Military Academies Of The United States

"At VMI integrity subconsciously becomes a way of life."

"VMI has a long and enviable tradition, of which the intrepid charge of its cadets at New Market is one of the most glorious chapters. Although only about 15 percent of the graduates pursue military careers, the mass of them have served well- many with great distinction- as citizen-soldiers in every conflict in which their country has been involved, beginning with the Mexican War. Foremost among them was General of the Army George C. Marshall, the chief of staff throughout World War II, who late served in two cabinet posts and became the one military figure ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Each of the diverse curricula in engineering, the physical sciences, and the liberal arts has prepared its cadet-students well to follow civil callings in peacetime, which most alumni do."

"With the Institute in sight, I let down so that I came over Alumni Hall at about 200 feet. I kept the speed down to about 450 knots so that we did not go by the Institute too quickly. As we passed Alumni Hall I continued letting down in altitude over the Parade Ground and then lit both afterburners. I would like to say that we flew between the flagpoles, but that is not possible; you cannot clear the barracks if you get that low. I will say that we were low and- being in afterburner- noisy, now doing around 500-550 knots. As we passed over the barracks I pulled up into a vertical rolling climb. The Institute was well and truly buzzed! We proceeded on to Byrd Field at Richmond and landed there. We got absolutely wonderful treatment from the Air National Guard people there. We went to Howard Moss' parents' home, borrowed a car from them, and drove on to Lexington. And that is how I got to my 20th class reunion, the first one for me, and how the Institute got buzzed."

"The challenges of civilian or military life after VMI are often laughable compared to what they have been through. They are ready for what the world has to throw at them- and the world is badly in need of them. The highest accolade one can pay is that in this state and country, and the world, is a better place to live in because of this little fortress-like barracks in Lexington. Would that we had a hundred like it!"

"The Virginia Military Institute was founded by gentlemen in the nineteenth century who believed strongly in the importance of physical fitness as part of educating the whole man. Francis H. Smith, superintendent from 1839 to 1889, stated unequivocally in an address to the Corps that "physical education constitutes the beginning of the cadet life." Claudius Crozet, first president of the Board of Visitors, had been educated at the Ecole Polytechnique in France, where physical fitness was a prerequisite for admission and a part of each student's curriculum. John Thomas Lewis Preston, a lexington lawyer who gave the school its name and served on the faculty for fifty years, wrote in an address prepared for the college's semicentennial in 1889 that exercise had been a part of a cadet's daily regimen from the start. Perhaps General Smith best captured the assumptions of VMI's founders when he explained to the Corps of Cadets, "If you would mark the perfect man, you must not look for him in the circus, the university, or the church, exclusively, but you must look for one who has 'mens sana in corpore sano,' a healthful mind in a healthful body. The being in whom you find this union is the only one worthy to be called educated. To make all men is such is the object of education.""

"Although documented references to sporting activity at VMI before the Civil War are rare, we can infer several points. Water played a large part in the life of cadets, as they occasionally reached and departed Lexington by canalboat and used the North (later Maury) River for swimming, fishing, and bathing. By virtue of being enrolled in a southern military college, young men at VMI often engaged in fencing, rifle firing, and horseback riding. In 1857 a report mentioned increasing the use of horses for artillery and cavalry instruction, and thirty first and second classmen were reportedly interested in maintaining horses on a permanent basis at the Institute. In addition to participating in improvised, high-spirited games on the Parade Ground, one can also imagine cadets hiking across streams and through the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. All of this physical activity contributed, along with a proper diet, sufficient sleep, and invigorating fresh air, to the robust health and mental vigor of cadets. These were positive attractions that the Institute's founders pointed to with pride."

"Thus ended VMI's seemingly brief affiliation with horses. The memories are still strong, I suppose, because of the thrill that riding brought to cadets at the Institute, or maybe as a welcome diversion from the strict regimentation at VMI. The horse offered a taste of the Old South that drew crowds to VMI, and the VMI cadet is at his best when there is a crowd."

"The war, when it came, broke in rudely on the routine of the Institute and the ambitious plans of Colonel Smith. It is a testimony to him, the faculty, and the cadets that this basically academic institution was ready to march when the drums sounded assembly. The war gave meaning to the untested military mission of VMI: as former professor "stonewall" Jackson had predicted, the Institute was heard from during the Civil War. The conflict also provided the Institute its most heroic chapter at the Battle of New Market, but the price was staggering and the war left the school in ruins."

"There is no school anywhere remotely like the Virginia Military Institute. It is a special place, with battlements mustard-colored in the setting sun on a bluff above the Maury River, within sight of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Its athletic teams perform prodigies of valor out of all proportion to the student body of 1,300. A military maxim says that morale is to physical as three to one, and opponents of VMI have an uneasy sense, when they take the field, that whatever the betting odds may be in a game, the 3-to-1 ratio for morale always attends the Flying Squadron. The cadets are apt to play to their utmost potential."

"Another bomb story (I'm not really a pyromaniac, I just remember these events): Gargantua. Think this was also a '59 story. Notes appeared daily on the Bulletin Boards for about a week advising that "Gargantua was coming," the largest bomb to be set off in Barracks. Ever! The Corps was looking forward to this, but the Commandant, Col. Glover Johns, was not about to let Barracks be destroyed. He published memos requiring the parties to come forth. No response. More memos, this time promising amnesty. No response. Finally, Col. Johns said he would cancel drill, and with proper supervision, allow Gargantua to be detonated on the Parade Ground, and no penalties would be assessed anyone. An Agreement was reached, and on the appropriate day, the perpetrators assembled at the far end of the Parade Ground, an order was given to open all windows on the West side of Barracks, and Gargantua was ignited. Much to the delight of the Corps, only a small cloud of black smoke rose into the air, and a very weak bomb sound was heard in Barracks. At least, we got out of drill! However, late that night the familiar "Bomb in the Courtyard! Bomb in the Courtyard! Sentinel, get out of the box!" was heard. Shortly thereafter, Gargantua went off, waking all, and breaking several Courtyard windows. A Class of '59 success."

