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William F. Long

PFC William F. Long served with Fox Company, Second Battalion, 7th Marines.
He was killed in action at Guadalcanal on 25 October 1942.

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Branch

Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 334308

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Current Status

Remains Not Recovered

Pursuit Category

The DPAA has not publicized this information.

Capsule History

Pre-War Life

Birth

December 10, 1920
at Gadsden, AL

Parents

William Oscar Long
Matilda (Oliver) Long (d. 1928)

Education

Grammar school

Occupation & Employer

Family farm

Service Life

Entered Service

December 15, 1941
at Birmingham, AL

Home Of Record

Alabama City, AL

Next Of Kin

Father, William O. Long

Military Specialty

Primary Unit

F/2/7th Marines

Campaigns Served

Solomon Islands / Guadalcanal

Individual Decorations

Purple Heart

Additional Service Details

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

The 25th of October, 1942, was an anxious day for the Second Battalion, 7th Marines. They arrived on the front lines the day before, having endured a punishing march under near-constant Japanese mortar fire, and took up defensive positions and outpost duty. Enemy troops appeared early in the morning, driving in the outpost and causing some casualties before pulling back. The rest of the day was spent ducking accurate Japanese mortars and artillery, and watching friendly shells strike back.

PFC William Long, a former farmer from Alabama, was killed by shrapnel during the day’s combat. He was Fox Company’s only fatal casualty of the day; unfortunately, no further specifics of his death are known.

Excerpts from the muster roll of F/2/7, October 1942.
Burial Information or Disposition

Long’s body was located and buried in the field, at coordinates (73.60-199.30) on Guadalcanal Map #104. Another Marine from his battalion, PFC Joseph A. Pawlowski (H/2/7) was buried in the same location. Any markers were temporary in nature, and by the time Graves Registration searched for the site, all traces were gone.

Next Of Kin Address

The Long family farm was located on a rural route outside Alabama City.

Location Of Loss

Approximate location of Long and Pawlowski’s burial site.

Related Profiles

Marines unaccounted for after the battle of Henderson Field.
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