Corporal William C. Arnold (July 3rd, 1925- February 6th, 2005)	
By Tevin Lynch						   
 Early Life:
William Christian Arnold was born on July 3rd,1925, in Brooklyn, NY, to Father Frank Arnold and Mother Carrie Arnold. He was the youngest of 3 sons. All of his brothers, including William, served during World War two. His brother Frank Arnold Jr. and William H. Arnold are both interred at Calverton Cemetery in Suffolk. (AncestryClassroom.com)
Based on Military service records, William was only 18 years old when he enlisted on September 30th, 1943. To be noted, he was the last of his brothers to enlist, but did enlist only two months after turning 18, showing a strong drive to serve his country. (Ancestry.com)

Military Service
William enlisted as a volunteer in the United States Marine Corps. He was deployed on the SS Mormachawk and then on to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines. His battalion was deployed on Palau Island from September 15th to 29th, 1944 (1st Marine Division). This made them one of the first soldiers to land on the island of Palau. This battle is collectively known as the Battle of Peleliu or Operation Stalemate II. This would be Williams' first and last major battle during his time in service. The Battle of Peleliu is also called “The Forgotten Hell” due to its difficulty, significant losses, and lack of awareness ( Nationww2museum.org)
The Operation was one of the most difficult operations during this conflict. This is seen by the high number of fatalities seen during the first week. Estimates state that around 4000 marines died during the first week and altogether about 9000 before the conflict ended (History.com). This was also the battle in which Private 1st Class Henry was injured. Given the severity of the battle, William was later diagnosed with shellshock in July 1945. He was honorably discharged as a Corporal on October 29th, 1945. The fact that he was able to survive that battle speaks to the sheer strength and resilience of Corporal William C. Arnold.

Post- Service Life
After returning from the war, Henry lived with his family in Brooklyn. According to the US Census, he worked as a furniture helper, working 40 hours a week during the 1950s (AncestryClassroom.com). He married Diane R. Bernhard, who later became Diane R. Arnold. Henry and Diane are interred together at Cypress Hills National Cemetery. They lost a child, William Gerald Arnold, only five days after he was born. Henry and Diane later had two more children, Geraldine, born in 1963, and Robert 1966. Henry was a Veteran,Son, Husband, Father, and Grandfather before his passing in 2005 (nhdsilentheroes.org). He is interred at Cypress Hills National Cemetery along with his infant son, William Gerald Arnold, and his wife Diane, who passed away in 2007.










					Bibliography Works Cited
“2nd Battalion, 1st Marines.” Marines.mil, 2021, www.1stmardiv.marines.mil/Units/1ST-MARINE-REGT/2nd-Battalion/.
“Corp William Christian Arnold (1925-2005) - Find A...” Findagrave.com, 2026, www.findagrave.com/memorial/27402645/william-christian-arnold. Accessed 10 June 2026.
Curatola, John. “The Battle of Peleliu: The Forgotten Hell.” The National WWII Museum | New Orleans, 13 Sept. 2024, www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/battle-peleliu-forgotten-hell.
HISTORY.com Editors. “Americans Launch Operation Stalemate—at Extraordinary Cost | September 15, 1944 | HISTORY.” HISTORY, 5 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/september-15/americans-launch-operation-stalemateat-extraordinary-cost.
“William c Arnold’s Memorial.” Va.gov, 2021, www.vlm.cem.va.gov/WILLIAMCARNOLD/5421FAF. Accessed 10 June 2026.
“William C. Arnold.” Ancestryclassroom.com, 2021, www.ancestryclassroom.com/search/collections/2442/records/100010175?tid=&pid=&queryId=0d574dce-399d-4a61-84c8-442fc2a1e6c0&usePUBJs=true. Accessed 10 June 2026.


Please click here to view a student eulogy for William Arnold recorded at Cypress Hills National Cemetery in 2026: https://youtu.be/YF5CXYe-GSE

Biography

Early Life 
William C. Arnold was born on July 18, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York, to Frank and Carrie Arnold. Frank Arnold, whose original last name was Caccavale, was an Italian immigrant. Carrie Arnold, whose maiden name was Rupp, was a first-generation American whose parents were from Germany. 

