Ed and Goldie (O’Neil) Long of Bethlehem will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary today.

They were high school sweethearts and were married at their church, The Salvation Army on 33rd Street in Wheeling on Dec. 23, 1968. Major George Woods officiated. They were the first couple to be married in the newly completed Salvation Army building.

Ed is a Marine Corps veteran and served in Viet Nam. He was a police officer for 27 years and chief of police in Wheeling for five years. After retiring from the police department, he and Goldie went on to serve as full-time pastors/administrators of the Salvation Army. Both retired again in 2013.

They have four daughters, Linda (Roger) Fonner, Allison (Mark) Saseen, Pamela (Todd) Henderson, and Stephanie (William) Mockebee and nine grandchildren.