Raymond Armstrong Raymond Armstrong Lieutenant General Raymond Fullarton Armstrong (14 December 1917 — early 1990s) was a South African Air Force officer, who served as Chief of Defence Staff. Armstrong attended Rondebosch Boy's High School before attending the South African Military College. He joined the Special Service Battalion in 1936 and soon thereafter joined the Permanent Force. He was trained as a pilot, serving in World War II and later in the Korean War. He was Armed Forces Attache in Washington. He served as "Chief of Air Staff" before being appointed acting "Chief of Defence Staff" from 1 March 1974 to 30
Neil Armstrong September 13, 1962, and asked whether he would be interested in joining the NASA Astronaut Corps as part of what the press dubbed "the New Nine"; without hesitation, Armstrong said yes. The selections were kept secret until three days later, although newspaper reports had circulated since earlier that year that he would be selected as the "first civilian astronaut". Armstrong was one of two civilian pilots selected for this group; the other was Elliot See, another former naval aviator. NASA announced the selection of the second group at a press conference on September 17, 1962. Compared with the Mercury Seven