World War II Honoree

Cleston Lee 'Army' Armstrong

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Ellisville, Mississippi

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

LEFT COLLEGE TO ENTER MILITARY SERVICE AFTER HIS FIRST SEMESTER AND AFTER THE JAPANESE SURPRISE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII ON DECEMBER 7, 1941. TOOK BASIC TRAINING AT CAMP SHELBY AT HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI, WAS ASSIGNED TO THE ORDNANCE CORPS AND SENT TO ABERDEEN PROVING GROUNDS AT ABERDEEN, MARYLAND FOR ADVANCED WEAPONS TRAINING. DEPARTED FOR OVERSEAS SERVICE IN NORTH AFRICA IN EARLY 1944. SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER IN NORTH AFRICA, SICILY, AND ITALY DURING THE WAR, INCLUDING THE LIBERATION OF ROME. AFTER VICTORY IN EUROPE DAY (V-E DAY), SAILED FROM NAPLES, ITALY TO THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. THERE, SERVED ON LUZON WITH OCCUPATION FORCES. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1946 AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.