Obituaries

Captain Hugh E. Longino, Jr.

Photo of Captain Hugh E. Longino, Jr.
Captain Hugh E. Longino, Jr., USN (Ret), was born October 1, 1927, the second son of Dr. and Mrs. Hugh E. Longino, at their residence at 1824 Beech Street, Texarkana, Arkansas. He passed away on August 1, 2010, while visiting family in Austin, Texas. Hugh graduated from Texarkana (Ark.) Senior High School at the age of sixteen and attended Hendrix College for one year until he could accept an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland with the class of 1949. He also holds a Master of Science in Business Administration from George Washington University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas. Five days after graduation from the Naval Academy, Hugh married his childhood sweetheart, Phyllis Jacobson, in Texarkana. After a short tour aboard the USS Wright (CVL-49), Hugh entered flight training at Pensacola, Florida. In November 1950, Hugh completed advanced seaplane training and was assigned to Air Transport Squadron Two, flying the Martin JRM Mars, the largest flying boat of its time. While stationed in Alameda, California, Hugh's two sons were born fifteen months apart. Hugh was next assigned to Pensacola as a flight instructor, training both new pilots and new instructors. He also completed the School of Naval Photography at Pensacola before being assigned to Patrol Squadron One (VP-1) at Whidbey Island, Washington. This squadron played a role in the atomic bomb tests that were taking place at Eniwetok and Bikini Island. After his squadron tour, he served as Assistance Operations Officer on the Staff of Commander Fleet Air Whidbey. The next tour took Hugh and Phyllis to Washington, D.C. for two years as a Project Officer, then to Newport, Rhode Island and the Naval War College. While in Rhode Island, Hugh earned his MSBA degree from George Washington University. From Rhode Island, Hugh was assigned to Patrol Squadron Forty (VP-40) stationed at Sangley Point in the Philippines, with a home port in Coronado, California. Hugh served in VP-40 from 1964 through 1967, as its Operations Officer, Executive Officer, and Commanding Officer. On April 11, 1967, Commander Longino took off from the waters of Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam--with Vice Admiral Hyland, commander of the Seventh Fleet, as co-pilot--on the last combat operation of a Navy Seaplane from a Seaplane Tender in a combat zone. After his assignment with VP-40, Hugh, Phyllis, and their two sons moved to Yokosuka, Japan where Hugh reported aboard the USS Oklahoma City to serve on the Staff of Commander Seventh Fleet as a Plans Officer. He also served as the Seventh Fleet Representative to the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization. During his two year tour, the flagship was at sea for a total of 18 months. After Japan, Hugh was transferred back to Washington, D.C. to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. After graduation, he was assigned to the planning division of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he served two years. He then returned to the Industrial College to serve on the faculty. Hugh retired from the Navy in August 1975 with the rank of Captain. His decorations include: Meritorious Service Medal; Air Medal with numeral "1"; Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V"; Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon; Republic of Vietnam Navy Distinguished Service Order 2nd class medal; World War II Victory Medal; National Defense Medal with Star; Vietnam Service Medal with nine stars; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. Two weeks after retirement, Hugh was attending class at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Two and a half years later, after passing the Arkansas Bar Exam, he opened a law office in Fayetteville as a sole practitioner. In 1985, after the death of his mother, Hugh closed his practice and Phyllis closed her decorating business, and they returned to Texarkana (Ark.) to the house where Hugh was born. For the next 10 years, remodeling the house was his new profession. While in Texarkana, Hugh served as a member of the Texarkana Regional Airport Authority for six years, including several months as Acting Director of the airport. He was a member of the Sugar Hill United Methodist Church, where he had served as Chairman of the Staff Parish Relations Committee and, on occasion, taught Sunday School. He is survived by his wife for 61 years, Phyllis; his eldest son, William, who is a restaurant executive in Austin, Texas; his youngest son, James, who is an attorney in Fayetteville, Arkansas; and his sister, Jane, who lives in Taylor, Texas. He has five grandchildren and one great granddaughter. A memorial service will be held at the Sugar Hill United Methodist Church in Texarkana at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, August 10. Online registration is at www.texarkanafuneralhome.com.

Published August 7, 2010

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