A gentleman dropped off a POW/MIA bracelet in hopes of having it sent to the veteran/family - Maj Long died in 2018, his daughter has been located in Las Vegas, NV and the bracelet was sent to her (Katie Silvia) in December 2020. She passes on her thank you to whomever dropped it off to us. May he RIP - Maj Long is a true hero!

 

BIO: Stephen G. Long

Rank, Service

Major O-4, U.S. Air Force

Veteran of:

U.S. Air Force 1967-1987

Cold War 1967-1987

Vietnam War 1968-1973 (POW)

Steve Long was born on February 16, 1944, in Hastings, Nebraska. He entered Officer Training School on March 13, 1967, and was commissioned a 2d Lt in the U.S. Air Force at Lackland AFB, Texas, on May 27, 1967. Lt Long next completed Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams AFB, Arizona, in June 1968, followed by O-2 Skymaster Forward Air Controller training. His first assignment was as an O-2 FAC with the 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, from November 1968 until he was shot down over Laos and was taken as a Prisoner of War on February 28, 1969. After spending 1,490 days in captivity, Capt Long was released during Operation Homecoming on March 28, 1973. He was briefly hospitalized to recover from his injuries at Travis AFB, California, and then attended T-38 Talon flight recurrency training before completing F-4 Phantom II upgrade training in May 1974. His next assignment was as an F-4 pilot with the 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron at Camp New Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from August 1974 to October 1976, followed by service as an F-4 and F-105 Thunderchief pilot with the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing at George AFB, California, from November 1976 to March 1980. Maj Long completed F-16 Fighting Falcon upgrade training in May 1980, and then served witht he 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill AFB, Utah, from May 1980 to February 1984. His next assignment was as an Air Liaison Officer with Detachment 5 of the 507th Tactical Air Control Wing at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, from April 1984 to January 1986, followed by service with the 602nd Tactical Air Control Wing at Fort Ord, California, from January 1986 until his retirement from the Air Force on November 1, 1987. After retiring from the Air Force, Stephen served as an instructor with the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter program in Nevada from 1987 to 1992. He later served as the Deputy Director for Veteran's Affairs for the State of Nevada. Stephen Long died on August 10, 2018.