They will remember him: Former US Marine Arthur John Long was farewelled yesterday on the North Shore, after making a life here with a woman he met during WWII while staying in a New Zealand hospital.
Mr Long, known as Jack, was a Top Sergeant with the US First Marine Air Wing. After his war effort he moved to New Zealand to marry his Kiwi love Phyllis.
He passed away peacefully in Auckland on November 1, aged 96.
Yesterday, Gunnery Sergeant Patrick Hammer and John Drucker collected the US flag that adorned Mr Long's casket and folded it to hand on to his family. Mr Long was a father of three and is survived by seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.