BELLEVILLE, Ill. — June 6, 1944: Many Americans have forgotten the significance of this date almost eight decades ago.
For Debra Jones of Belleville, it’s one she will never forget. It was the day her uncle was killed in action as he stormed the beaches of Normandy, France.
Cpl. James Arthur Long was wounded on D-Day, June 6, 1944. He would die of his wounds days later, on June 10, 1944.
He was 21 and left behind a grieving wife, Julia, and a loving extended family.
And he was one of an estimated 2,000 Black soldiers to fight in what would not only be one of the great turning points of World War II but of the 20th century.
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy. Allied Forces from the U.S., Britain, Canada and other countries staged the largest seaborne invasion in history on June 6, 1944. The day would forever be known as D-Day and marked the start of the liberation of Europe from German Nazi forces
Cpl. Long served with the U.S. Army's 4090th Quartermaster Service Company and was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
Jones said her uncle, Arthur, as he was called by his family, would have been 100 years old this year.
“Based on our father (Long’s brother) living to 91 years old, and all the siblings living way into their golden years, had it not been for Corporal Long's service in World War II, I am certain he would have lived a long and rich life, too,” Jones said.
Cpl. Long was from Corinth, Mississippi. He’s a hero there even today. The American Legion Post 207 still bears his name.
He was the first soldier from Alcorn County, Mississippi, reported killed in action in the invasion of Normandy.
Cpl. Long left behind extended family across the country. Jones still has one of the postcards he sent home during his service in Europe.
Besides his young wife of only a few months, Julia, he left behind 11 siblings, including five brothers: Clinton, Kelsey, Chester, Clifton, Howard and six sisters, Georgia, Uma, Effie, Clastine, Lillie and Earline. He was also survived by his mother, Delilah, and his father, George.
Jones said after learning of her uncle’s death, the author Jonathan Henderson Brooks wrote a poem in honor of Cpl. Long's mother.
The name of the poem is "She Said,” published in the book entitled: "The Resurrection and Other Poems" by Jonathan Henderson Brooks (1905-1945).
According to Jones, it is about a mother who receives the tragic news that her son has been killed in battle.
Cpl. Long’s last sibling, Lillie Mae Long-Wise, died in 2015 at 96.
But Debra Jones says she will never forget her courageous uncle.
Cpl. Long is buried at The American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France.
“Thank you for your courage, and your service Cpl. James Arthur Long,” Jones said. "Uncle Arthur, we will never forget you, sir!”
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