Donald E. Long, MS, ISASI,
CSE, was
born and raised in Sebring, Florida. After two years of college, he
enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving two tours in Vietnam as a
helicopter pilot. In 1980 he retired as a Lt. Colonel. He began a
second career with the U.S. Federal Government as a Safety
Professional, retiring a second time in 2000. During his two careers,
he lived in, or visited, over 20 countries.
Starting in his
teen years and all throughout his adult life he has written poems,
mostly for his consumption, but occasionally on request, for
personnel at special occasions during his careers. For a short while
after retiring from the Army he had a business called “People
Poems” writing poems for others for a fee after they provided him
with pertinent information. Although the business was doing well, his
second career necessitated that he close it.
He
writes poems for personal reasons, prefers for them to rhyme, and
says of himself, “I guess I missed the revolution”. One of his
poems, “I’m Glad It’s Mine” has been used during citizenship
swearing-in ceremonies in central Florida and for central Florida
Flag Day ceremonies. Another poem about being a Vietnam Veteran was
featured at the 2013 Florida “Convention” for Vietnam Helicopter
Pilots. One story about his Vietnam Experience has been published in
two different military related anthologies, The
Harsh and The Heart
and Vietnam
Helicopter Crew Member Stories, Volume 2.
Since his second
retirement, he has split his time between Winter Park, Florida and
Murphy, North Carolina. He has been married for 37 years to Marti,
has six children, and ten grandchildren living in central Florida and
north Georgia. In addition to writing, his other hobby is genealogy.
