Holocaust Speaker Series: Henry Armstrong

The Holocaust Speaker Series, hosted every Wednesday at 11 a.m., features Holocaust survivors and descendants of survivors sharing stories of life before, during, and after the Holocaust. The series is sponsored by Margaret & Michael Valentine in partnership with the Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Center and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. This week’s speaker is Henry Armstrong.

Commandant Sergeant Major (CSM) Henry Armstrong is a native of Covington, KY. He enlisted into the US Army in 1943 at 18, 6 months before he graduated high school. Armstrong served with the 607th Field Artillery Battalion (part of the 71st Infantry Division which fell under Patton’s Third Army). Armstrong participated in 8 battles in France and 10 battles in Germany. In 1945, he was involved in liberating Gunskirchen Lager in Austria. His awards and decorations include the WWII Victory Medal, the US Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal with 2 Bronze Combat Stars. After returning home and completing high school, Henry re-enlisted into the Army, continuing his service in the Korean War and the Vietnam War before retiring after 41 years. On March 16, 2016, Armstrong was awarded the French Legion of Honor. Armstrong has been married to his wife Patricia for more than 57 years. Together they have 6 children, 12 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.