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Corporal Ramon Nevarro Armstead

A young African American man wearing glasses and a Marine Corps dress shirt and tie.
  • Unit: G Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Division
  • Date of Birth: August 11, 1933
  • Entered the Military: October 5, 1953
  • Date of Death: August 31, 2019
  • Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
  • Place of Death: Norfolk, Virginia
  • Award(s): National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal
  • Cemetery: Section 15. Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery, Suffolk, Virginia
Contributed by Allison Arnett, Camden Fowler, Cole Fricke, David Hong, Reagan Wall
Mentored by Mr. Andrew Abeyounis
Grafton High School
2024/2025

Early Life

Born in Richmond, Virginia, on August 11, 1933, to Andrew and Jeanette Armstead, Ramon Armstead was the oldest of four children, with two sisters and a brother. Growing up, he learned the importance of family responsibilities while taking care of his younger siblings. His family faced economic challenges, which meant that he took on many different household responsibilities at a young age. 

Armstead grew up in a segregated Richmond, Virginia, where racial discrimination was the norm. His family, like many other Black families, experienced redlining, which is a discriminatory housing policy that restricted Black residents to certain neighborhoods with fewer resources and economic opportunities. 

He attended Armstrong High School, one of the few schools for Black students in Richmond at the time. There he played multiple sports, including track, baseball, and football. During his junior year, he earned the nickname “Bull Moose” due to his impressive strength, determination, and passion. He did not graduate from high school and, in 1953, left after being a student for three years. However, in 1956, he did pass the United States Federal Institute test in the military which functioned as the equivalent of a General Education (GED) test and graduation from high school.

Richmond evaluating the worth of different neighborhoods in the city. African American neighborhoods were mostly marked as “D Fourth Grade,” in red, to make those areas as risky investments. Home Owners Loan Corporation, April 3, 1937. Encyclopedia of Virginia.
Raymond Armstead making a tackle on the Armstrong High School football team. Richmond Times Dispatch, November 25, 1951.
Yearbook photograph of the Armstrong High School football team. Armstead (#87) is seated in the first row, fifth from the left. Armstrong High School, 1953. Ancestry.

Homefront

Racial Divide

While Armstead served in the Marine Corps, his hometown underwent rapid change. In the late 1950s, construction of Interstate 95 (I-95) began and had a detrimental effect on the area. The construction ran through predominantly Black neighborhoods in Richmond, separating families and forcibly relocating many people. The negative effects of this construction mainly targeted African Americans and people living in financially struggling areas, which reflected the rejection of other cultures in the country during Armstead’s enlistment. Additionally, segregation was still rampant and African Americans were treated poorly, despite many fighting for the country.

War Efforts

Like most cities at the time, Richmond was a center of manufacturing. Companies based in Richmond that produced artillery and naval shells in previous wars, like Tredegar Iron Works, continued supporting the military through armaments. There was a setback though, when a devastating fire demolished much of Tredegar Iron Works in 1952. The fire chief later recalled that the fire burned so hot that “it bent railroad tracks like pieces of wire.” However, production of armaments persisted until 1957 when they were sold to Albemarle Paper Company.

Tredegar Iron Works produced weapons and other ironwork from the American Civil War until 1952, when a fire broke out and destroyed the machinery. Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress (HAER VA,44-RICH, 104-).
The predominantly Black neighborhoods in Richmond were either destroyed or separated from the rest of the city to make room for Interstate 95. Library of Virginia, March 28, 1958. Encyclopedia of Virginia.

Military Experience

Raymond Armstead’s military career was marked by dedication and outstanding service. He enlisted in 1953 after leaving high school and completed basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina. He quickly distinguished himself throughout his military career, earning three promotions to corporal within just three years.

During his service, Armstead was stationed at multiple bases across the country. At Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, he received high conduct ratings and was commended for his exceptional performance. Later, he was transferred to Clarksville, Tennessee, where he served as a rifleman and guard. Following this, he was stationed in Puerto Rico for two months where he trained for amphibious assaults. His final assignment brought him back to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where received infantry training to operate as part of a fire team. There, he also gained valuable experience as a squad leader. 

Armstead’s dedication earned him several honors, including the United States Marine Corps Certificate of Good Conduct, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.

Originally enlisted for eight years (1953–1961), Armstead sought an early release to further his education. With strong endorsements from his commanding officers, who praised his exemplary service, he was honorably discharged from active military service in 1957. That fall, he enrolled at Virginia State College (now Virginia State University), a Historically Black College. In 1959, he was transferred to the standby reserve until his contract ended in 1961. 

During his military career, he was promoted to corporal; however, a promotion to sergeant was well within his reach. His commanding officers allowed him to take the necessary assessments to become a sergeant. However, before putting in his request to leave the military, he was passed over for promotion. Considering that he completed all the requirements and had glowing reviews, this is quite odd. His daughter remembered this moment and attributes this event to one source, racism.

Certificate of Armstead’s promotion to corporal. May 1, 1956. Portions have been redacted for privacy purposes. Official Military Personnel File.
During World War II, Puerto Ricans were removed from the island of Vieques in order for it to be used as a military training ground for the U.S. military. Armstead was transferred to this island for about two months in 1957. This photograph was taken in December 1941. Library of Congress (2017797140).

