Dennis Arndt, actor and vet dies

I like to think that every vet should be remembered. In this case, I had no idea what kind of life he led – and was surprised at what he had done.

Dennis Arndt – not a household name. I suspect he was best known for what he was the recipient of … he was one of the detectives in the famous Sharon Stone interrogation scene in “Basic Instinct.”  Rarefied atmosphere indeed! But it turns out that apart from 88 appearances in TV and movies (including that most famous hoohah flash), he was an interesting fella.

His family noted that Arndt served in the military during the Vietnam War, working as a helicopter pilot. For his service in the war, he was awarded the Purple Heart twice. He later went on to fly helicopters in Alaska.

Choppers in Vietnam? Whoa… Wikipedia says one Heart and an Arcom, the family says two Purple Hearts. But it seems he didn’t start acting until he retired from flying.

After retiring as a pilot, his family said, he moved to Seattle where his acting career first began. A friend of his “persuaded” him to “audition for a local theatre,” and he was able to snag the “main role.”

86 when he died, it says.

Beyond his work in film and on the stage, Arndt was an avid sailor who was “passionate about sailing his boat around the San Juan islands.”

Arndt’s family held a private funeral in his honor, and shared in his obituary that “in lieu of flowers, he would request you go grab life by the balls and follow your passion.”

Sounds like an interesting fella!

Category: Army, We Remember