World War II Honoree

Arthur Richard Arend

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Cincinnati, Ohio

Honored By

Marguerite Lynch

Relationship

Sister

COMMANDED THE 131ST ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY GUN BATTALION, U.S. ARMY IN EUROPE FROM UTAH BEACH TO EAGLE’S NEST. ACTIVE DUTY, 1941-1945. OVERSAW THE FORMER PRISON CAMP, DACHAU. AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART FOR HELPING RESCUE 4 AIRMEN MOMENTS BEFORE THEIR DOWNED PLANE EXPLODED. RECEIVED HIS COMMISSION IN 1934 AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI UPON COMPLETION OF ROTC AND HIS ARCHITECTURE DEGREE. REPORTED FOR ACTIVE DUTY AT FORT BLISS, TEXAS ON AUGUST 1, 1941. VOLUNTEERED FORT ARTILLERY SCHOOL IN MONROE, VIRGINIA. UPON HIS RETURN TO FORT BLISS, HE PERFECTED A FIRING SYSTEM THAT INCREASED THE STRIKE RANGE BY 1/3. WHEN WAR WAS DECLARED, HE LAID OUT THE DEFENSES FOR THE ARMY BASE AT FORT BLISS. HE WAS SENT BY TRAIN FROM FORT BLISS TO HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT WHERE HE LAID OUT THE DEFENSES AND SUPERVISED THE ERECTION OF PREFABRICATED HOUSING FOR THE TROOPS. PUT IN CHARGE OF HIS ENTIRE REGIMENT AND PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN. FURTHER TRAINING INCLUDED COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE AT FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS AND ARTILLERY SCHOOL AT CAMP DAVIS, NORTH CAROLINA. UPON HIS RETURN TO FORT BLISS, HE WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF MAJOR AND PUT IN COMMAND OF THE 131ST ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY GUN BATTALION. HE WAS THE SENIOR OFFICER ABOARD THE PASSENGER SHIP MAURITANIA WHEN THE BATTALION DEPARTED FOR LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND. PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL WHEN HE ARRIVED IN ENGLAND. HIS BATTALION’S PORT OF DEBARKATION WAS WEYMOUTH, ENGLAND. MILITARY VEHICLES WERE LOADED ON SHIPS AND SAILED TO UTAH BEACH ON THE COAST OF FRANCE IN THE SUMMER OF 1944. FROM FRANCE, HIS BATTALION MOVED TO BELGIUM, WHERE THEY DUG ANTI-AIRCRAFT DEFENSES AND FIRED EVERY NIGHT AT GERMAN PLANES. MOVING TO LUXEMBOURG, HE SERVED AS THE BURGOMASTER, CHIEF TOWN MAGISTRATE. AFTER THIS, HIS BATTALION WAS SENT TO DEFEND TO MAASTRICHT, HOLLAND FROM GERMAN ATTACK. HIS BATTALION WAS ASSIGNED TO DEFEND AMERICAN TROOPS CROSSING THE RHINE WHEN THEY ENTERED GERMANY IN 1945. THE AMERICAN ARMY SENT 100 B-24 BOMBERS TO HELP THE AMERICAN GROUND ADVANCE. GERMANS SHOT DOWN 40 PLANES. A DRIVER TOOK HIM TO THE CRASH SITE. THEY PULLED TWO MEN OUT OF A PLANE, WENT BACK AND SAVED TWO MORE. THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY BACK TO TRY AND SAVE MORE WHEN THE DUMP EXPLODED. AFTER HITLER’S FALL FROM POWER, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO RUN WIEDENBRUCK, GERMANY AND THEN BERCHTESGADEN. HIS COMMAND INCLUDED HITLER’S EAGLE’S NEST. ALL 700 MEN UNDER HIS COMMAND IN THE 131ST BATTALION SURVIVED AND RETURNED HOME ALIVE. HE WAS ASSIGNED CHARGE OF THE 411TH GUN BATTALION BATTERY B AND SPENT THE NEXT MONTH AT DACHAU, OVERSEEING THE FORMER PRISON CAMP, QUESTIONING PEOPLE AND GATHERING INFORMATION. AT THE END OF HIS TOUR OF DUTY, THE 411TH WAS SENT BACK TO FRANCE. THEY RETURNED TO AMERICA IN NOVEMBER 1945.