Excerpts from Col. Don Long reading at CWTPW, Wed. August 17, 2016

In case you missed Col. Don Long reading at Coffee with the Poets and Writers, on Wed., August 17th, at Moss Memorial Library, Hayesville, NC, you can hear him, here:

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.