Arthur Blair was born on 5 October 1910 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He attended elementary and high school at the Gulf Coast Military Academy in Gulfport, Mississippi. He then attended the Jefferson Military College in Washington, Mississippi for one year before he entered the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point in July of 1928.  While at West Point, he wrote for the student publications Pointer and Howitzer. 

Following his graduation in the class of 1932, Arthur’s first assignment was the Third Field Artillery at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. This was followed by the 13th Field Artillery at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. After Hawaii, he was sent to the 77th  Field Artillery at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.  While at Fort Sill, he met and married Mary Westpheling, sister of Chuck Westpheling, USMA Class of 1931. He and his wife then went to Oklahoma where he served with the 15th Field Artillery in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.  Arthur was then transferred back to Hawaii where he served with the 11th Field Artillery in 1941.

In September of 1941, Arthur and Mary’s daughter Susan was born. Unfortunately, his joy beginning a family was forever shattered when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December.  Mary and Susan were sent to the mainland, while Arthur remained at post in Hawaii.

About a year later, Arthur was sent to Camp Shelby Mississippi, where he activated and commanded the 268th Field Artillery Battalion. He took his men overseas at Omaha Beach on 27 August 1941, and they first saw action around Saint Malo in Brittany.  In September they were in Holland attacking the Siegfried Line, and then participated in the capture of Aachen in Germany. On 13 December 1944, they were moved to Luchem in Germany. Three days later, Hitler unleashed the Battle of the Bulge. 

On Christmas morning, Arthur’s headquarters suffered a direct artillery hit, killing him instantly. One of his men, Harvey Willoughby, witnessed the tragedy and many years later said to a reporter, "It was on Christmas morning in 1944 when a single German 88 round came in from no where and killed Lt. Col. Arthur Blair instantly… Both sides had not fired their heavy artillery on each other for two to three days. Cpt. (Herbert H.) Brauchler would also die a few days later from the wounds he received from that sudden blast. You just never knew. You weren't safe anywhere. Not even on Christmas day."

In a letter dated February, 1945, his Executive Officer wrote that Arthur “was an outstandingly gallant officer, a fine leader and above else, a true gentleman.”  He was 34 years old at the time of his death.

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The information above is based upon the Assembly article linked to this page and Harvey Willoughby's story in the website link.