Page 7 - The Friday Flyer • April 29, 2016

APRIL 29, 2016 T
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BY SHARON RICE
EDITOR, THE FRIDAY FLYER
A series on aviation wouldn’t be com- plete without mentioning one of Canyon Lake’s most famous pilots, Arlie Blood. Although Arlie passed away May 14, 2014, at the age of 98, his legacy lives on at the Canyon Lake Veterans Monu- ment and in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.
In particular, his wife, Lucille, now 94, still lives in Canyon Lake and re- mains very active in her bowling league and bunco group. She and Arlie were married 73 years and bought property in Canyon Lake in 1968.
Many Canyon Lakers have read or heard Arlie’s story by seeing it in The Friday Flyer or reading his autobiog- raphy, “Only Angels Have Wings.” Re- tired as a U.S. Air Force Colonel, Arlie flew for the Army Air Corps and was shot down over France in WWII, evad- ing capture with the help of the French Underground and fighting with the French Resistance “Maquis.”
He was caught and almost killed by the Germans, became a prisoner of war, escaped, boldly helped liber- ate two French towns, and eventually made his way back to Paris and Great Britain, then to Santa Monica and some time with his wife, followed by a career with the U.S. Air Force and eventual employment with Northrop Grumman Corporation.
Arlie’s gripping story is told in his au- tobiography, which can be found in the
Arlie told his life story in this book, including his experi- ence of being shot down over France as a pilot in WWII.
'A' stands for April, Airplane, Aviation, Part 2
Arlie Blood
Canyon Lake Library and at amazon. com. It tells of many brushes with death over the years, before and after being shot down in France.
Born in a log cabin near Little Falls, Minnesota on December 30, 1915, Arlie lost his mother at the age of 1 and lived with different relatives, including his dad, in homes from Minnesota to the Dakotas. He almost died of diphtheria at the age of 7, and almost froze to death walking 3-1⁄2 miles from the bus stop in a blizzard at the age of 13.
As a young teen, he got a job selling 50-cent airplane rides for George and Clyde Ice, and flew with them one sum- mer as they traveled from town to town, hawking the novel experience to the lo- cal Midwesterners. He went to work for the Civilian Conservation Corps to earn money for flying lessons, but the young wife his father married used the money he saved for her own purposes.
He continued to work and save money and, at 18, bought a Model A Ford, which he and a friend drove to Washington to get work picking ap- ples. From there he drove to California where he worked at a variety of jobs, including that of a builder for Colum- bia Studios.
When that job ended, he and a friend jumped a freight train to Missouri and back, trying to avoid being caught by railroad “bulls.” Little could Arlie know
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