Arnold grew up with his three brothers, Henry, John, and Frank Jr., and one sister, Mary. In addition to his siblings, he also had four step-siblings: Emma, Bertha, Ella, and James. 

William Arnold attended Thomas Jefferson High School in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn for two and a half years. At the age of 16, he went to work as a compound sifter operator at the Ideal Rubber Company in Brooklyn, New York. He worked there until he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

Homefront 
Shortly after the United States entered World War II, communities across the country took action to support the war effort. In Brooklyn, citizens began rationing their supplies. Children collected scrap metal, paper, and even leftover cooking fats to create explosives. Others established victory gardens to increase food and agricultural production. New York City was home to a vast number of wartime manufacturers — among them the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Todd Shipyards, and Carl L. Norden Inc. These manufacturers played a pivotal role in the production of warships, weapons, and precision military equipment.

Central to Brooklyn’s wartime role was the Brooklyn Army Terminal, a massive waterfront complex in Sunset Park, originally built to supply American forces during World War I. While the terminal was completed too late to affect that conflict, it was indispensable to World War II. It was the largest military supply base in the United States and the headquarters of the New York Port of Embarkation, employing over 20,000 military and civilian personnel. Some 37 million tons of war supplies were shipped through this terminal, and more than three million American soldiers departed from its piers.

The government created propaganda and advertisements to persuade young men, such as William Christian Arnold, to join the military. New Yorkers encountered advertisements everywhere in public spaces, such as post offices, street corners, and parks. 

William Christian Arnold, inspired by these advertisements, voluntarily enlisted. Family lore holds that he enlisted in the Marines to distinguish himself from his older brothers, both of whom had joined the Army. The family joked at the irony of a young man joining the Marines when he didn’t even know how to swim. He made his way to a recruitment office in 1943.

Military Experience 
William Arnold enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve on September 30, 1943, in New York City. After Arnold’s enlistment, he was sent shortly thereafter to Parris Island, South Carolina. It was there that he trained to become a United States Marine. 

On December 27, 1943, Arnold was assigned to the 39th Replacement Battalion, and on January 23, 1944, to the 43rd Replacement Battalion. He was subsequently transported to San Diego, California, and on April 8, 1944, Arnold departed the United States aboard SS Mormachawk, bound for war in Noumea, New Caledonia. He joined the ranks of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force at Pavuvu Island on May 23, 1944, where the division was in the middle of a five-month refitting following the Cape Gloucester campaign.

Private Arnold was a replacement who would serve in the Pacific under the command of Colonel Lewis 'Chesty' Puller. The units under his leadership would earn a reputation for being hard-nosed and determined. Entering a regiment as a replacement was often isolating and cold; joining a regiment of men, a family, who had, by then, been together through over 18 months of combat. Arnold missed the legendary combat on Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester. That meant a replacement had to earn their place and prove themselves.

On August 26, 1944, Arnold’s unit departed Pavuvu, stopping briefly at Guadalcanal before sailing for Peleliu. The 2nd Battalion landed on Beach White-2 on September 15, 1944, or D-Day for this operation. Arnold served as an automatic rifleman, providing suppressive fire in support of the squad’s advance. Arnold was wounded in action on September 16, 1944, and evacuated. The battle for Peleliu lasted until November 27, 1944, and Arnold’s regiment suffered heavy losses during this battle.

Arnold was awarded the Purple Heart while hospitalized following a mortar attack. He sustained injuries to his right knee. Records show his hospital treatment was initially brief. He was treated for physical wounds before being sent back to Fox Company. On November 3, 1944, Arnold was promoted to private first class.

On February 2, 1945, the 1st Marines departed Pavuvu. They staged through the Ulithi Atoll and landed at Okinawa on April 1, 1945. Allied commanders chose Okinawa for their next and last campaign. Top officials prepared for the eventual invasion of Japan. The fighting on Okinawa was considered the last and bloodiest battle of the war. The battle lasted almost three months, from April 1 to June 22, 1945. 

