History's Window: Art Long

Editor’s note: Longtime historian Bob Gunter spent his life diving into history, capturing the people and places of the community, highlighting what made it special. Below is one such series of these stories, one of Bob’s tales where he took the reader on a journey of someone in the community; tell me a tale, he would ask the person — or two, or three, or as many as he could coax out of the person.

Below is one such tale, where Bob would offer tantalizing clues and challenge his reader to guess “Who Am I?” Below are the stories he wrote about Art Long which originally ran in mid-September 2006.

Part 1

(This column is sponsored by Belwood Furniture and will appear in The Daily Bee each Sunday. You are asked to identify the person seen in the picture. Next week you will see another picture of this person that will identify him. Here are some hints to help you recognize the person you see today. If you think you know him then call me at 800-507-9426.)

I was born on February 20, 1932 in Denver, Colorado. My dad was a stationary engineer in Denver but he had been a fireman on the railroad. The Denver back then is a lot different from the Denver of today.

We lived very close to the Denver Mint and I recall that that there was a Coca-Cola bottling works on our block. When I was little, I would walk by the Coke place and if I looked pleadingly enough there would be a bottle of coke that would come my way.

We moved from Denver to Boulder, Colorado when I was about five years of age. I recall that this was back in the peaceful days and a neighbor’s daughter and I used to ride the city bus to Kindergarten. We would ride the bus back home after school and no one thought anything about it; even though it was a long bus ride. It was fun.

I started first grade in Boulder but we moved to Estes Park when I was in the fourth grade. I remember one of my teachers, Mrs. Van Loon, took us to Stapleton Airfield in Denver, and we saw the brand new, super deluxe, mainliner for United Airlines, the DC3. We got to tour the inside of the plane. It was a good time, and I recall that I rode a bicycle to and from school and it was about three miles each way. I graduated from grammar school in Estes Park in 1944.

I started Junior High School back in Boulder. My mother died during this time and due to circumstances I lived with a wonderful couple and went to school. I was introduced to Algebra by a very mean lady named Mrs. Farnsworth.

I started high school 1946 in Boulder. I worked my way through high school working in a soda fountain and doing odd jobs. I was no longer living with the couple I mentioned, so I was on my own. I was active in the Drama Club and the Thespian Society and participated in a number of play productions. It was difficult to take part in too many activities because I had to work to pay rent and keep body and soul together. In my junior year in high school I met this girl. I do remember her name because we were later married. I graduated from high school in 1950 and we got married after graduation.

I was a good student, and I received a full scholarship for college. I went to the University of Colorado and I majored in about everything they had. I finally had to declare a major so I said, “Political Science.” During college, I worked for a truck line in the summer and stayed with the restaurant in the winter.

I was commissioned in 1954 thought the ROTC (Reserved Officer Training Corp). I was called to active duty and I didn’t receive my college degree until 1958. I stayed in the military for 22 years and retired as a full Colonel.

I came to the Sandpoint area in 1988. I have been active in the Lions Club for about 14 years, and I am a member of the Bonner County Amateur Radio Club.

Part 2

My name is Arthur (Art) Long and I was born on February 20, 1932 in Denver, Colorado. We moved from Denver to Boulder, Colorado when I was about five years of age.

I started first grade in Boulder but we moved to Estes Park when I was in the fourth grade. I graduated from grammar school in Estes Park in 1944.

I started Junior High School back in Boulder. My mother died during this time and due to circumstances I lived with a wonderful couple, old family friends, and went to school. I started high school in 1946 in Boulder. I worked my way through high school by working in a soda fountain and doing odd jobs. I was no longer living with the couple I mentioned so I was on my own. In high school, I was active in the Drama Club and the Thespian Society and participated in a number of play productions. It was difficult to take part in too many activities because I had to work to pay rent and keep body and soul together.

In my junior year in high school I met this girl. I do remember her name because we were later married. Her name was Dorothy Day. I graduated from high school in 1950 and we got married after graduation.

I was a good student and I received a full scholarship for college. I went to the University of Colorado and I majored in Political Science. Dorothy received a National Scholastic Art Scholarship, which helped get her through college. During college, I worked for a truck line in the summer and stayed with the restaurant in the winter.

I was commissioned in 1954 through the ROTC (Reserved Officer Training Corp). I was called to active duty and I didn’t receive my college degree until 1958. I was sent to Counter-Intelligence school and I was in Intelligence the whole tour. I served in Korea; returned to the States and served in a number of different places. I eventually went into the FASTP program (Foreign Area Specialization Training Program). In 1964, I received a Masters Degree in International Relations from the University of Oklahoma. Here is one of the highlights of my career. I was a Latin American Specialist and they kept sending me to the Far East. I served one tour in Viet Nam and two tours in Korea.

I did go to Costa Rica, and served as a translator for the Venomous Snake Antitoxin program in which the US Army was engaged. I did not talk to the snakes, but to the medical personnel. and the people who caught snakes for us. During military service, I was awarded the Legion of Merit twice, the Bronze Star, and other decorations. I stayed in the military for 22 years and retired as a full Colonel, in 1976.

After discharge, I went to work for the Department of Treasury. I was there 12 years and I retired when James Baker was the Secretary of the Treasury. One of my important duties was serving as the Treasury Representative on the National Foreign Intelligence Board.  With US hostages held captive in Iran, it was important that we move quickly to seize Iranian assets in the US before Iran moved the assets.  We were fortunate to get information that the move was about to occur, and the assets were seized in a matter of hours.

Dorothy and I have two children, Steve and Wendy. Steve came to Sandpoint because he felt the Denver area was becoming too crowded. We visited here several times and when I retired from Treasury we moved to the area. That was in 1988.

I belong to the Association of Retired Federal Employees and the Clean Air Coalition. I have been active in the Lions Club for about 14 years, and I am a member of the Bonner County Amateur Radio Club. I also belong to The Disabled American Veterans and the Vietnam Veterans of America. I may be the least active member of both.

(The following recognized Art: Jan Baugh, Orville and Marcie Cope, and Don Wallace.)