Tec 5 Steen was born the son of Hans and Amelia Steen. He was a member of the National Guard, serving in the 32nd Tank Company of the Red Arrow Division. On November 25, 1940 his unit was organized into Company A, 192nd Tank Battalion. This company was known as "The Janesville 99" and they trained at Fort Knox Kentucky and then in Louisiana. Arnold trained as a cook. The unit arrived in the Philippines on November 22, 1941. On December 8, 1941 they were told of the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor Hawaii. For the next four months, as their airfield was under attack by the Japanese, Arnold and the other cooks did their best to feed the troops. Food was scarce and sometimes monkey, snake or horsemeat was served. The men held out until April of 1942, when they fell to the Japanese. From the southern part of Bataan, the men were forced to walk 75 miles to the north to Camp O'Donnell in what is known as "The Bataan Death March". Arnold died of dysentery in the prison camp. His final resting place is not known. There is a memorial marker for him at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, as there is here in his hometown of Janesville Wisconsin in the veteran's section. Of the 99 men from Janesville, only 35 came home 3 years later when the camps were liberated by American troops. Biography by Sue.
Tec 5 Steen was born the son of Hans and Amelia Steen. He was a member of the National Guard, serving in the 32nd Tank Company of the Red Arrow Division. On November 25, 1940 his unit was organized into Company A, 192nd Tank Battalion. This company was known as "The Janesville 99" and they trained at Fort Knox Kentucky and then in Louisiana. Arnold trained as a cook. The unit arrived in the Philippines on November 22, 1941. On December 8, 1941 they were told of the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor Hawaii. For the next four months, as their airfield was under attack by the Japanese, Arnold and the other cooks did their best to feed the troops. Food was scarce and sometimes monkey, snake or horsemeat was served. The men held out until April of 1942, when they fell to the Japanese. From the southern part of Bataan, the men were forced to walk 75 miles to the north to Camp O'Donnell in what is known as "The Bataan Death March". Arnold died of dysentery in the prison camp. His final resting place is not known. There is a memorial marker for him at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, as there is here in his hometown of Janesville Wisconsin in the veteran's section. Of the 99 men from Janesville, only 35 came home 3 years later when the camps were liberated by American troops. Biography by Sue.
