HEY ARNOLD!: VETERANS DAY (TV)
Summary
One in this animated series about inner-city fourth-grader Arnold and his eccentric relatives and friends from the neighborhood. In this episode, Arnold and Gerald are pleased to have a day off of school for Veterans Day, though Grandpa is annoyed when no one is terribly interested in hearing his World War II tales. He runs into Gerald's father Martin, a Vietnam vet, who agrees that no one respects the holiday anymore, and they decide to take the boys on a road trip to the capital to properly honor the day. In the car, Grandpa eagerly begins his story about winning WWII "all by himself," explaining that he was an assistant cook in the Army and was tasked with a "top-secret mission": delivering a truckload of Cham – not to be confused with Spam – to a dumping ground in France. After suffering a flat tire and spending an exciting night in a barn with a farmer's daughter, he is captured by the enemy and engages in fisticuffs with Hitler himself – or so he claims. Arnold points out the unlikelihood of the story, and Grandpa amends the tale to describe his encounter with a regular group of German soldiers. He attempts to warn them away from the spoiled Cham, but the German major suspects a trick and decides to eat it. His entire platoon falls desperately ill, allowing the American troops to roll past them into Berlin and win the war.
Martin explains that he was drafted at nineteen and, despite his reservations about the Vietnam conflict, headed off for training – though after accidentally shooting his own colonel in the rear end, he was sent to the medical offices and assigned to be a file clerk. Gerald is highly disappointed, having hoped that his father was involved in thrilling battles, though Arnold points out that Martin, at least, tells the truth about his military experience. Once in D.C., however, Arnold is amazed to see that there is actually a monument – albeit a small, hidden one – to Grandpa, honoring his invaluable assistance at the Battle of the Bulge. At the Vietnam War memorial, Martin explains to Gerald that there are many ways, exciting and not-so-exciting, to serve one's country, and Gerald decides that he is proud of his father for "doing his best." They then encounter Miller, a fellow vet whose life Martin saved by bandaging his injury with some handy file papers, and Miller sincerely thanks him and proudly introduces his family to "a real hero." Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: Nickelodeon
- DATE: August 26, 1999 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:23:37
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:63836
- GENRE: Children's programs
- SUBJECT HEADING: Children's programs; Animation
- SERIES RUN: Nickelodeon - TV series, 1996-2004
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Mary Harrington … Executive Producer
- Craig Barlett … Executive Producer, Created by
- Steve Socki … Supervising Producer
- Joseph Purdy … Co-Producer
- Donna Smith … Line Producer
- Tuck Tucker … Supervising Director
- Christine Kolosov … Animation Director
- Tim Parsons … Storyboard Director
- Heather Adams … Post-Production Director
- Joe Ansolabehere … Developed by
- Steve Viksten … Co-Producer, Developed by, Writer
- Jim Lang … Music by
- Spencer Klein … Cast, Voice, Arnold
- Jamil Walker Smith … Cast, Voice, Gerald Johanssen
- Ben Diskin … Cast, Voice, Bobby Miller
- Dom Irrera … Cast, Voice, Ernie Potts
- Baoan Coleman … Cast, Voice, Mr. Hyunh
- Dan Castellaneta … Cast, Voice, Arnold's Grandpa / Sergeant #2
- Rick Fitts … Cast, Voice, Martin Johanssen
- Joe Lala … Cast, Voice, Miller / GI #1
- Joe Alaskey … Cast, Voice, Major / GI #2
- Danny Mann … Cast, Voice, Colonel / Sergeant #1
- Stephen Viksten … Cast, Voice, Oskar Kokoshka / Adolf Hitler