[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 216 (Saturday, December 19, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7846]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO DAVID W. ARMSTRONG, JR.

 Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the legacy of 
David W. Armstrong, Jr., of Helena, MT on the occasion of his 100th 
birthday.
  Dave is a distinguished World War II veteran who played a pivotal 
role in the U.S. Army's plan to liberate Norway from Nazi occupation as 
well as numerous search and rescue missions across northern Europe.
  Dave first came to Helena in February 1943 to begin training sled and 
pack dogs at nearby Camp Rimini. Camp Rimini was one of only two sites 
that produced dogs for the Army's K-9 Corps during the war. Later, Dave 
found himself stationed in Newfoundland, where he and his dogs 
participated in the recovery of downed personnel and sensitive 
equipment from aircraft wreckage sites in Greenland and Baffin Island.
  After the war, Dave returned to Montana with his wife Alice and 
founded the annual Race to the Sky, which preserves the legacy of the 
soldiers and the dogs who served at Camp Rimini. Dave also preserved 
the legacy of this special program in his 2008 memoir ``Camp Rimini and 
Beyond.'' Were it not for his efforts, the memory of this unique 
program and its special place in our State's history may have been lost 
to time.
  On behalf of a grateful Nation, I want to thank Dave for his service 
to our State and to our Nation.

                          ____________________