Veteran Experience

Raymond Armstead was discharged from military service on September 6, 1957, which officially marked a new beginning in his life. Armstead pursued a degree in education at Virginia State College in 1959. He earned an associate’s degree in engineering. With two years of college under his belt, he decided to take his degree to Norfolk Shipyard. 

Armstead worked at the shipyard until 1976. According to his daughter, he left because he felt his career was still limited by discrimination. Instead Armstead started his own company, Economy Woodwork, where he repaired and reconstructed buildings around the Norfolk area.  

Armstead became a family man and raised his children emphasizing the importance of an education and hard work.

An aerial view of the Virginia State College where Armstead attended school starting in 1957. Virginia State University Special Collections and Archives, 1936.
The 1960 Richmond city directory lists Armstead as a student. He graduated in 1960 with an associates degree in engineering at Virginia State College. Ancestry.
Raymond Armstead wearing his Korean War Veteran hat. Graves Funeral Home.

Commemoration

Raymond Armstead died on August 31, 2019 at the age of 86. He is buried at the Albert G. Horton Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk, Virginia.

Ramon N. Armstead’s grave at the Albert G. Horton Memorial Veterans Cemetery, in Suffolk, Virginia, March 28, 2025.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

The ’53 Wildcats. Armstrong High School: 1953. Digital images. https://ancestry.com.

“Andrew ‘Peanut’ Armstead Jr.” Richmond Times Dispatch [Richmond, VA], July 26-27, 2008. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/timesdispatch/name/andrew-armstead-obituary?id=7025698. 

“Henrico County Fire Chief Burnett Started Career 25 Years Ago Feeding Horses.” The Richmond News Leader [Richmond, VA], October 4, 1955. Newspapers.com (761198055). 

John Cunningham…Tackled by Raymond Armstead. Photograph. Richmond Times-Dispatch [Richmond, VA], November 25, 1951. Newspapers.com (828508299). 

Raymond N. Armstead. U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1958. Digital images. https://ancestry.com. 

Raymond Nevarro Armstead. North Carolina Marriage Index, 1741-2004. Digital image. https://ancestry.com. 

Raymond Nevarro Armstead. Official Military Personnel File, Department of the Navy, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Raymond Nevarro Armstead. Virginia Marriage Records, 1936-2014. Digital image. https://ancestry.com.

Raymond Nevarro Armstead. Virginia Divorce Records, 1918-2014. Digital image. https://ancestry.com. 

Raymond N. Armstead. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995. Digital images. https://ancestry.com.

Richmond Virginia. Map. 1940. Historic Prince William, Inc. Accessed November 12, 2024. https://www.historicprincewilliam.org/county-history/maps/richmond1940.html. 

Stacie Armstead. Zoom interview with the author. February 5, 2025.

Virginia. Richmond. 1940 U.S. Federal Census. Digital image. http://ancestry.com/

Virginia. Richmond.1950 U.S. Federal Census. Digital image. http://ancestry.com/

“Wildcats Set for Opener with Phelps.” Richmond News Leader [Richmond, Virginia], September 27, 1951. Newspapers.com (760797672). 

Secondary Sources

Chan, Wilfred. “‘I Thought They’d Kill Us’: How the US Navy Devastated a Tiny Puerto Rican Island.” The Guardian, May 1, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/30/vieques-puerto-rico-us-navy-base-training. 

“History.” Armstrong High School. Accessed November 12, 2024. https://ahs.rvaschools.net/about-us/history. 

“In Memory of Raymond Nevarro ‘Ramon’ Armstead.” Graves Funeral Home. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://gravesfuneral.frontrunnerpro.com/book-of-memories/3960460/Armstead-Raymond/obit.php?printable=true. 

“Jim Crow to Civil Rights in Virginia.” Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://virginiahistory.org/learn/jim-crow-civil-rights-virginia. 

“Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal America.” University of Richmond. Accessed November 12, 2024. https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/. 

McGowan, Elizabeth. “In Richmond, A Struggle Over The Future Of A ‘Harlem Of The South,’” WHRO Public Media, July 16, 2024. https://www.whro.org/virginia-center-for-investigative-journalism/2024-07-16/vcij-reconnect-richmond. 

“Our History.” Norfolk Branch NAACP. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.norfolkbranchnaacp7098.com/about. 

“Raymond N. Armstead.” Find a Grave. Updated January 21, 2020. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206431182/raymond-n-armstead. 

“Raymond N. Armstead.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/RAYMONDNARMSTEAD/97b2cd. 

“Reverend Joan G. Armstead.” Manning Funeral Home. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.manningfh.com/obituary/6030667. 

“Timeline of Housing Events.” Virginia Memory, Library of Virginia. Accessed November 12, 2024. https://www.virginiamemory.com/online-exhibitions/exhibits/show/mapping-inequality/mapping-inequality-timeline.

“Tredegar Iron Works.” American Battlefield Trust. Accessed March 19, 2025. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/tredegar-iron-works. 

Wintersmith, Saraya. “Armstrong High Time Capsule Takes Alumni, Students Back in History.” Richmond Free Press [Richmond, VA], April 6, 2018. http://richmondfreepress.com/news/2018/apr/06/armstrong-high-time-capsule-takes-alumni-students-/.

This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.