this family right here,” he said. “Military runs through their hearts and their blood.”

Daris Long, father and former Marine, stood behind his son’s casket wearing a red Marine Corps baseball cap and military medals on his chest and read aloud the letter he had planned to give his son on the day of his deployment. He spoke of duty, readiness, committment. “Your day only ends when you’ve done your duty,” he read with emotion. “You and your brother … are both heroes for having the moral courage to stand up when your country needs you most. You are in my hopes and my thoughts and my prayers. You are my son, you are my hero. I love you. Semper fidelis.”

Pvt. William Long did his duty. His day ends with honor. And we honor him.

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COMMENTS

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  • E Pluribus Unum

    And I am vengeful. Regardless of whether this is acted on in any significant way by the obsequious, sniveling Obama administration that is embarrassed by both this great nation and its great military, this will be avenged.

  • USNJIMRET

    Rest in Peace Private Long, your duty done sir.

  • mom2oneson

    nt

    • penguin2

      But it makes me so mad for the lack of sympathy and genuine caring from many in the nation, as well as the administration.

      We shall not forget.

  • mailloux

    More folks should hear of the service and bravery of the Longs.

    God rest Private Long’s soul.

    Take Care, mailloux

  • janis

    sacrifice of this good young man at the hands of a coward, nor will we forget that it took the CinC of this nation at least two days to even speak of Pvt. Long and his fellow soldier and, at that, to portray him as less of a victim than George Tiller.

    No, we will never forget, not as long as we draw breath.

  • eburke

    What a brave sacrifice in service to his country.

    What a coward is the terrorist who gunned him down in cold blood.

    What an utter, pathetic disgrace of a CiC we have who was more moved and stricken by the murder of a heinous murderer than by the sacrifice of one of the men that his is privilege to command.

    RIP at His side, Private Long.

  • http://www.evanweeks.com EvanWeeks

    The primary battleground between western civilization and the insurgent forces of religious oppression and fanaticism has been there, away from our shopping malls, our places of business and leisure.

    Now, we’re beginning to see it come home.

    This soldier died in the line of duty and deserves due honor and decorum. He sacrificed his life for his country as surely as any who have died overseas in combat. I can’t recall the number of flag-draped caskets I bore to their final resting place while I served on Honor Guard from 2002-2005, but the motto, and mission, of our unit still sticks with me:

    “To Honor With Dignity”

    Farewell Pvt Long, may your peace be deep and may you rest in the shade of the cross of Jesus.

  • JadedByPolitics

    world will EVER offer! God Bless his family and God DA*N his killer!

  • ltnowis

    if the mainstream media would acknowledge this story.

  • Vegas_Rick

    I pray for Pvt. Long and his family and friends. God Bless all who willingly go in harms way.

  • redneck_hippie

    for their service and love for their country, we pay tribute as best we can with our prayers and all due honor to their memory.

  • http://www.obamastantimes.com innocbystr

    I’m very grateful that my daughter is no longer in the service. She was in the Army for 10 years and participated in the Hometown Recruiter?s Assistance Program several times.

    I fear there will be more attacks like this since Muslim extremists are no longer considered a threat but Americans with conservative views are….

  • readmylips

    Be viligent, America. Listen, watch, and know that we are being “brainwashed” little by little by the present regime in Washington. Giving the death of Tillman much press and celebrity and yet hardly recognizing the death of an American soldier by a Muslim, should help to open your eyes.

    Notice the reasoning this Muslim gives for killing a beloved innocent soldier. He considers it “justified.” This is what the Muslims are being taught in their schools and mosques. And we Christians are led to believe the Muslim faith is all about love. No, America, it is about taking over and ridding the world of the “infidels.”

    Wake up, America. This will soon be all too common. The POTUS is at the helm and somehow has already instilled fear in the minds of anyone who has an opposing view.