Donald Russell Long

Long was a Black American of mixed race descent (Black, White, Native American) descent and was a son of Herman Long and Mildred Keels. Many of his ancestors, along with the majority of Blackfork community members descendant from free people of color from Virginia and North Carolina, and many of them were Native Americans from tribes such as the Saponi. Sgt. Long graduated from Decatur-Washington High School in Blackfork, Ohio. Long joined the Army in Ashland, Kentucky in 1963, and by June 30, 1966, was serving as a Sergeant in Troop C, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. On that day, Long's unit came under heavy enemy attack during a reconnaissance patrol. During the battle, a hand grenade was thrown near Long and the crew of a disabled armored personnel carrier. He threw himself on the grenade, successfully protecting his fellow soldiers while sacrificing his own life. On May 29, 2016, a commemoration in Oak Hill, Ohio took place. During the ceremony HB 366 named the portion of State Route 93 from the southern boundary of the Village of Oak Hill to the Jackson County line as the “Sgt. Donald Russell Long, Medal of Honor Recipient, Memorial Highway.”

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Troop C, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division. place and date: Republic of Vietnam, June 30, 1966. Entered service at: Ashland, Ky. Born: August 27, 1939, Blackfork, Ohio. G.O. No.: 13, April 4, 1968.

Donald Russell Long (August 27, 1939 – June 30, 1966) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.