Harry George Armstrong

{{Infobox military person

|name=Harry George Armstrong

|birth_date= {{birth-date|February 17, 1899}}{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/afhra-k239.293/AFHRA%20K239.293%20Armstrong.pdf |title=Biography of Maj. Gen. Harry G. Armstrong |pages=2–3 |author= |date=October 12, 1951 |publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency}}

|death_date = {{death-date and age|February 5, 1983|February 17, 1899}}

|image=Harry George Armstrong.jpg

|image_size=250

|caption=Major General Harry George Armstrong

|nickname=

|birth_place=De Smet, South Dakota

|death_place=

|placeofburial=

|placeofburial_label= Place of burial

|allegiance={{flag|United States of America}}

|branch= 25px United States Air Force

|serviceyears=1918–1919 (Marine Corps)
1925–1957 (Army/Air Force)

|rank=25px Major general

|unit=

|commands=Surgeon General of the Air Force

|battles=

|awards=

{{plainlist|

}}

|relations=

|laterwork=

}}

Harry George Armstrong (February 17, 1899 – February 5, 1983) was a major general in the United States Air Force, a physician, and an airman. He is widely recognized as a pioneer in the field of aviation medicine. The Armstrong limit, the altitude above which water boils at the temperature of the human body, is named after him.

Armstrong served in the Marines during World War I and the army and air force from 1930 to 1957.{{cite web |url=https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Studies/51-100/AFD-090601-134.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116133011/http://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Studies/51-100/AFD-090601-134.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 16, 2017 |title=Biographical Data on Air Force General Officers, 1917-1952 |pages=72–74 |year=1953 |last=Fogerty |first=Robert |publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency |access-date=November 9, 2021 }} As director of the United States Aeromedical Research Laboratory, he applied his medical and aviation knowledge to the improvement of aircrew protection from temperature extremes and the lack of oxygen at high altitude.

Early life, education, and military career

Armstrong was born in De Smet, South Dakota, in 1899. He attended the University of Minnesota, but left after one year to enlist in the US Marine Corps, serving with them as a private from October 1918 to March 1919. He then entered the University of South Dakota, graduating in 1921. In 1925 he received his Doctor of Medicine Degree from the University of Louisville. He entered the Medical Corps Reserve in April 1925. Armstrong entered the School of Aviation Medicine at Brooks Field, Texas, that September. Upon graduation in 1930, he was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Regular Army Medical Corps.

Military career

In 1931, he was attached to the Air Corps and assigned as assistant surgeon. He was promoted to captain in 1932, to major in 1938, lieutenant colonel (temporary) in February 1942, and to colonel (temporary) in August 1942. Serving alternately in England and the United States, in 1945 he became surgeon for the Air Division in the office of Military Government for Germany (U.S.), with headquarters in Berlin. In 1946, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel (permanent), returned to the School of Aviation Medicine at Randolph Field upon appointment as assistant commandant, and that July was named commandant. In 1948, he was promoted brigadier general (temporary), then to major general (temporary).

Surgeon General of the Air Force

In June 1949, he was assigned to air force headquarters at Washington, D.C., as Deputy Surgeon General of the U.S. Air Force, promoted to colonel (permanent) in October, and the following December was designated surgeon general. Armstrong was promoted to brigadier general (permanent) October 9, 1951. In 1954, General Armstrong went to Wiesbaden, Germany, as Surgeon of the United States Air Forces in Europe.

Later life

Armstrong retired from the air force in 1957. He died in 1983 from heart disease.

In 1977, the Air Force Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory created the Harry G. Armstrong Award for Scientific Excellence.

Awards and decorations

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|colspan="4"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=USAAF Flight Surgeon Wings.png|width=230|alt=}}

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Air Force Distinguished Service ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=World War I Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}}

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Army of Occupation ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}}

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with palm (France) - ribbon bar.png|width=106|alt=}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Order of the British Empire (Military) Ribbon.png|width=106|alt=}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Oorlogskruis with Palm.jpg|width=106|alt=}}

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
colspan="17"\|USAAF Flight Surgeon wings
1st row \|colspan="4"\|Air Force Distinguished Service Medal \|colspan="4"\|Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster \|colspan="4"\|World War I Victory Medal \|colspan="4"\|American Defense Service Medal with Foreign Service Clasp
2nd row \|colspan="4"\|American Campaign Medal \|colspan="4"\|European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal \|colspan="4"\|World War II Victory Medal \|colspan="4"\|Army of Occupation Medal
3rd row \|colspan="4"\|National Defense Service Medal \|colspan="4"\|French Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 with Palm \|colspan="4"\|Order of the British Empire \|colspan="4"\|Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940–1945 with Palm

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

colspan="17"|USAAF Flight Surgeon wings

1st row

|colspan="4"|Air Force Distinguished Service Medal

|colspan="4"|Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster

|colspan="4"|World War I Victory Medal

|colspan="4"|American Defense Service Medal with Foreign Service Clasp

2nd row

|colspan="4"|American Campaign Medal

|colspan="4"|European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

|colspan="4"|World War II Victory Medal

|colspan="4"|Army of Occupation Medal

3rd row

|colspan="4"|National Defense Service Medal

|colspan="4"|French Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 with Palm

|colspan="4"|Order of the British Empire

|colspan="4"|Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940–1945 with Palm

=Other awards=

Wellcome Award (1937)
Collier Award (1939)
John Jeffries Award (1941)
Honorary Fellow of American College of Healthcare Executives (HFACHE) (1953)
Edward Warner Award (1981)
National Aviation Hall of Fame (1998){{cite web |title=Enshrinee Harry George Armstrong |url=https://nationalaviation.org/enshrinee/harry-george-armstrong/ |publisher=National Aviation Hall of Fame |access-date=January 20, 2023}}

Effective dates of promotion

Source:

{{USAF DOR O-8|Skipped this grade|April 26, 1929|December 15, 1932|July 15, 1938|February 1, 1942|August 28, 1942|April 27, 1948|July 29, 1949}}

Published works

Armstrong published 105 scientific papers in the field of aviation medicine and aerospace medicine.

Principles and Practice of Aviation Medicine, Williams & Wilkins (1939)
Aerospace medicine, Williams & Wilkins Co (1961) {{ISBN|0-683-07109-2}}

Notes

References

[https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/107786/harry-george-armstrong/ Air Force official biography]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20051109161652/http://www.state.sd.us/military/VetAffairs/sdwwiimemorial/SubPages/stories/story11.htm Harry George Armstrong] on the South Dakota World War II Memorial website
[https://web.archive.org/web/20051228142733/http://nationalaviation.org/website/index.asp?webpageid=%7BF3401AC2-408C-42A7-AD0F-CDDC7942F110%7D&eID=329 Armstrong, Harry: Scientist] on the National Aviation Hall of Fame website
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC537789/ Principles and Practice of Aviation Medicine] on PubMed

{{succession box |before = Malcolm C. Grow |title = Surgeon General of the United States Air Force |years = 1949–1954 |after = Dan C. Ogle}}

Category:1899 births

Category:1983 deaths

Category:University of Minnesota alumni

Category:Aviators from South Dakota

Category:Collier Trophy recipients

Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I

Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II

Category:American medical researchers

Category:High-altitude medicine physicians

Category:Surgeons general of the United States Air Force

Category:United States Army officers