Norman N. Arrow

NORMAN N. ARROW
(courtesy of Fred Hannum] Grave marker for Norman N. Arrow in Garden of Eden, Section II, Vista Memorial Gardens, Miami Lakes (Miami-Dade county), Florida. Born in Kiev, Russia (now Ukraine), Norman, along with his parents, Lazar and Bertha as well as 2 siblings (lines 18-22) departed Cherbourg, France aboard the RMS Berengaria, on 10 June 1922. They disembarked in New York City on 14 June 1922. Note that the family name is shown as Jarowski. The names of the children are Lusia (9), Nunian (8), and Sarah (2). Norman's father, Lazar Arovsky (43), petitioned for naturalization as a U.S. citizen on 1 January 1923 and listed his family as wife, Bertha (32), their children with the boys now having adopted the names of Albert (14), Norman (12) but Sarah (3) kept her given name. All were born in Russia and were living together as a family unit. By the time the 1940 census was taken, Norman (line 26) had become a naturalized citizen and adopted the surname of Arrow. He had completed one year of college and was employed s a Hand Waiter in a hotel on the famed Boardwalk of Atlantic City, NJ. Norman registered for the draft in Miami, FL on 16 October 1940 and was inducted into the Army on 21 October 1942. In 17 October 1945, TSgt Arrow was transferred from the 17th Airborne Division to Company I, 508th PIR. He was discharged on 30 December 1945. During his civilian career, Norman became the food service director at a number of hotels and gained some local notoriety.	Norman returned to the hotel industry and moved to Miami, FL where he was employed at the Pan American Hotel in Miami Beach and seems to have been sent annually to Havana. perhaps to inspect the food services facilities at another company hotel. He also indicated employment at the Schwartz Hotel in Elkhart, WI which may have been a summer posting.
	MANIFEST	DATE	CARRIER	FROM	TO
		14 Jul 1946	Pan Am Flt 416-B	Havana	Miami
		24 Sep 1947	Pan Am Flt 418/25	Havana	Miami
		04 Apr 1948 [includes wife]	Pan Am Flt 428/04	Havana	Miami
		25 Apr 1955	Pan Am Flt 422/26	Havana	Miami
		23 Nov 1955	Compañia Cubana De Aviacion Flt 498/24	Havana	Miami
		19 Apr 1956 [includes wife and two children]	SS Queen of Nassau (lines 11-14)	Nassau, Bahamas	Miami
Coral Room Maitre Has Combat Record Although he resembles a benign bookkeeper in appearance, genial Norman "Gypsy" Arrow, maitre de at the Ritz Plaza Coral Room, has an outstanding combat record from the last war. A member of the famed 82nd Airborne division, Arrow has 72 parachute jumps .to his credit and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star for gallantry in action. He also holds the purple heart Reluctant Hero Tells How He Won All Those Medals By Jan Glass - Reporter at The Miami News Norman Arrow went to a reunion of the 82nd Airborne Division with which he fought In World War II a couple of years ago. He sported two rows of ribbons, representing 14 medals, on his chest "I looked around at the top brass floating about." says Norman, "and was horrified to see ! had more medals than anyone. It was embarrassing. "So I took one of the strips off. Felt more comfortable that way." One reason may be that 54-year-oki Arrow likes to kid about his medals. He is the original reluctant hero, slightly embarrassed at the way he won some of them. There was, for instance, the battle of Flamenge, Belgium. In January. 1945. Sgt Arrow and 14 men went on reconnaissance ahead of their regiment to the village of Flamenge. It had been practically demolished by the Germans. They holed up in a cellar and were suddenly surrounded in the streets outside by German soldiers, anxious to take control of the village again. "I was so scared," says Arrow, "I was paralyzed. I didn't know any better than to cajole the men into firing outside. This went on all night. I don't know if we hit anyone, but next morning, the regiment rescued us. "The rest of the guys said I had saved the village. Truth Is, if I'd known where to run to, I'd have run. There wasn't anything else we could do "However, they gave me the Silver Star for that, and the Belgians not only gave me the Order of the Knight of Leopold, they even named one of their streets in Flamenge, Rue de Arrow." Arrow also got a Silver Star for carrying a wounded comrade on his back during a "tactical withdrawal That means we were running away. "Anyway, I had this guy on my back and everyone thought I was a hero for rescuing him, but my original thought was, 'If the bullets come, he's gonna be my shield! " He also managed to win France's highest honor, the Croix de Guerre for escorting 40 German prisoners to camp across the French lines. "The truth is, I couldn't talk any of the French resistance people into doing it and I was scared to think what the Army would do to me for just leaving them there." The really brave ones, says Arrow, were the men who overcame frantic fear to fight. "I was different Never believed it could happen to me. I've always been sure I'll die a natural death." Despite Arrow's protestations, he has managed to pile up a fair record of gutsiness. A lightweight boxer who made the 1932 Olympics team, he went on to win 145 amateur matches before being defeated. After World War II (during which he was a parachute instructor and made more than 100 jumps, he was made a boxing instructor. He is still a tough 5-feet-4'j inch 160-pounder. After the war he became, of all things, a hotel food and beverage director. Since then, he has occupied that position in several hotels here and in the Bahamas. And he doesn't even drink. He is now food and beverage director for the soon-to-be-opened Marco Polo Motor Hotel at 192nd Street and Collins Avenue. He lives with his wife at 911 S. 13th Ave., Hollywood. Pride of his life right now is his 18-year-old son. Storm, who has joined the Army and become a paratrooper. [The Miami News. Miami, Florida, 07 Nov 1967, Tue, Page 3]		1 Oct 1956	Compañia Cubana De Aviacion Flt 498/02	Havana	Miami
		30 Oct 1956	Compañia Cubana De Aviacion Flt 498/31	Havana	Miami
		15 Sep 1957	Pan Am Flt 433/15	Havana	Miami
		24 Sep 1957	Pan Am Flt 418/24	Havana	Miami
		9 Dec 1957 [employed by Schwartz Hotel, Elkhart, IN]	Pan Am Flt 422	Havana	Miami
		14 Oct 1959 [employed by Royal Palm Hotel, Miami Beach]	[Pan Am*] Flt 416	[Havana*]	Miami
		8 Jan 1961	?	?	Miami
		* = based on same flight number appearing on another manifest