The family of 100-year old Arthur Arnold threw a surprise party for him at Avanti Senior Living today. “He’s an excellent father and gave me my work ethic. He is one of seven children who grew up on a farm during the depression,” his son Brian Arnold said. Arthur’s family includes his son, a stepdaughter, three grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Arthur joined the Navy in January 1943 in Houston. He and his twin brother Archie were assigned to the USS Tennessee a few months later. That battleship earned an impressive 10 battle stars, one of the most decorated in World War II.
Arthur was on the USS Tennessee when it was struck by a Japanese suicide bomber in 1945. “He survived because he was on the opposite side of the ship that got hit. He was a proud veteran, but didn’t talk a lot about the war,” Brian said. Actual footage of the bombing is archived here.
