JOHN H. ARMSTRONG, JR., LCDR, USN
John Armstrong, Jr. '30
Lucky Bag
From the 1930 Lucky Bag:
JOHN HORD ARMSTRONG, JR.
Flemingsburg, Kentucky
"Hord" "Army"
THE fast horses and lovely women that tradition has always assigned to Kentucky find their place in Hord's heart, for he is a true Kentuckian. To be sure, the Academy is not perhaps the most fertile stamping-ground of the horses—but Hord makes his appearance at every hop, though perhaps sighing inwardly for distant Kentucky belles.
The Colonel's marked gift of eloquence makes him a ready and welcome member of the evening bull sessions. Flashes of wit intersperse themselves with more weighty discourse. In the academics little worry has been caused, though Hord freely admits no profs here have a true appreciation of his sterling ability.
His athletic activities have chiefly taken the form of baseball. In him the class team has found a valuable third baseman. With blue baseball cap at a jaunty angle and a steady patter of encouragement—or disparagement as the case might call for—that would be Hord.
His previous military training has left its mark, and of this he is very proud. But to us, the outstanding fact of him is not his wit nor his baseball, nor his military aspirations. To us, he means that to which he has constantly aspired—a true Kentucky gentleman, in every sense of the word.
Company Representative 1; Class Basketball 4, 3, 2; 1 P.O.
JOHN HORD ARMSTRONG, JR.
Flemingsburg, Kentucky
"Hord" "Army"
THE fast horses and lovely women that tradition has always assigned to Kentucky find their place in Hord's heart, for he is a true Kentuckian. To be sure, the Academy is not perhaps the most fertile stamping-ground of the horses—but Hord makes his appearance at every hop, though perhaps sighing inwardly for distant Kentucky belles.
The Colonel's marked gift of eloquence makes him a ready and welcome member of the evening bull sessions. Flashes of wit intersperse themselves with more weighty discourse. In the academics little worry has been caused, though Hord freely admits no profs here have a true appreciation of his sterling ability.
His athletic activities have chiefly taken the form of baseball. In him the class team has found a valuable third baseman. With blue baseball cap at a jaunty angle and a steady patter of encouragement—or disparagement as the case might call for—that would be Hord.
His previous military training has left its mark, and of this he is very proud. But to us, the outstanding fact of him is not his wit nor his baseball, nor his military aspirations. To us, he means that to which he has constantly aspired—a true Kentucky gentleman, in every sense of the word.
Company Representative 1; Class Basketball 4, 3, 2; 1 P.O.
Loss
John was lost on August 9, 1942, when USS Jarvis (DD 393) was sunk by Japanese aircraft near Guadalcanal. He was the ship's executive officer.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
John married Martha Alford in 1936 in Connecticut. Their son John, III, was born April 15, 1941, at the Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu.
On July 22, 1939, John and Martha hosted a dinner dance at the Submarine Base Officers’ club in Honolulu in honor of Rear Admiral and Mrs. John H. Newton.
John became a lieutenant commander in July, 1942.
His father John Hord Armstrong, a prominent livestock dealer and farmer in Flemingsburg, died in May 1940. His mother was Lizzie, and his brothers were Watson and Charles.
His wife was listed as next of kin; he was also survived by "their young son," John, III. John Jr. has a memory marker in Kentucky.
Photographs
From The Lexington Herald on September 27, 1942
The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.
The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.
The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.
Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.
October 1930
January 1931
July 1931
October 1932
January 1933
April 1933
July 1933
October 1933
April 1934
July 1934
October 1934
January 1935
April 1935
LCDR Albert Rooks '14
LCDR Charles Cecil '16
LT Paul Register '21
LT William Gray '21
LT George Brooke '21
LT John French '22
LT Howard Healy '22
LT Edward Metcalfe '22
LT Eugene Elmore '22
LTjg Heywood Edwards '26
October 1935
January 1936
April 1936
July 1936
January 1937
April 1937
September 1937
LT Robert Bedilion '22
LT William Hobby, Jr. '23
LT Richard Baron '24
LT Richard Gingras '25
LT Harold Pound '25
LT William Graham, Jr. '25
LT Andrew Harris '25
LT Ralph Hickox '27
LTjg John Bermingham '29
January 1938
LT Robert Bedilion '22
LT William Hobby, Jr. '23
LT Richard Baron '24
LT Richard Gingras '25
LT Harold Pound '25
LT William Graham, Jr. '25
LT Andrew Harris '25
LT Ralph Hickox '27
LT John Bermingham '29
July 1938
January 1939
October 1939
June 1940
November 1940
April 1941
LCDR William Graham, Jr. '25 (USS Chicago)
LT Ward Bronson '31 (USS Chicago)
ENS Herold Harveson '37 (USS Chicago)
ENS Clarence Blair '40 (USS Chicago)
ENS Burton Haker '40 (USS Chicago)
ENS Bruce Simonds '41 (USS Chicago)
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
