2026-Issue 1 Alumni Review

2026 - Issue 1

97% of graduates are employed or attending graduate school within 5 months of graduation. (Graduate Outcomes Survey, VMI Office of Career Services)

4.5 Stars

Rated a 4.5-Star Best College by Money magazine—the highest rank level extended to Virginia public colleges.

$80k

VMI alumni earn an average of $80,000 in early career earnings. (Money magazine)

NO.1

Liberal Arts College in the nation for ROTC Rank. (Washington Monthly)

50%

graduates commission into the armed forces through VMI’s ROTC program and University Auxiliary Program. (UAP) +

$149k

VMI alumni earn an average of $149,000 in mid-career earnings. (Money magazine)

NO.2

Best Value Colleges in Virginia. (Niche Rankings)

NO.29

Undergraduate Engineering NonDoctorate out of approximately 200 colleges. (U.S. News and World Report)

NO.65

National Liberal Arts Colleges out of approximately 200 colleges. (U.S. News and World Report)

*all stats from 2025 & 2026

NO.4

Best Public Liberal Arts College in the nation, ranked only behind the nation’s federal military academies. (U.S. News & World Report)

NO.89

Public College out of approximately 500 colleges. (Forbes)

Virginia Military Institute

In This Issue . . .

This issue includes class notes and news items covering the time period of Aug. 15, 2025, to Nov. 15, 2025.

In Memory

PUBLISHER

VMI Alumni Agencies

Chief Executive Officer: David Prasnicki

Chief Communications Officer: Amy Goetz

Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Czekner

Assistant Editor: Mattie Montgomery

Communications Officer: Scott Belliveau ’83

Designer: Joe Czekner

Development Writer: Mary Price

Staff Photographers: Joe Czekner and Mary Price

Freelance Photography: H. Lockwood McLaughlin and Lexie West

ALUMNI REVIEW ONLINE vmialumni.org/alumnireview

PUBLISHING OFFICE

VMI Alumni Agencies

Alumni Review Office P.O. Box 932 Lexington, VA 24450 review@vmiaa.org | 540/464-7221

PRINTER

Walsworth | St. Joseph, Michigan

The VMI Alumni Review (USPS 954-740) is published four times yearly in fall, winter, spring, and summer by the VMI Alumni Agencies, P.O. Box 932, Lexington, VA 24450. It is sent to alumni and friends of the Institute without subscription. Periodicals postage paid at Lynchburg, VA, and additional mailing offices.

ATTENTION POSTMASTER:

Send changes of address to: VMI Alumni Review P.O. Box 932, Lexington, VA 24450

TELEPHONE NUMBERS

VMI Alumni Association: 540/464-7221

VMI Foundation: 540/464-7287

A Message From David L. Prasnicki

VMI Alumni Agencies CEO

As many of you know, I will retire from the VMI Alumni Agencies in April after more than four decades of serving the Institute. I consider myself exceptionally privileged to have spent my entire professional career advancing an extraordinary college and working alongside thousands of alumni, faculty, staff, coaches, parents, and friends, including six remarkable superintendents and dozens of dedicated volunteer leaders.

Before I continue, I want to welcome the sixth and final superintendent with whom I am working: Lt. Gen. David J. Furness ’87. The VMI Board of Visitors selected Gen. Furness after an extensive search that produced several highly qualified candidates and ultimately three superb finalists.

Since arriving on post last fall, he has visited every corner of the Institute, including the academic departments to engage with our devoted faculty and staff. He has already traveled to numerous alumni chapter events, where he has shared a clear and compelling picture of the Institute’s current state and his vision for VMI’s future.

I am confident Gen. Furness will honor the trust placed in him by the BOV, and the Corps of Cadets will benefit greatly from his leadership. In this important work, he will have the steadfast support of everyone involved with the VMI Alumni Agencies.

As for me, I began my career at VMI as a newly minted college graduate in June 1985. In February 1986, Harry Warner ’57 and Robert Wentz ’54, then the executive vice presidents for the VMI Foundation and VMI Alumni Association, respectively, recruited me to join the Foundation. That moment marked the beginning of a career devoted entirely to the VMI Alumni Agencies, the Institute, and—most importantly—the Corps of Cadets.

Over the years, I have witnessed many significant changes at VMI: The end of mandatory commissioning and Saturday classes; the integration of women into the Corps; and the steady strengthening of our academic enterprise as VMI expanded its majors and minors, adopted innovative programs, and attracted top-flight faculty. The physical plant has been transformed, as well, with older buildings being renovated and expanded and new facilities constructed.

Some things, however, have never changed. The indomitable “never say die” spirit of our cadet-athletes remains as strong today as it was in 1985. At the same time, the equipment, training facilities, and competition venues supporting VMI’s NCAA programs have advanced to a level of true excellence.

I have watched countless parades and sporting events. I have witnessed 40 Matriculation Days, 40 Breakouts, and 39 graduations. Above all, I

have watched VMI’s extraordinary experience transform thousands of young rats into confident graduates, including my younger son, Tyler L. Prasnicki ’15.

