Eugene armstrong biography

Biography

First Lieutenant Eugene Mortimer Armstrong was born May 19, 1919 to William B. Armstrong and Ruth S. Gallup. He had a brother named Bruce. They lived in Ames, Iowa.

After graduating from Ames High School in 1936, Eugene entered Iowa State College. He participated in Varsity I club, the Cadet Officer's Association, Porpoise Club and the Rifle Team. He also worked as an advertiser for the Iowa State Daily student newspaper. He graduated with a History degree in 1940 and continued graduate work while in the Army reserve.

In May 1942, he went overseas, was promoted to first lieutenant and fought in the Tunsian Campaign. He served as pilot of an observation plane for field artillery.

Eugene died in Italy, over the beachhead of the Battle of Anzio on March 25, 1944, when his plane was shot down. He was posthumously awarded the Air Medal in 1944 for "meritorious achievement while participated in aerial flight, by performing thirty-five Field Artillery observation sorties against the enemy in Italy, during the period 3 January 1944 to March 21, 1944."

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