Surgeons General

Education

University of Indiana, 1922
Medical Doctorate, University of Indiana, 1925
Army Medical School, 1927
Medical Field Service School, Basic-1927, Advanced-1939
Command and General Staff College, 1941
 

Career Summary

Jul 26-Aug 26
Assistant in Laboratory, Letterman General Hospital, San Francisco, California

Sep 26-Feb 27
Student Officer, Army Medical School, Washington, DC

Feb 27-Jun 27
Student Officer, Medical Field Service School, Carlisle Barracks, PA

Jul 27-Dec 27
Assistant to War Officer, Surgical Service, Letterman General Hospital, San Francisco, CA

Dec 27-Apr 30
Laboratory Officer; Regimental Surgeon; Medical Supply Officer; Acting Executive Officer; Personnel Adjutant; Plans and Training Officer; Intelligence Officer, Schofield Barracks, HI

Apr 30-Dec 30
Camp Surgeon, Kilauea Military Camp, Hawaii National Park, Territory of Hawaii

Jan 31-Jan 35
Ward Officer, Surgical Service; Officer in Charge, Orthopedic Appliance Shop, Walter Reed General Hospital, Washington, DC

Jan 35-Mar 37
Assistant Chief, Surgical Service, Station Hospital, Fort Benning, Georgia

Apr 37-Apr 38
Assistant Surgeon; Chief, Surgical Service; Detachment Surgeon, U.S. Army Troops in China, American Barracks, Tientsin, China

May 38-Sep 39
Officer in Charge, Surgical Service; Attending Surgeon, Station Hospital, Fort Stotsenberg, Pampanga, Philippine Islands

Sep 39-Apr 42
Student Officer; Assistant in Department of Extension Courses; Instructor, Department of Extension Courses; Director, Department of Administration, Medical Field Service School, Carlisle Barracks, PA

Jul 42-Aug 43
Assistant Commandant, MAC Officer Candidate School, Camp Barkeley, TX

Sep 43-Nov 43
Chief, Medical Section, Infantry Training Center, Kweilin, China

Nov 43-Oct 44
Assistant Theater Surgeon, Hq USF China-Burma-India

Oct 44-Jun 46
Theater Surgeon, Hq USF China Theater

Jul 46-May 47
Chief, Personnel Division, Office of the Surgeon General, Washington, DC

Jun 47-May 51
Deputy Surgeon General, United States Army

Jun 51-Jul 55
The Surgeon General, United States Army

31 July 1955
Retired

Decorations and Badges

Legion of Merit
Army Commendation Ribbon with Metal Pendant
World War I Victory Medal
World War II Victory Medal
American Theater Medal
American Defense Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Theater Medal with Bronze Star
National Defense Service Medal

Foreign

Commander of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy)
Nobility Honorary Medal (Republic of China)
Taeguk Distinguished Service Medal (Republic of Korea)
Medaille d' honneur du Service de Sante Militaire en Or (France)
Military Medal, Second Class (Chile)
Special Breast Order of Yun Hui (Republic of China)
Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy

Citation

Legion of Merit

For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services
 from 28 October 1944 to 1 September 1945.

Contributions to Medical Literature

Current Personnel Problems.  Mil. Surg. 1948

Medical Cooperation in Civil Defense.  Mil. Surg.  1948.

Medical Department Training Program.  Mil. Surg.  1948.

The United States Army Medical Corps and Medical Education.  J. Assoc. Am. Med. Coll.  1948

The Medical Department of the Army: Current Status Report.  JAMA  1950

U.S. Army and the Civilian Medical Profession.  J. RAMC  1950.

The Army - An Instance of the Epidemiology of Health.  N.Y. Med.  1951.

Medical Advances in Korea.  Army Info. Digest  1952

Military Medicine in Korea.  Mil. Surg.  1952.

In Memoriam: Maj. Gen. Edgar Erskine Hume.  Ann. Int. Med.  1952

Maj. Gen. Merritte W. Ireland.  Ann. Int. Med.  1952

New Pharmaceutical Developments in U.S. Army Hospitals.  Hosp. Mgmt.  1952.

