| Abstract |
Commander Armstrong describes his background and schooling in the Washington, D.C. area, his attendance at American University and Columbia Preparatory School, and his experiences at the U.S. Naval Academy. He discusses involvement in boxing and soccer, classes, discipline, and the Youngster cruise to Europe in 1938. Post graduation topics covered include duty in the U.S.S. ZANE, the Japanese attack upon Pearl Harbor, social life of a young officer in Hawaii, and wartime patrols, including the attack on Guadalcanal. In interview #2, Armstrong continues his discussion of W.W. II. Among the topics covered are the Guadalcanal-- Solomon Islands Campaign involvement of the USS ZANE; duty in the USS TERRY at Rabaul, Saipan, Guam, and the Philippine Sea; kamikaze attack on USS HIGBEE; and post war duty in the Pacific as commander of the USS DOYLE. Interview #3 covers his service as a student and faculty member of the Naval Intelligence School, assignments in naval intelligence, duty in the USS ROCHESTER, Pentagon duty with OPNAV, command of the WILLIS A. LEE, and assignment to the NATO Command in Naples, Italy. |
| General note | Interviewer: Donald R. Lennon. Interview date: May 9, 1988, June 10, 1988, and July 7, 1988. |
| Access restriction | No access restrictions. |
| Cite as |
David M. Armstrong Oral History Interview (#OH0108), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA. |
| Terms of use | Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law. |
| Acquisitions source |
Joyner- Gift of David M. Armstrong. |
| Biographical note | David M. Armstrong (b. 1919) grew up in Cabin John, Md. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in 1941 and spent most of World War II in the Pacific Theatre. He served on the minesweeper USS Zane (DMS 14) from his graduation until 1943 when he was assigned to the USS Terry (DD 513). Armstrong was commanding officer of the USS Higbee (DD 806) from January through September of 1945 when he was transferred to the USS Doyle (DMS 34) where he participated in the Japanese surrender. In 1947, he attended post-graduate school in Naval Intelligence and stayed on as an instructor. From 1951 through 1954 he served as operations officer aboard the USS Rochester (CA 124) and took command of the USS Willis A. Lee (DL 4) in 1957. He was on the staff of Naval Striking and Support Forces in Southern Europe before retiring in 1962. He worked on a daily newspaper in Naples, Fla., as a feature writer for twenty years before moving to North Carolina. |
