Arony H. Brandes was born on January 18, 1921 in Appleton, Outagamie County, Wisconsin. He was the son of William F Brandes and Emma Lautenschlager Brandes. Arony was a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force from Wisconsin. He served as the bombardier on the "Amblin' Oakie," the B-24 bomber of the 577th Bomber Squadron, 392nd Bomber Group, during World War II.

On 18 March 1944, two B-24 Liberators from the 392nd Bomb Group, 576th and 577th Bomber Squadrons, were involved in a horrific mid-air collision over the Oise department in France. Amblin Oakie, Aircraft #41-29174, on its 25th mission, and Aircraft 41-28651 (no nickname) on its 9th mission both took off from the UK at around 10am on 18 March 1944, along with 26 other aircraft, on a bombing mission to Friedrichshafen.

Amblin Oakie was caught in violent propeller wash from the other craft as it fell out of formation. The collision occurred at 1253. On Amblin Oakie a section of the right wing torn off behind the #4 engine as well as a portion of the tail assembly. The other plane lost its left tail section and both wings. One crew member parachuted to safety, the other nineteen were killed in a fiery crash just outside of Le Ployron, France.