THE WALL OF FACES

The Department of Defense conducted ceremonies at the Pentagon and at Hickam Air Force Base on Friday, 16 September 2022 in commemoration of POW/MIA Recognition Day. DoD Officials the 1,582 MIAs from the Vietnam War as well as all those still unaccounted for from WWII, the Korean War, the Cold War and other conflicts. Since the 2021 Ceremony, DPAA has positively identified 2 Vietnam War MIAs. Colonel John William Armstrong, USMA Class of 1949, is one of those 1,582 MIAs unaccounted for in Southeast Asia from the Vietnam War. He is also one of 10 graduates from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point who is still MIA. The other 9 USMA MIAs (rank, name & class) are: (1) Col. Wallace Hynds (1945); (2) Col. Herbert Brennan (1947); (3) Maj. Carl Mitchell (1950); (4) Col. Joseph Austin (1952); (5) Col. Lawrence Tatum (1953); (6) Col. Robert Stewart (1956); (7) CPT H.R. "Rocky" Versace (1959); (8) Capt. James Dawson (1963); & (9) MAJ James “Cliff” McKittrick (1964).

Never forget.

HOOAH

Information about the loss of an F-4C Phantom from the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron piloted by MIA Lt. Col. John William Armstrong, USMA class of 1949, USAF, in Southeast Asia (SEA) (over Laos) on 9 November 1967 is available at this link/URL on the Vietnam Air Losses website:

https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1450

While in MIA status, the U.S. Air Force promoted Lt. Col. Armstrong to Colonel along with his Air Force contemporaries.

I wore my POW Bracelet when i was 9 . I kept it until I was 50 when I visited the Wall, then I left it at the wall by Col. Armstrong's name.

You and your sacrifice will always be remembered. A tree was planted in your memory on Memorial Day 2018. It continues to grow strong and is marked with your name and service information with a "dog tag" made to ensure you are never forgotten.