Lt. General Spence M. Armstrong

(1934-2025) Spence “Sam” M. Armstrong was born in Columbia, Tennessee in 1934. Graduating from Hay Long High School in 1951, he went on to attend Vanderbilt University before entering the United States Naval Academy. After graduating from the Academy, Armstrong accepted a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the US Air Force. Armstrong completed flight training in Mississippi, and would achieve dual Master’s degrees in astronautical engineering and instrumentation engineering. Armstrong became a test pilot for the F-106 Delta Dart program.

By 1967, he was assigned to Thailand, where he would fly over 100 combat missions in Vietnam. From 1971 to 1974 Armstrong served as a training commander in Texas, served in various academic capacities, and served as an advisor to the Saudi Arabian Army in 1983. He rose steadily through the ranks, Armstrong retired in 1990 a lieutenant general after 34 years of service in the US Air Force.

After military retirement, Armstrong worked under the Space Exploration Initiative. He was named associate administrator for the Office of Aerospace and Space Transportation Technology, and in 2000, was named senior advisor to the NASA administrator. General Armstrong passed away in 2025.

Information provided by Tom Price, Director of The Maury County Archives