Private First Class Arnold fell back into line and fought with his unit through the first five weeks of action. Their goal was to breach the Shuri defensive line. During this action, Arnold sustained shrapnel wounds to his face and was evacuated by air to a U.S. Naval Hospital on June 5, 1945.

Arnold was transferred to Marine Barracks, Naval Dry Dock, Hunter’s Point, California, on July 1, 1945. He was initially admitted for exhaustion, also known as ‘Combat Fatigue.’ His doctors noted he experienced insomnia, anxiety, and a sensitivity to loud noises. He was ultimately diagnosed with Shell Shock. Hospital records show he was diagnosed with “a combat-induced psychoneurotic pattern of reaction,” which made him officially “unfit for combat.” 

On October 27, 1945, Arnold was transferred to the Separation Company, Marine Barracks, Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland. The next day, he was promoted to corporal, and on October 29, 1945, he was honorably discharged.

Veteran Experience 
After Arnold left the military, he worked as a “helper” for a household moving company. Throughout his life, Arnold openly struggled with Shell Shock, now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

On January 17, 1951, Arnold married Diane R. Arnold, formerly Diane R. Bernhard. While Arnold was raised Lutheran, he converted to Catholicism to marry Diane.  In January 1960, Diane gave birth to William Gerard, who passed away as an infant. They had two more children, Geraldine, born in 1963, and Robert, born in 1966. They made their home in the Woodhaven neighborhood of Queens.

Commemoration 
William Christian Arnold died on February 6, 2005. He is buried at Cypress Hills National Veterans Cemetery.

Diane survived her husband and continued to fawn over their two grandsons. Diane died on September 13, 2007, at the age of 79. Diane and their infant son, William Gerard, are also buried at Cypress Hills National Veterans Cemetery.

This profile was researched by Irina Arama, Siena Cangello, Eleanor Faust, Nora Fuchs, and Abigail Lawton, mentored by Simon Baruch MS104 teacher Mr. Bryan Melnick, as part of a Veterans Legacy Grant Program led by National History Day in the 2025/2026 academic year.

This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.


Diane and William Gerald Arnold are also buried with William C Arnold at Cypress Hills National Veterans Cemetery, March 27, 2026. Courtesy of Bryan Melnick.

William C. Arnold’s grave at Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, March 27, 2026. Courtesy of Bryan Melnick.

William C. Arnold's grave at Cypress Hills National Cemetery

William Arnold poses with his second grandson at his first birthday party, February 19, 2000. Courtesy of Geri Woll.

A color photograph of an elderly White man holding a small child.

William C. Arnold with his daughter, Geri, and his first grandson at his baptism, November 1996. Courtesy of Geri Woll.

A color photograph of an elderly White man in a suit with a young White woman holding a baby.

Wedding day of Geraldine Woll (Arnold); seen here with her brother Robert, and parents, Diane and William Arnold, July 31, 1994. Courtesy of Geri Woll.

Mr. and Mrs. William C. Arnold on their wedding day, January 17, 1951. Courtesy of Robert Gerard.

A black and white image of a young White couple in the backseat of a car.

Arnold’s Record of Service, 1945. Official Military Personnel File, National Archives and Records Administration.

The first wave of landing crafts during the invasion of Peleliu, September 15, 1944. Note that the landing area is almost completely hidden in dust and smoke. National Archives and Records Administration (80-G-283533).

A group of landing craft approaching the beach under fire.

An M1919A4 .30-caliber machine gun team from the 1st Marine Division on White Beach 2 perched behind a coral wall. As an automatic rifleman, Arnold would have operated the M1918 in battle in the days before his wounds in Peleliu, September 1944. U.S. Marine Corps.

Three men with a machine gun crouched behind a wall of coral.

The Arnold family home in Brooklyn, New York. New York City Department of Records and Information Services.

A small two story home with a large tree in front.

The 1940 U.S. Census shows the Arnold family living in Brooklyn, New York. Father, Frank, and his three oldest sons are all working to support the household. National Archives and Records Administration.

WILLIAM C ARNOLD

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