Dwight Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Dwight Alan Armstrong was an American anti-Vietnam War activist who was one of four persons involved in the August 24, 1970, Sterling Hall bombing
on the campus University of Wisconsin–Madison
, in an act of political protest against the University's research efforts on behalf of the United States armed forces
. The bomb destroyed the building, killing one person and injuring three. Armstrong spent several years on the run after the incident.
Armstrong was born on August 29, 1951, in Madison, Wisconsin
. He grew up there as "an ordinary Midwestern boy, fond of playing baseball and bicycling around his exurban community" as described by The New York Times
in his obituary. He dropped out of high school in 10th grade and by 1970 he had joined his brother Karl in actively opposing American involvement in the war in Vietnam. On New Year's Eve 1969, Dwight and Karl stole a light plane from a local airport and unsuccessfully dropped bombs on an area ordnance factory.
In response to the Kent State shootings
on May 4, 1970, in which four protesters were shot and killed by the Ohio National Guard
, they conceived of an attack on the Army Mathematics Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, which had been a frequent site of anti-War protests. Karl made a bomb out of dynamite, 100 gal of fuel oil and 1700 lbs of ammonium nitrate fertilizer.
The bomb was placed in a stolen van left next to Sterling Hall, a building that housed the Army Mathematics Research Center, as well as the university's physics department. They lit the fuse after checking the windows of Sterling Hall and seeing no activity, assuming that the building was empty. A bomb threat was phoned in to the Madison Police Department, giving five minutes notice of the planned detonation, though previous such calls turned out to be pranks. A police cruiser was dispatched to the site minutes before the explosion. The bomb detonated at 3:42 AM on August 24, 1970, killing Robert Fassnacht
, a physics post-doctoral researcher who was working late, injuring three others, and causing millions of dollars in damage to the building.
Dwight Armstrong drove away with his brother, Leo F. Burt
, and David S. Fine to a truck stop where they celebrated the bombing. When they heard a news report on their car radio that someone had been killed by the explosion, all four went on the run, with Dwight's seven years at large the longest of the four people suspected in the bombing aside from Leo Burt, who is still at large. On September 4, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
began a search for the four fugitives, placing them on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
list. Armstrong remained underground until he was arrested in April 1977 in Toronto
. He pleaded no contest
to state murder charges and federal conspiracy charges. As part of his plea bargain
he was sentenced concurrently to seven years each in state and federal prison and was released on parole in 1980 on the condition that he participate in a community rehabilitation program.
He was arrested again in 1987 in Indiana where he was charged with operating a meth lab
. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and was released in 1991. He came back to Madison, where he tended to his mother and worked driving a taxi. In 2001, he purchased the Radical Rye Deli with Karl.
In a 1992 interview with The Capital Times of Madison, he stated that "My life has not been something to write home about". He justified the bombing, stating that "We did what we had to do; we did what we felt a lot of other people should have done", continuing that "I don't care what public opinion is; we did what was right."
Armstrong died of lung cancer
at age 58 on June 20, 2010, at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
in Madison, Wisconsin
. He was survived by his mother, his brother, two sisters, and a daughter.
Sterling Hall bombing
The Sterling Hall Bombing that occurred on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus on August 24, 1970 was committed by four young people as a protest against the University's research connections with the US military during the Vietnam War...
on the campus University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, in an act of political protest against the University's research efforts on behalf of the United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
. The bomb destroyed the building, killing one person and injuring three. Armstrong spent several years on the run after the incident.
Armstrong was born on August 29, 1951, in Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. He grew up there as "an ordinary Midwestern boy, fond of playing baseball and bicycling around his exurban community" as described by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
in his obituary. He dropped out of high school in 10th grade and by 1970 he had joined his brother Karl in actively opposing American involvement in the war in Vietnam. On New Year's Eve 1969, Dwight and Karl stole a light plane from a local airport and unsuccessfully dropped bombs on an area ordnance factory.
In response to the Kent State shootings
Kent State shootings
The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
on May 4, 1970, in which four protesters were shot and killed by the Ohio National Guard
Ohio National Guard
The Ohio National Guard comprises:* Ohio Army National Guard* Ohio Air National Guard-External links:* compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
, they conceived of an attack on the Army Mathematics Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, which had been a frequent site of anti-War protests. Karl made a bomb out of dynamite, 100 gal of fuel oil and 1700 lbs of ammonium nitrate fertilizer.
The bomb was placed in a stolen van left next to Sterling Hall, a building that housed the Army Mathematics Research Center, as well as the university's physics department. They lit the fuse after checking the windows of Sterling Hall and seeing no activity, assuming that the building was empty. A bomb threat was phoned in to the Madison Police Department, giving five minutes notice of the planned detonation, though previous such calls turned out to be pranks. A police cruiser was dispatched to the site minutes before the explosion. The bomb detonated at 3:42 AM on August 24, 1970, killing Robert Fassnacht
Robert Fassnacht
Robert E. Fassnacht was a physics post-doctoral researcher who was killed by the bombing of Sterling Hall on August 24, 1970 on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus....
, a physics post-doctoral researcher who was working late, injuring three others, and causing millions of dollars in damage to the building.
Dwight Armstrong drove away with his brother, Leo F. Burt
Leo Burt
Leo Frederick Burt was indicted in connection with the 1970 Sterling Hall bombing at the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, which killed Robert Fassnacht, a physics researcher, and injured several others...
, and David S. Fine to a truck stop where they celebrated the bombing. When they heard a news report on their car radio that someone had been killed by the explosion, all four went on the run, with Dwight's seven years at large the longest of the four people suspected in the bombing aside from Leo Burt, who is still at large. On September 4, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
began a search for the four fugitives, placing them on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William Kinsey Hutchinson, International News Service Editor-in-Chief, who were discussing ways to promote capture of the...
list. Armstrong remained underground until he was arrested in April 1977 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. He pleaded no contest
Nolo contendere
is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
to state murder charges and federal conspiracy charges. As part of his plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
he was sentenced concurrently to seven years each in state and federal prison and was released on parole in 1980 on the condition that he participate in a community rehabilitation program.
He was arrested again in 1987 in Indiana where he was charged with operating a meth lab
Clandestine chemistry
Clandestine chemistry is chemistry carried out in secret, and particularly in illegal drug laboratories. Larger labs are usually run by gangs or organized crime intending to produce for distribution on the black market...
. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and was released in 1991. He came back to Madison, where he tended to his mother and worked driving a taxi. In 2001, he purchased the Radical Rye Deli with Karl.
In a 1992 interview with The Capital Times of Madison, he stated that "My life has not been something to write home about". He justified the bombing, stating that "We did what we had to do; we did what we felt a lot of other people should have done", continuing that "I don't care what public opinion is; we did what was right."
Armstrong died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
at age 58 on June 20, 2010, at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics is a 471-bed academic medical center with 80 outpatient clinics in Madison, Wisconsin. It is an American College of Surgeons designated Level I adult and pediatric trauma center, one of two Level I trauma centers in Wisconsin- the other in Milwaukee...
in Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. He was survived by his mother, his brother, two sisters, and a daughter.