"I think it real strongly that athletics is more important at a school like VMI than it is anywhere else. It's almost a necessity to have a good program- one that's competitive with our adversaries and not just participatory. We need competing teams, whatever the season is, in order to keep the morale up in Barracks. We don't have to win all the time, but we need to go with the expectation that we have a chance to win. VMI can compete with almost anybody; most VMI people deep down really believe that."

"In early 1861, Professor Thomas Jonathan Jackson was an unhappy, unpopular professor of artillery, optics, mathematics and astronomy at the Virginia Military Institute. Remarried after the death of his first wife, the deeply religious Jackson believed in predestination: Everything that happened to him was intended to happen. Conversely, one of his frequently stated maxims was, "You can be whatever you will." Guided by these two contradictory ideas, he became a fearless commander. If the Civil War had not happened, Jackson likely would have passed the rest of his life as a teacher, spending his spare time boning up on unfamiliar subjects, practicing his lectures, and spending time with his daughter. Instead, he was thrust into leadership positions. The Civil War changed his life forever, and his death changed the course of the war."

"The Institute will be heard from today."

"The class of 1953 returned to Lexington for its 50th reunion in April 2003. It was the first time that my three roommates and I had been together since our graduation day. We had pictures taken in our room on the first stoop during graduation week in June 1953. Therefore, we thought it would be nice to have our picture taken again in our old room. After the old yell for our class in the courtyard of barracks, we went over to our room to have our picture taken. A change had occurred to our room, since it was now a women's bathroom. As Doc Caroll always said, "It's not like the old corps, but it never was.""

"I have always felt that track fit naturally with the VMI system. Ability, self-discipline, and determination are overriding factors, and dependence on weight and size is minimized. Individual performance is the foundation, but team spirit is critical too, and that is what VMI tries to teach us."

"You have something most people can only dream of- you belong to a beautiful place, a beautiful history, a beautiful people. You were and are so lucky."

"No college in America can match the record of the Institute in training the citizen-soldier."

"One thing we had been constantly told in the week leading up to matriculation was, "Don't lose your Rat Bible." (Note: The Rat Bible is a little book every rat carries containing all of the information about VMI a rat is supposed to know. A rat is supposed to memorize every word in it.) Over and over, we heard, "Whatever you do, don't lose your Rat Bible." Of course, I was determined that I would not commit this grievous sin. On matriculation day, after we had received our Rat Bibles along with a lecture as to its importance, we were led to our rooms to change into "idiot dyke." (This was the rat uniform consisting of white shirt, utility trousers, low quarters, and utility cover.) Upon entering my room, I put my Rat Bible on my desk and started to change. I no sooner had done this than a sergeant walked in, scooped up my Rat Bible, and walked out. I couldn't believe it! I hadn't had my Rat Bible five minutes, and I'd already lost it! The one thing we were warned not to let happen, and I'd already done it! I was crestfallen! I was also thinking that this was not a very good start to my cadetship and did not bode well for my future. Luckily, the sergeant brought it right back along with a few choice words about taking care of my Rat Bible. I did learn my lesson though. I never lost my Rat Bible again. In fact, I still have it today. One final note on matriculation day: it was the only time in my life when I was actually looking forward to football practice."

"VMI has many notable works of art. Some of these fine pieces memorialize national heroes, VMI professors, world leaders; others are symbolic of great events and themes in world history. Many are by great sculptors such as Sir Moses Ezekiel and Benjamen Clinedinst. These works are on display throughout the VMI post, not just on the parade ground or in Memorial Garden. A tour of VMI and its historical buildings is an exciting cultural experience to be treasured, in part because of the diversity and richness of its fine arts."

"The whole history of VMI is a triumphant chronicle of the part which the citizen-soldier can play in a democracy."

"Virginia’s chief diversity officer was blunt. He took the stage Friday at Virginia Military Institute — a college embroiled in a tense debate over racism, sexism and diversity reforms — and slammed the whole concept of diversity, equity and inclusion. “Let’s take a moment right now to kill that cow. DEI is dead,” said Martin D. Brown, who was appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) in November. “We’re not going to bring that cow up anymore. It’s dead. It was mandated by the General Assembly, but this governor has a different philosophy of civil discourse, civility, treating — living the golden rule, right?”"

"Brown, a Black Republican who is a former Heritage Foundation fellow and worked for two prior GOP governors, was the featured speaker at a mandatory annual “inclusive excellence” training for VMI’s faculty and staff members. VMI recorded the speech and made it available after The Post asked to see it. Post asked to see it. The freewheeling talk — which Brown kicked off with a prayer to Jesus and laced with mentions of “our Creator” and “God” — angered some of the people who attended. “Other colleges have had DEI embedded at their schools for a long time, but at VMI, it’s new and not fully supported by alumni and staff,” said one professor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. “It’s a place where you can stomp it out. Multiple people I spoke with afterwards were outraged. They were concerned about our students, our minority groups. How is this going to impact them? They’re already struggling even with the current diversity push.” Brown’s speech came at an especially sensitive time for VMI, the nation’s oldest state-supported military college. Its 1,500 students remain mostly White and male."