Ralph Woodrow Long Sr.

Ralph Woodrow Long Sr., 85, of Blacksburg, went to be with his Lord, Friday, July 3, 2009. He was born in Rumpus, Va. on April 14, 1924 to the late Clarence and Roxie Price Long and was also preceded in death by four brothers, Edward Long, Clem Long, Emmett Long, Hubert Long and two sisters, Ora Tuck and Cordie Linkous. Ralph was a member of the Fairview Community Church. Ralph was drafted into the Army in March 1943 and was sent to Camp Plattsburg, NY for basic training. He was part of a special unit of combat engineers and was assigned to the 51st Combat Engineer Battalion. The unit was eventually shipped to Oran, North Africa. They traveled across the desert to Casa Blanca. Next, he was shipped to England for training for the invasion of Europe. He was a demolition expert in the US Army and landed on Omaha Beach at 6:30 a.m. June 6, 1944. He fought through the hedge rows to St. Lo. November of 1944 was the worst winter in 25 years and the US Army had slowed their offenses. On December 19, 1944 the Germans attacked with 200,000 men, trucks, tanks and artillery and Ralph's unit was given the order from headquarters to hold the line. There are two bronze plaques in Belgium commemorating the valor of Ralph's unit for stopping the Germans during these battles. The battle that they were engaged in is known as The Battle of the Bulge. By the end of January they had regained all the lost territory and by February 1945 they were in Remagen, a Rhine River Town. The Germans had retreated but there was one bridge not blown. The US military used this bridge to establish a bridge head across the Rhine. During this period the 51st combat engineers built the first pontoon bridge across the Rhine River under heavy artillery and airplane attacks. The Germans used a jet airplane for the first time in combat. They fought on through Germany towards Austria and was the first combat unit to cross the Danube River.
He is survived by his wife of sixty three and one half years, Mabel L. Long, of Blacksburg; four daughters and sons-in-law, Mary L. and Glennis Phillips, of Indian Valley, Phyllis and Gerald Mabry, of Blacksburg, Donna and Calvin Meadows, of Germanton, N.C., Lois and Mike Caldwell, of Floyd; two sons and daughters-in-law, Ralph Jr. and Susie Long and John and Shelby Long, all of Blacksburg; one sister, Lucinda L. Montgomery ,of Blacksburg; one brother and sister-in-law, Ira D. and Louise P. Long, of Prices Fork; four sisters-in-law, Virginia Keister, of Blacksburg, Verna Long, of Longshop, Shirley Shaw, of Baytown, Texas, Helen Long, of Blacksburg; one brother-in-law, Guy Landrum, Jr., of Houston, Texas; fourteen grandchildren; and sixteen great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 11 a.m. in the McCoy Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jimmie Lee Price, Rocky Huff and Curtis Montgomery officiating. Interment will follow in the Zack Price-James R. Long Memorial Cemetery, Prices Fork. Friends may call any time after 12 noon Sunday and the family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday evening at the McCoy Funeral Home, 150 Country Club Drive, SW, Blacksburg.