John B. Long

At the end of his senior year in high school in June 1945, John Long was drafted into the United States Army. He was sent to Camp Wheeler in Macon, Georgia for basic infantry training, and it was there that he and his fellow young recruits learned that they were being trained in preparation for the invasion of Japan.

These young infantrymen were being trained with the knowledge and understanding that a major military invasion was being planned that would likely lead to tremendous U.S. sacrifices of more than a million casualties. Ultimately, President Harry S. Truman was unwilling to sacrifice so many American lives and changed the course of history by ordering the first nuclear bomb dropped on Japan.

After the Japanese surrender, Dr. Long’s First Infantry Division was sent to Germany to serve in the Army of Occupation, allowing long serving service members to return home. Grateful that his life was spared, Dr. Long returned home after his service with a deep sense of gratitude and pride, and earned his Doctor of Chiropractic under the G.I. Bill.

Dr. Long has always held a strong commitment to his fellow veterans and community service. He is a life member of many veterans’ organizations, and has been recognized on countless occasions for his service to the community.

Having turned 90 years old on January 18, 2017, Dr. Long looks back on his dual careers as both a chiropractor and dedicated public servant with great pride and a deep and abiding affection for his country and his community.