My father was the best storyteller. Please share your memories and stories from his early years in the comment box below! We look forward to reading your own stories of Arnie or those he shared with you.
If you have stories from other times in Arnie’s life, please consider posting the tales under
Thank you!
Arnie 
9 lives
Dad seemed to be like a cat with 9 lives. There were many times both in the Airforce and later in the Airlines that he could of died but didn’t. I have heard some of these stories but I am hoping anyone who knows the details can share some of these stories in detail. Some moments included: a truck crashing through the lunch room. Being shot at by an American guard on his 1st few days in Germany, a small plane crash on take off in Alberta, rolling at least 2 cars, surviving Moms anger when she made a revenge lunch when he complained about the usual lunches, an inflatable raft blowing up inside the cabin of a Wardair plane during maintenance and at least a couple electrocutions.
Any writers ready to tell the story?
I remember the incident in Trenton, ON, in about 1961 (app) when the
Airmen had finished their lunch in the hangar and were having a game of
cards when suddenly a big supply truck which had been parked on a knoll
just behind the hangar started moving toward the hangar. It was
determined that a passing train had created enough vibration to get the
truck rolling. When it came through the wall it scooped up several of the
Airmen and drove them across the floor. Arnie was one of these and he
said he looked over his shoulder to see the truck still coming and figured
he was a ‘goner’ but he must have had a ‘leprechaun’ on his shoulder as
the truck stopped just before it got to him. He wasn’t seriously hurt but had
some bruises and scrapes and was pretty shook up so went to the Base Dr.
When he went into the Dr’s office he said the very young Dr. was sitting with
his feet up on his desk and wanted to know how he could help so Arnie
told him about his sad tale. Unmoving, the Dr told Arnie that by the next day
he would either feel better or he would feel worse and if he was worse to
come on back which, of course, Arnie never did!!
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As for the ‘revenge lunch’ I happen to know about that one also! I always
made his sandwiches in the evening and he informed me that he wanted
1 peanut butter sandwich and 1 plain bologna sandwich. After some time
of doing these sandwiches every night I got tired of making the same thing
and told Arnie that he must be tired of eating them. Once again he informed
me that everything was great and if he got tired of them he would let me
know. Well, not too long after that conversation he came home late as he
had stopped off with his buddies and had a few and was feeling no pain
when he came in. I happened to be in the kitchen making his lunch and I
had already made the peanut butter sandwich and was about to make
the bologna one when he came lurching over and took a look and then
exploded: ‘Peanut butter sandwich and bologna sandwich, that’s what I
get everyday, don’t you have any ‘so and so’ imagination at all?’, and then
he toddled off to bed. I stood there steaming and then realized I had a big
knife in my hand and thought I should show him my imagination with this.
Then I came out of my fog and thought, no, he’s not worth going to jail for
25 years so maybe I will just make him an ‘imagination sandwich’! Well I
put together a sandwich which I was very proud of as it had bologna, honey,
mustard, jam, cheese, peanut butter, barbecue sauce and basically just
about everything I had in the kitchen and it was a lulu of a feast. So then I
wrapped it up and added a little note saying: ‘How’s this for imagination,
( and this was not a very nice term!)?? When he saw the sandwich he said
he was very happy as he thought that should be a really good one, then he
took a bite and had to cover his mouth and run for the bathroom. As he said, he always bugged the other guys about getting notes in their lunch to
pick up groceries etc, and now he had a note so he read it, walked over to
the phone, called me and when I picked up he just said, ‘JUST FINE’ and
then slammed the phone down. He never complained about his lunch again!
Arnie and my late husband, Arnie Olson, went through basic training together and became close friends. When Arnie and Merna lived in Calgary we became good friends too and often socialized. One day I must have had a rough day at school as I had terrible heartburn. Just before going over to Arnie and Merna’s for supper, I stopped off at a drugstore to get some antacid pills. Lo and behold, who should come up behind me, but Arnie…”Anticipating Merna’s cooking, are you?” he asked. What a character!! We had a wonderful meal and of course I never mentioned his comment to Merna. Apparently, good thing, as he might have earned himself another “everything but the kitchen sink and any hot stuff in the refrigerator” sandwich!!
Speaking of characters, when the two Arnies were playing a game of darts (this was before my time), Arnie Pope, or Arnie the Poop, as he often referred to himself, could not stop making aggravating remarks to my Arnie. Finally, very frustrated, instead of using the dartboard, my Arnie shot the dart at him pinning his slacks to his leg. As everyone headed for cover, Arnie Pope dislodged the dart,stood up, took aim……and hit the dartboard. I said to my Arnie, “And he continued to be friends with you after that incident?” Yep, an unbreakable friendship, no matter what!
In 1963 while Arnie was on TD in France he came to visit Lorraine and I in Sollingen Germany. We had been married a short time before and Arnie had been there to give away the bride. He was a big hit with the locals at that time who thought it was hilarious the way he spoke English with a German accent (he thought if he did that, the Germans could understand him). On this particular visit ,Arnie, who was a noted beer connoisseur,heard of a beer fest being held in our town and we all decided to go.It was very festive ,with an oompah-pah band and lots of singing. Later in the evening Lorraine and I decided we’d had enough and headed out for home about a block away. Much later we were awakened from a beer induced sleep by the sound of music in the street by our window. We took a look and sure enough there was Arnie with some members of the band that he had talked into playing him home. We will miss him big time.
I have never heard that story but I can imagine it. Sounds like something he would do. very funny – although I bet it was less funny at 2:30 in the morning
My Dad’s involvement in the Air Force (RCAF) and all the Air Force stories really had a strong influence upon my interest in Airplanes. Eventually I developed my own interest and curiosity in military aircraft and some of the history. As a result in university, I studied and wrote about the history of AV ROE aircraft from the Lancaster bomber all the way to the sad demise of the Avro Arrow. I became a fan of the sleek super fast SR-71 which Dad got me to see twice: once up close on the Toronto Airport when it was there for the Toronto Air show and later at the Air museum outside Portland Oregon. Time and time again whether it was an Air museum such as the one in Ottawa or Oregan or getting me special passes to go on the tarmac or up to a cockpit he would explain everything in fascinating and intricate detail. It was never boring, but told with passion and with the gift of a true storyteller. Please share any Air Force stories that you may have of Dad.