Obituary of Henry Andrew Long

Henry Andrew Long September 18, 1916 – October 8, 2006 Henry Long died peacefully of natural causes on Sunday, October 8. The patriot, master craftsman, and community leader was 90 years old. He was born the eldest of three sons in 1916 in Chehalis, WA, to Maebelle Lee Long and Henry Long, Sr. The family relocated to Olympia in 1921 and Mr. Long graduated from Olympia High School in 1935. He learned the craft of building boats at Long Boat Works and later at the Bremerton Naval Yard. In 1940 Mr. Long enrolled in a radio program taught by the US Navy at Bainbridge Island, WA. Upon completion, he was deployed to Pearl Harbor, HI, as a radio operator on the battleship USS Oklahoma. He was onboard the Oklahoma on December 7, 1941 when the ship was torpedoed by Japanese planes and capsized in Pearl Harbor. Henry swam from the overturned vessel and was picked up by a motor launch. He was placed ashore, where he commandeered a Dodge watercraft boat, a pleasure runabout, and rescued many other survivors from the water. His experiences are chronicled in an article entitled “Tactical Exercises Ended” which appeared in the winter 1991 edition of the US Naval Institute’s publication Naval History. After the war, his duty stations included Adak, Alaska; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Taipei, Taiwan; and Yokohama, Japan. Mr. Long attained the commissioned rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3. He retired from the Navy in 1965. Returning to Olympia, he bought and assumed the operation of his father’s boat building business. After fire destroyed the boat shop in 1975, he continued the professional marine surveyor portion of the business and enjoyed building small rowing and power boats. Henry was a past president of the Ross Chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivor’s Association and the Capitol Council Navy League. He was a member of the US Naval Cryptologic Association. He was a member of the West Side Rotary and a Mason. He was directly involved in the enactment of state-wide legislation protecting senior citizens from financial fraud. Mr. Long was a motorcycle enthusiast and a member of the Indian 101 Association. Henry was a devoted son, husband, father, family member and friend. His daughter Andrea Laird, died in 2004. His brothers Don and Roy Long preceded him. He is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Beverly Long, sons, Lynden and Arnold Long (Ruth) and daughter, Lori Wagoner (William). Mr. Long has four grandchildren, Heather O’Maonaigh Wolski (Michael), Andrew Wagoner, Tyler Long, and Randall Long (Lisa) as well as one great-grandson, William Long. A memorial for Mr. Long will be held on Thursday, October 19, at 11:00 a.m. at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, WA. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those who wish to contribute to their favorite charity.