From a contemporary press report:
Herbert H. “Trigger” Long, 83, a retired Marine Corps colonel and a heavily decorated World War II combat fighter pilot and Squadron Commander who later served as Staff Chief of the First Marine Air Wing in Vietnam during the conflict there, died September 27, 2001, at a hospice in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He had Parkinson’s disease.
During World War II, Colonel Long flew F4F “Wildcat” and F4U “Corsair” fighters from the Solomons and from the carrier Bunker Hill. He flew 95 combat missions, destroying 10 Japanese aircraft.
When he retired from active duty in 1968, his decorations included the Legion of Merit with combat “V,” eight awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross, 17 Air Medals and two Purple Hearts.
LONG, HERBERT H
COL US MARINE CORPS
- VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 12/30/1941 – 06/30/1968
- DATE OF BIRTH: 04/15/1919
- DATE OF DEATH: 09/27/2001
- DATE OF INTERMENT: 10/16/2001
BURIED AT: SECTION 65 SITE 1480
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard