Veteran Spotlight
Arnold Jesse “Arnie” Armstrong November 29, 1926 – May 11, 2017 WWII: U.S. Army
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During a visit with friends in early May, Arnie remembered when he was supposed to join the military, and when he actually did. He was drafted while still in high school, and his father had something to say to the draft board about that. Arnie didn’t get on that bus on Dec. 8, 1944. Instead he stayed in school until Dec. 30 and, with the promise of a diploma, finally left Ronan Jan. 14, 1945.
Travel in those days was not quick – Arnie took the bus to Butte, was inducted on Feb. 16, 1945 at Fort Douglas, Utah, and then took the train to boot camp at Fort Hood, Texas. Arnie was pretty homesick and said he was glad when he got a furlough to return home for a visit. His brother, who had already fought battles as a marine, was home at the same time.
Arnie’s father counseled him to volunteer for everything and take full advantage of all opportunities, saying this was his chance for another education. On his return to Texas, his brother traveled as far as Butte with him.
This was WWII and the army needed paratroopers (parachute troopers), so Arnie also spent time at Fort Benning, Georgia in that training. He passed all the tests, but remembered thinking, “Jump? It’s more like push!” He also qualified as a sharpshooter and was an expert at 300 yards. He finished training back in Texas and then served in the army as a rifleman.
After another furlough home, Arnie reported to Portland, Oregon, for overseas duty in Hawaii, which was still a territory at that time. At 20-years-old, he was the oldest in their field artillery squad. He was put in charge of a platoon and had his own gun crew firing eight 20-inch Hollisters. It bothered him to be called an “army scout” suggesting that the army thought he knew everything, but Arnie said, “I didn’t know nothin’.”
Arnie and about 500 other men were sent to Pearl Harbor to test the guns at sea: gun door up, shoot, which moved the whole ship backwards from the force of the shot, then door down. They were in smaller boats, surrounded by the big battleships whose guns were booming overhead. After testing the guns, they headed out to invade Japan.
But then, “the bomb” was dropped and everything changed. The ships all headed back to Hawaii, and Arnie was soon packed and ready to go home. After a total 2.5 years in Hawaii, Arnie was discharged at the rank of Tech Sgt. on Aug. 22, 1948 and returned to San Francisco. From there he went to Seattle and then back home. He was awarded the Victory Medal and the Asiatic Pacific Theater Service Medal.
Arnie kept in touch with some of his army friends from Polson and particularly remembers Leonard from Missoula. He said he sometimes thinks a draft is needed because young people won’t know about military service otherwise. For those today thinking about joining, he said, “go” especially if there aren’t many opportunities at home.
Thank you for your service, Arnie.
