Ted and wife Runie

TED B. LONG, Pvt 359th Regiment, Company L, 3rd Batallion, 90th Divsion, 3rd Army

Ted B. Long, son of Burl Long and Anna F. Smoot Long, was from Henderson County. Ted joined the Army, 144th Infantry Regiment, 36 Division in 1940. Later, after Christmas of 1944, Ted was taken from a replacement pool at a small village, Biringen, Germany. Ted had joined the 359th Regiment, Company L, 3rd Batallion, 90th Division, 3rd Army. His Company hit the front lines on 9 January 1945 at a small village, Nothum, Luxembourg. Ted's company started their attack at 10:00 AM in Nothum.  At 10:30, Ted and a buddy of his, John Marsteen of Mankota, Minnesota, were both shot in their legs. In July, 1946, John Marsteen wrote my Gt. Grandmother, Anna, and explained to her what happened to her son Ted. John wrote that that on that cold morning, they were attacking thru knee deep snow and the visibility was low due to fog. They were both shot in their legs and lay wounded from 10:30 AM till about 4:30 PM. German soldiers came along, bandaged their wounds and carried them to a dugout in the woods just ahead.

The Germans gave them coffee and bread and exchanged stories about their families. The next morning John learned Ted had died in his sleep. John took Ted's billfold, watch, ring and other personal effects and turned them into the 915th Field Artillery Aide station with the hope that the
belongings would be returned to his mother. Unfortunately, the personal effects never made it to her, nor was Ted's mother informed of Ted's death. Ted was buried in a military cemetery near Foy, Belgium. Later, the American soldiers were interned at the Luxemburg - Hamm Cemetery. After the war,
families of soldiers were given the opportunity to have their fallen soldier returned to the states or left buried in the military cemeteries overseas.
 

My Gt. Grandmother requested to have her son Ted buried at the Malakoff Cemetery in Henderson County. John Marsteen died in the 1960's. John had a grandson whom I have contacted. I've shared the information with him and gave him copies of his grandfather's letter. John Marsteen III visited
his grandmother and showed her the letter from 1946. His grandmother  was surprised to see the letter after almost sixty years. She was the one who wrote it for her husband.
 

The area where my hero gave his life for his country and for the freedom loving people of Europe is only one hour and twenty minutes from the air base I am stationed. I've been to the battle ground on many occasions and have honored my hero, Ted, and his fallen comrades by placing a wreath at the beautiful WWII monument built near the site by the wonderful people of Luxembourg. On my trips to Nothum, Schumann, and Berle, Luxembourg, I have made life-long friends with several families who live there.
 

Many wonderful people of Luxembourg and Belgium never will forget the the young American Soldiers and Airman who fought and died for the liberation of their countries. Many memorials to Americans are to be found through out their countries.



Michael Colman, TSgt, USAF Nephew of Ted Long