William Armstrong (pilot)

Flight Officer

William Armstrong
Flight Officer; William Armstrong
	William Armstrong in 1944
Birth name	William Pickney Armstrong
Nickname(s)	Will
Born	October 30, 1924; Providence, Rhode Island, US
Died	April 1, 1945 (aged 20); Austria
Buried	Grace Church Cemetery in Providence
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army Air Force
Years of service	1944–1945
Rank	Flight Officer
Unit	332nd Fighter Group
Awards	Purple Heart Medal.; Congressional Gold Medal (2007) (posthumously); Presidential Unit Citation;

Flight Officer William Armstrong (October 30, 1924 – April 1, 1945) † was a member of the famed group of World War II-era African-Americans known as the Tuskegee Airmen. His plane was shot down on Easter Sunday in 1945 over Austria.^[1] In 2018 he was inducted into the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame.^[2]

Military service

World War II

After his graduation (September 8, 1944) from the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama he was assigned to the 301st Fighter Squadron, 332nd fighter group in Ramitelli, Italy. Armstrong flew missions escorting bombers to targets in Nazi territory.^[1]^[2]

On Easter Sunday April 1, 1945, he was among a group of Tuskegee airmen escorting bombers back to their base. The Tuskegee airmen were attacked by a group of German fighters and Armstrong's plane was one of two American planes shot down. His body was not recovered.^[1]

Dogfight

The Tuskegee Airmen had a successful mission escorting bombers on a bombing mission over St. Polten, Austria April 1, 1945. Returning to base, the American planes were attacked by German fighter planes. The Tuskegee airmen broke away to take on the German fighter planes. The Tuskegee airmen were able to shoot down 12 of the German fighter planes, but two P-51s were shot down. Armstrong's plane crashed into the ground, his body was not recovered. Walter Manning was able to deploy his parachute but was subsequently lynched.^[2]^[4]

Recovery of his body

After the war his stepfather petitioned the military to keep searching for William Armstrong's body. The Military found his remains buried in a grave in Austria and his body was flown back to Rhode Island in 1950.^[2]

Awards

Air Medal^[5]
Purple Heart Medal^[5]
Congressional Gold Medal (2007) (posthumously)^[6]
Presidential Unit Citation^[5]
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal^[5]

Education

Central High School 1943^[2]
Tuskegee Institute (1944)^[1]

Personal life

He was born in Washington D.C., but he his mother Evelyn, and his sister Evelyn moved to Providence, Rhode Island where his grandfather lived. His mother married Nelson Venter.^[2] The city of Providence has erected a memorial to Armstrong in Providence Rhode Island at the intersection of Dodge and Cranston streets.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Profiles of Tuskegee Airmen: William Armstrong". redtail.org. CAF Red Tail Squadron. April 14, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "2/LT William P. Armstrong". RI Aviation Hall of Fame. February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
^ Rice, Markus. "The Men and Their Airplanes: The Fighters." Tuskegee Airmen, March 1, 2000.
^ Patterson, Brandon (May 27, 2018). "Tuskegee Airman honored 73 years after being lynched in Austria". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "William P Armstrong". honorstates.org. Honor States. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
^ Rangel, Charles B. (April 11, 2006). "Tuskegee Airmen Gold Medal Signed Into Law". Press Release. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved November 26, 2008.
^ Beale, Stephen (November 10, 2010). "Tuskegee Airman to Be Honored Today". Providence News. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
^ Caver, Joseph; Ennels, Jerome A.; Haulman, Daniel Lee (2011). The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History, 1939–1949. Montgomery: New South Books. p. 394. ISBN 978-1588382443. Retrieved February 6, 2020.

Notes

^ The red markings that distinguished the Tuskegee Airmen included red bands on the noses of P-51s as well as a red rudder; their P-51B and D Mustangs flew with similar color schemes, with red propeller spinners, yellow wing bands and all-red tail surfaces.^[3]

External links

Tuskegee Airmen at Tuskegee University
Tuskegee Airmen Archives at the University of California, Riverside Libraries.
Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
Tuskegee Airmen National Museum
Fly (2009 play about the 332d Fighter Group)

[CAF-1] "Profiles of Tuskegee Airmen: William Armstrong". redtail.org. CAF Red Tail Squadron. April 14, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2020.

[HOF-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "2/LT William P. Armstrong". RI Aviation Hall of Fame. February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2020.

[Rice-3] Rice, Markus. "The Men and Their Airplanes: The Fighters." Tuskegee Airmen, March 1, 2000.

[Detroit_Free_Press-5] Patterson, Brandon (May 27, 2018). "Tuskegee Airman honored 73 years after being lynched in Austria". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 27, 2019.

[HS-6] "William P Armstrong". honorstates.org. Honor States. Retrieved February 6, 2020.

[7] Rangel, Charles B. (April 11, 2006). "Tuskegee Airmen Gold Medal Signed Into Law". Press Release. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved November 26, 2008.

[PROV-8] Beale, Stephen (November 10, 2010). "Tuskegee Airman to Be Honored Today". Providence News. Retrieved February 6, 2020.

[NSB-9] Caver, Joseph; Ennels, Jerome A.; Haulman, Daniel Lee (2011). The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History, 1939–1949. Montgomery: New South Books. p. 394. ISBN 978-1588382443. Retrieved February 6, 2020.

[4] The red markings that distinguished the Tuskegee Airmen included red bands on the noses of P-51s as well as a red rudder; their P-51B and D Mustangs flew with similar color schemes, with red propeller spinners, yellow wing bands and all-red tail surfaces.^[3]

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