Henderson County TX

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 Aritillery 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.

To honor and remember the ulitmate sacrifice of Pvt. Ted B.
Long, I am requesting that he be listed among those of the "The Honor List of Dead and Missing for Henderson Co. WW II"


Michael Colman, TSgt, USAF Nephew of Ted Long

If you have a Military Record, please send it so we can post it.

Thanks for your help, email Laura Gregory Roberts