ARNOLD, GLEN E.

Glen Emery Arnold, 78, of Omaha died Wednesday, July 2 [2003] at the Veterans Medical Center in Fayetteville.

Mr. Arnold was born in Tyro, Kan., June 17, 1925, to Emma Gastil Arnold and Robert Arnold. He was a resident of Boone County for the last 27 years after moving here from Torrance, Calif.

Glen belonged to the Southern Baptist Church and was member of the Marine Corps Raider Association, Disabled American Veterans, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a longtime member of the Masonic orders including the Scottish and York Rite Bodies and the Shrine and was a member of the Ozark Shrine Club in Harrison. Glen was also a charter member of the Marine Corps Legacy Museum.

Glen was in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II as a member of the elite First Raider Battalion. He was in combat in the South Pacific including Guam where he was wounded during the assault on the island. After recovering from his wounds he was assigned to President Roosevelt’s Security Guard. Once while on duty at Camp David, President Roosevelt noticed that Glen was wearing the Raider patch on his uniform and relieved him from his duties for a long personal chat, much to the consternation of Glen’s senior officers. In retrospect, it probably wasn’t that unusual a thing for the President to do as his son, James, was also a Marine Raider. In fact, at the time James Roosevelt was the executive officer of the Second Raider Battalion.

Shortly before the Korean War started, Glen enlisted in the Navy and was stationed aboard the command ship provided for General MacArthur’s use when he directed the Inchon landing and other operations in Korea.

After his return to civilian life, Glen worked as a sales manager for several large automobile agencies before retiring to Arkansas where he operated a farm near Omaha. He had many interests including the collection and restoration of antiques; his specialty being the restoration of antique chests and weight scales.

Mr. Arnold is survived by his spouse, Bebe of the home; four sons, Guy Garner of California and Bruce Burnam, Brock Arnold and Gary Arnold, all of Colorado; three sisters, Ruth Hess of California, Dorothy Rositti and Lorena Allen, both of Kansas; two brothers, Jack Arnold of California and David Gastil of Kansas; 16 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at Christeson Funeral Home at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 12.