
NAME: Herman Edwin Arnold |
NICKNAME: “Herman Ed” |
SERVICE NUMBER: 822531 |
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HOME OF RECORD: Oklahoma City, OK |
NEXT OF KIN: Wife, Mrs. Louise Arnold |
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DATE OF BIRTH: 12/21/1919 |
SERVICE DATES: 4/10/1944 – 4/11/1946 |
DATE OF DEATH: 3/28/2000 |
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CAMPAIGN | UNIT | MOS | RATE | RESULT | |||
None Served | B/1/24 | 745 | Private | ||||
INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS: — |
LAST KNOWN RANK: Private |
Before his induction into the Marine Corps in April, 1944, Herman Arnold was a professional mechanic, living contentedly in Oklahoma City with his wife Louise. His aptitude for engines was noticed in proficiency tests conducted at MCRD San Diego during boot camp, and Arnold was chosen to become an aircraft mechanic. He spent months training at the Naval Air Station at Miranmar, California before getting his hands dirty on the aircraft of Stateside squadrons, VMF-481 and VMF-462. These were training units, not combat squadrons, and the mechanics often had their hands full repairing damage caused by student pilots whose enthusiasm sometimes outweighed their abilities.
Arnold was taken off the flight line and assigned to guard duty while serving with VMF-462, then spent several months with the Tank Company, Tracked Vehicle Battalion of a special training regiment at Camp Pendleton, California. After all his technical training, he wound up as a rifleman with the 69th Replacement Draft and joined Baker Company, 24th Marines as a grunt just weeks before the war ended.
After the cessation of hostilities, Private Arnold was sent to serve as a peacekeeper with the 9th MP Battalion. Further details of his service and life after the war are unknown.