Shock and Early Resuscitation.  Ann. West. Med. & Surg.  1952

Special Pay for Medical and Dental Officers.  U.S. Armed Forces Med. J.  1952.

The Advance of Army Medicine.  International Rec. Med.  1953.

Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.  Postgrad. Med.  1953

A Century of Military Medicine.  J. Mt. Sinai Hosp., N. Y.  1953

The Educational System for Regular Army Doctors.  U.S. Armed Forces Med. J.  1953

The Physician and Military Medicine.  Rocky Mountain Med. J.  1953.

The Physician's Stake in the Army Reserve Program.  JAMA  1954.

Recent Advances in Military Medicine.  Mil. Surg.  1954.

A Tribute to Gen. Williams Crawford Gorgas.  Mil. Surg.  1954

Present Status of Antibiotics in the Armed Forces.  Med. Arts & Sc.  1954.

Medical Education for National Defense.  Med. Arts & Sc.  1954.

Role of the Army Medical Service in the Maintenance of National Health.  Mil. Med.  1955.

Career

George E. Armstrong's military career began at an early age; at 18 he joined the Student Army Training Corps for three months, from October to December 1918.  In 1923, he enlisted as a private in the Indiana National Guard, from which organization he was honorable discharged as a Sergeant in 1925 to accept a commission as first lieutenant in the Army Reserve Corps.  One year later, having completed his internship at Letterman General Hospital, he received a commission in the Regular Army Corps.

Lieutenant Armstrong's first tour of duty was attendance at the Army Medical School from September 1926 to February 1927, followed by five months at the Medical Field Service School, Carlisle Barracks.  He was graduated with honors from both schools and received the Skinner Medal for attaining the highest average in his class at Carlisle.

After completing the course at MFSS, Lieutenant Armstrong was ordered to Letterman General Hospital where he served as an assistance ward officer on the Surgical Service until the end of the year, 1927.  On the occasion of his transfer to a new station in Hawaii, his superior officer, Lt. Col. H. S. Hansell reported, "He impresses me as being the best among the young medical officers who have served under me during the last two years."

While stationed at Schofield Barracks, Armstrong was promoted to Captain and served in various capacities until April 1930 when he was assigned as Camp Surgeon at Kilauea Military Camp.  Returning to the United States in January 1931, Captain Armstrong was assigned to duty as Walter Reed General Hospital, first as a ward officer on the Urology Section of the Surgical Service, and later as the officer in charge of the Orthopedic Appliance Shop.  Col. William L. Keller, Chief of the Surgical Service, considered the young officer to be a hard worker, diligent, conscientious, an excellent orthopedist and urologist.

Following a two-year tour of duty at the Station Hospital, Fort Benning, Georgia, Captain Armstrong was sent to China where he became Detachment Surgeon for the U.S. Troops in China, at the American Barracks in Tientsin.  He remained at that Post for one year, during which time he was promoted to Major, leaving in April 1938 when he was assigned to the Station Hospital at Fort Stotsenberg, P. I.

Major Armstrong enrolled in the Advanced Course at the Medical Field Service School in September 1939 and, upon completion of the course, remained at the school as an assistant in the Department of Extension Courses.  He later became an instructor in that department and then Director of the Department of Administration.  In February 1942, two months before leaving the school, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, AUS.

From July 1942 to August 1943, during which time he was promoted to Colonel, AUS, Armstrong served as Assistant Commandant of the MAC Officer Candidate School at Camp Barkeley, Texas.  At the end of this tour, he was ordered for the second time to China, where he was appointed first as Chief of the Medical Section at the Infantry Training Center in Kweilin, then as Assistant Theater Surgeon, CBI, and later as Theater Surgeon, China Theater.  He was recalled from China in June 1946 to assume the position of Chief of the Personnel Division, Office of the Surgeon General.

With this promotion to Brigadier General in June 1947 came his appointment as Deputy Surgeon General.  He occupied this position for four years and in June 1951 was promoted to Major General and became The Surgeon General, U.S. Army. 

General Armstrong retired on 31 July 1955.