Portales veteran headed home

Vernon Long died in a Japanese prison camp during World War II in 1942, records show. On Oct. 9, 1949, a sealed casket the military assigned to Long was buried in the Portales Cemetery.

The Portales Daily News reported it was a "reburial" service. Long's family believed his remains were finally home. The local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars provided full military honors.

Now fast forward almost 75 years to a time when DNA testing allows the Department of Defense to compare samples to unidentified bodies recently discovered in the Philippines. It turns out Long's remains were apparently not returned to Portales after all.

The big news came about a month ago from the DoD when DNA from Long's relatives matched DNA from bones found in a mass grave.

"[I have] a sense of peace knowing that his remains will be able to rest where they belonged," said Long's niece, Julia Boyce.

Long's remains are scheduled to be returned to Portales in time for a graveside service on June 8.

Boyce is the daughter of one of Long's sisters and was not born before her uncle passed away. Now 68 years old and living in Texas, Boyce plans on attending the exceptional memorial service alongside her family members. That family includes 96-year-old Jean Sawyer, Long's last surviving sister whose DNA sample matched her brother's.

Boyce said the family is unsure now of what is inside the grave, whether that be another person's remains or an empty casket. Regardless they are thankful to the military and the U.S. Government for finding him and bringing him home.

"He wasn't far away forgotten ... he was still remembered," she said.

Randy Dunson, commander of the American Legion in Portales, wants everyone to know how important this event will be, especially since it will return a spotlight to the Bataan Death March. Long was captured and, with 75,000 other American and Filipino soldiers, forced to make the 60-mile walk to various prison camps. Three Japanese military leaders were tried and executed for war crimes committed during the infamous march.

"We've got a couple of generations that really don't know much about [the Bataan Death March], but I got to counting, and I can count 54 from Roosevelt County, and 19 of them did not come back," Dunson said.

Dunson said what the men went through at Bataan was indescribable torture, forced to march without food or water after weeks with little sustenance during fighting. Most were instantly killed if they showed any weakness during the transfer to the prison camps.

"This will probably be the last chance to honor a Bataan veteran," Dunson said.

Pfc. Thomas Vernon "Louie" Long, 27, died in the prisoner of war camp in August of 1942, the Portales Daily News reported prior to his original funeral services.

He was born in Rogers on Jan. 21, 1915.

Long was a 1933 Portales High graduate. He was survived by his parents, Oscar and Bettie Long, and six sisters. He had attended Eastern New Mexico Junior College, where he played on the football team.

College President Floyd Golden was among those providing eulogies at the service.

The newspaper reported Long enlisted in the Army National Guard in September 1941 and sailed with the 200th Coast Artillery for the Philippines shortly afterward.