Small towns sometimes produce people who reach for the stars—literally.

Gene Armstrong was shot down twice during his two years with the Army Air Corps where he served as a B-17 navigator.  His career path later took him to NASA and the development of space vehicles.  Known as a problem solver, Armstrong also worked on the Minuteman II missile program.

We were fortunate to have access to Armstrong’s journal and his writings on his career.

Any time you can read a person’s in-the-moment view of things you have an advantage as you are compiling their story. We also talked with family members who remembered Armstrong’s legacy, his work ethic and head-down determination to advance aeronautics on behalf of his country.

Armstrong and many other aviation wonders are part of our collection, Prairie Flyers of Central Illinois: A Century of Aviation History in America’s Heartland. Working with my co-authors Denis Hambucken and John Warner, I was fascinated by the accomplishments of these small-town folks who left home for careers in aviation. Our collection of stories is set for a mid-summer 2025 release by The History Press.