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.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 334308
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.
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.
Memorials
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.
