COL JOHNNIE J. R. ARNOLD
NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI

COL. ARNOLD WAS IN ROTC WHILE AT MISSISSIPPI STATE AND ENTERED THE ARMY AS A 2ND LT. HIS INITIAL SERVICE STARTED AT FORT OGLETHORPE, GA FOR HIS BASIC TRAINING AND THEN HE WENT TO FORT BARRANCUS, FLA FOR ARTILLERY TRAINING. HIS FIRST ASSIGNMENT WAS WITH THE 110TH ANTI-AIRCRAFT REGIMENT AT CAMP PENDLETON, VA.

WHILE THERE HE WAS REASSIGNED TO THE SIGNAL CORPS AND SENT TO WASHINGTON STATE FOR TRAINING FOR THE EUROPEAN WAR.

COL. ARNOLD WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 29TH SIGNAL CONSTRUCTION BATTALION AS A PLATOON LEADER. HIS JOB WAS TO SUPERVISE CONSTRUCTION, MAINTAINENCE AND DISMANTLING OF COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN HEADQUARTERS AND THE FRONT LINES.

HIS PLATOON WAS THE FIRST SIGNAL PLATOON TO LAND AT NORMANDY IN JUNE 1944.

HE HAD CONTACT WITH FIELD MARSHALL MONTGOMERY, GENERAL ISENHOWER, GENERAL BRADLEY AND HAD DAILY BRIEFINGS IN GENERAL PATTON’S TENT.

DURING ONE OF HIS MISSION HE CAME UPON A JEEP, BLOWN UP IN A MINE FIELD. THE DRIVER WAS DEAD AND THE OTHER MEN WERE SEVERALLY WOUNDED AND LYING IN THE MINE FIELD. HE AND HIS DRIVER RECOVERED THE MEN AND TOOK THEM TO A MEDICAL UNIT. FOR THIS HE WAS AWARDED THE SOLDIERS MEDAL.

AFTER THE WAR WAS OVER IN EUROPE, HE WAS SENT TO THE PACIFIC WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO GO HOME. AFTER ARRIVING IN THE PHILIPPINES THE WAR WAS OVER AND HIS COMPANY WAS SENT HOME.

COL. ARNOLD RETURNED TO MISSISSIPPI WHERE HE JOINED THE MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL GUARD AND SERVED 30 YEARS AND RETIRED WITH THE RANK OF FULL COLONEL.

AMONG HIS DECORATIONS ARE THE SOLDEIRS MEDAL, EUROPEAN CAMPAIGN RIBBON, THE PACIFIC CAMPAIGN RIBBON AND THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL.

HE MARRIED MARY LOUISE AND THEY WERE MARRIED FOR 45 YEARS. HE HAD TWO CHILDREN AND HAS ONE GRANDCHILD.
COL. ARNOLD IS ALSO A PUBLISHED AUTHOR OF THE BOOK JOHNNIE’S WAR, WHICH DETAILS HIS ARMY EXPERIENCE.

FOR BEING SELECTED AS VETERAN OF THE MONTH HE WILL RECEIVE A NICE CERTIFICATE, A LETTER OF APPRECIATION FROM MAYOR COGGINS AND SENATOR LITTLE, A VETERAN OF THE MONTH RIBBON, A VICTORY MEDAL, THIS WRITE UP ON THE WEB AND A LOCAL WRITE UP. HE WILL ALSO BE A HONORARY COLONEL IN THE 4TH BRIGADE, USAVR FOR ONE YEAR AND RECEIVE THEIR NEWSLETTER.