DOB/DOD: May 13, 1924 (Manchester, NH) – March 20, 1945; 20 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Engaged to Ann Marie Henry (1924-1986) of West Hartford. 5
LOCAL ADDRESS: 111 Bonner Street, Hartford
ENLISTMENT: July 22, 1943, in Springfield, Massachusetts; entered active duty on August 4, 1943
SERVICE NUMBER: 861804
UNIT: 5th Engineer Battalion, 5th Marine Division
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 1371, Combat Engineer 1
FAMILY: Born to Harvey A. (1886-1936) and Alice Jamette Bryan Armstrong (1885-1935). Robert was the youngest of two children. One sister, Elaine M. Armstrong Ackerman (1908-1997). His mother died when he was 11 of Hodgkin’s Disease, and his father died when he was 12 of chronic intestinal nephritis. After his father’s death, Robert went to live with his sister Elaine and her husband Sandow W. Ackerman in Connecticut. 2, 3 Robert worked at Capitol City Construction in Hartford prior to the service. 6 Tall and athletic, he was the captain of the baseball team during his senior year in high school.
OTHER: Boot camp at Parris Island, SC. Engineer training at Camp Lejeune, NC. Sent to Camp Pendleton, and then on to the Pacific from there. 7 Also served in the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, and finally, the 5th Engineer Battalion.
CIRCUMSTANCES: Died from multiple wounds to the chest. 7
Hartford High School, Class of 1943
From The Hartford Courant on April 6, 1945
OWL ATHLETE DIES FIGHTING JAPS
Private First Class Robert C. Armstrong of the United States Marine Corps, former captain of the Hartford High baseball team and also a member of the Owls football team, was killed in action on Iwo Jima on March 20. Word of Armstrong’s death was received from the War Department by his sister, Mrs. Sandow Ackerman, 111 Bonner Street. Armstrong played the outfield for the Hartford High nine and played end on the Owl gridders. Armstrong also played for the Spartan Athletic Club nine.
Initially buried in the 5th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima, Plot 8, Row 2, Grave 1969. At his sister’s request, remains were returned, and PFC Armstrong’s ashes were buried on June 8, 1948, in Pine Grove Cemetery, 765 Brown Avenue, Manchester, NH; Section 9/Maple Lawn, Lot 4820. 7 Photo was taken by Jon Eriquezzo, a resident of Merrimack, New Hampshire.
1 – https://marines.togetherweserved.com/usmc/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=Profile&type=PersonExt&ID=244212
2 – 1940 census at https://www.ancestry.com/cs/1940-census
3 – 1930 census at https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6224/
4 – https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117035151/robert-clayton-armstrong_ackerman
5 – Hartford Courant, April 6, 1945, page 20.
6 – https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2238/
7 – USMC Casualty Report received via FOIA request