From: San Angelo
Served in: Iraq War, Peacetime
Dates of Service: 1992-2012
Hope Long was born in Topeka, Kansas in 1974. Her father was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War, and his perspective on how the war was handled shaped Long’s views as well. She lived in Topeka until she joined the Marine Corps. During high school, she studied French and German, and realized her passion for languages. Long joined the Corps in the hopes of becoming a linguist, though she instead became a morse code operator.
Long served for twenty years before retiring from the Marines. She decided to attend Angelo State University after moving to San Angelo in 2012.