General from Miller Place remembered by family
Brig. Gen. Joseph Conlon served his country's military for 40 years
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Growing up, Joseph Conlon's mother, a first generation Italian-American, never spoke her native tongue in the family's Woodhaven, Queens, home.
She didn't think it was right. After all, she was an American now.
This week, looking back on her father's accomplished life and military career, Melissa Conlon said it was in those early days that Joseph Conlon, who died June 23 of a heart attack at age 66, became a patriot.
And nobody can deny that her father, a brigadier general with 40 years of service in the U.S. Army, was a proud American.
Brig. Gen. Conlon, a resident of Miller Place, oversaw more than 70,000 enemy prisoners of war for 82 straight days in 1990 and 1991 during the Persian Gulf War, when he was in charge of every POW camp in Saudi Arabia.
As a general for the Army Reserve's 800th Military Police Brigade, about 8,000 active-duty and reserve soldiers were assigned to Brig. Gen. Conlon's command in Saudi Arabia. The soldiers built the encampments and served as guards. They also were responsible for searching, identifying, photographing and questioning the POWs and providing them with food, clothing and medical care.
"He was most proud that they upheld the standards of the Geneva Convention," said his daughter, who added that upon review, her father's soldiers were found to have exceeded expectations for treatment of prisoners. "He believed that you treat those who are serving their country in a humane fashion," she said.
Already retired for 10 years, Brig. Gen Conlon even spoke out during the prison abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib in 2004 to Newsday and the Associated Press, calling the actions of U.S. guards "wrong" and "criminal."
At his first funeral service last week -- he will be interred with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on Sept. 15 -- many of the former soldiers under Brig. Gen. Conlon's command spoke of his exemplary leadership skills.
"He believed you don't just tell someone to do something, you show them how you do it," Ms. Conlon said.
"He was the epitome of strength, humanity, compassion and intelligence."
Brig. Gen. Conlon also had an impact on his community outside of his military service. He served as Suffolk County's deputy chief investigator from 1978 to 1990. He also volunteered his time coaching youth wrestling and football. And he'd volunteer with Maryhaven, taking disabled youngsters for fishing trips on his boat.
His family has had a lasting impact on the Longwood community. His wife, Gretchen, taught art at Longwood Junior High School until her retirement two years ago. His son, Scott, also taught at Longwood, where he coached wrestling. Melissa Conlon currently is an assistant principal at the high school.
Brig. Gen. Conlon also is survived by another son, Joseph IV, and six grandchildren.
On the day of Brig. Gen. Conlon's funeral service, his wife and children took the hearse carrying his body through their Miller Place neighborhood. For the last time, they went together up a hill they used to all run for exercise and bonding.
"We could all hear our father yelling, 'Suck it up and keep going,'ââ" his daughter said.
In her eulogy, she talked about her father's strength. And how his influence lives on in each of his three children. She also talked about how everyone wonders how a man so strong could die so young.
"He fought his whole life," Melissa Conlon said. "He fought growing up poor. He fought the loss of his parents. He fought for his country, his family and his community. In the end, he passed his strength on to us."
gparpan@northshoresun.com
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1 comments found
we lost another great man : 7/3/2009
Old soldiers never die they just move their duty station to a better place. We'll miss you Gen Conlon and we'll keep your powder dry