I am proud of the work the VMI Alumni Agencies has accomplished in support of the Institute. We have engaged and informed every member of the VMI family, strengthening their bonds with each other and with VMI. We have built partnerships with thousands of donors and carefully stewarded the hundreds of millions of dollars entrusted to us to ensure VMI has the resources necessary to remain in the front rank of American higher education. Through sacrificial philanthropy and diligent management, the endowments supporting VMI have grown from $49 million in Fiscal Year 1986 to $875 million today. We also reorganized our structures and streamlined our operations, making our work on behalf of VMI more effective and efficient.

I have been fortunate in my colleagues at the VMI Alumni Agencies. Whatever their roles, they have been consummate professionals—dedicated, loyal, and unwavering in their commitment to VMI. I have also worked with many volunteer leaders who have selflessly given their time and talents, making significant contributions to the Alumni Agencies’ work and to VMI’s advancement. I have cherished my relationships with these men and women and have formed lasting friendships with many of them.

Leaving VMI will not be easy. Yet I do so with deep gratitude to the entire VMI family and with pride in having played some part in ensuring that the Institute continues to provide our nation with the well-educated, purposeful, and—above all—honorable leaders it will always need.

As this magazine goes to press, the Virginia General Assembly is considering two pieces of legislation—H.B. 1374 and H.B. 1377—that directly affect VMI. Brandon Bissell ’98, VMI Alumni Association chief operating officer, has distributed information about these bills; therefore, I will not repeat it.

However, please accept Brandon’s request to contact members of the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates, focusing on why the state should continue support to VMI. Consider, for example, mentioning VMI’s enduring value to the state, the many significant contributions that VMI alumni have made to Virginia and the United States, and the many benefits that young people derive from their VMI experience.

For 186 years, VMI has done much to make the Commonwealth and the country strong, and with your help, it will stay the course and continue do so well into the future.

Eubank ’91 Promotes,

Takes Command at U.S. Army Cyber Command

After his recent promotion to lieutenant general in October 2025, U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Christopher L. Eubank ’91 takes command as commanding general of U.S. Army Cyber Command at Fort Gordon, Georgia, at his change of command ceremony Dec. 3, 2025. Pictured attending Eubank’s change of command ceremony are (from left) John Duffy ’91, retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. Omar Land ’91, retired U.S. Army Col. Jerry Eubank ’61, Eubank, Chuck Story ’91, Chris Barnett ’91, and U.S. Navy Reserve Capt. Craig Eubank ’93.

Guy ’07 Takes Command

U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Richard “Chris” Guy ’07 with his family at his change of command ceremony, assuming command of Tactical Law Enforcement Team South in Miami, Florida, July 10, 2025.

Alumni Gather at U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

Pictured at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the School of Advanced Military Studies in Leavenworth, Kansas, in 2025 are (front, from left) U.S. Army Majs. Michael Kim ’09, T.J. Curl ’14, Chris Hooks ’13, Ben Kier ’14, Andy Eddleton ’14, Allen Chen ’13, Nathan McFadden ’13, Quentin O’Neal ’14, Franklin Banegas ’12, (back) Quentin Sweetser ’13, Ben Waterbury ’13, Robert Dilley ’13, Sungkuyn “Eddie” Chang ’13, Nathan Beck ’13, Matt Dudek ’13, Franklin Overstreet ’13, and Ike Williamson ’13.

Dawson ’13, Snyder ’18 March in the Netherlands

U.S. Army Maj. Fritz Dawson ’13 (left) and Capt. Conor Snyder ’18 complete the Internationale Vierdaagse Afstandsmarsen Nijmegen, the largest multiple-day marching event in the world, in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, in July 2025.

Booth ’21, Burke ’22 Graduate Sapper Leader Course

U.S.

Right: Celebrating Booth’s graduation from the Sapper Leader Course are (from left) U.S. Army Capt. John Duncan ’21, Booth, and Capt. Palmer Jackson ’21.

Alumni Connect at 8th Military Police Brigade Ball

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Shannon-Mikal Lucas ’95 serves as the guest speaker for the 8th Military Police Brigade Ball and connects with fellow VMI alumni at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Sept. 26, 2025. Pictured are (from left) U.S. Army 1st Lt. Savanah (Diamond) Wickham ’22, 1st Lt. Cody Wickham ’23, Lucas, and 1st Lt. Josh Farr ’23.

Duffy ’22, Stacpoole ’22 Serve in U.S. Marine Corps

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lts. William Duffy ’22 (left) and Richard Stacpoole ’22 serve as Marine infantry officers in 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment in November 2025.

In Memory: Joseph M. Spivey III ’57

By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer

Joseph M. Spivey III ’57, former VMI Board of Visitors president, VMI Foundation Distinguished Service Award recipient, and longtime leader of Virginia’s legal community, died Aug. 17, 2025. He was 90.

Described by George W. Sydnor Jr. ’57, his brother rat, as “a dedicated cadet with a dry, subtle sense of humor,” Spivey was a corporal and a sergeant, but as Sydnor put it, he gave “much more serious attention to academics.” Yet, he was not all work and no play, despite his “serious demeanor,” Sydnor described. He was “fun to be with and could find humor in any type of situation.”

Spivey participated in several activities during his cadetship, including the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Canterbury Club, and devoted much of his time outside of the classroom to the swimming and diving team. A 4-year member of the team, he was its co-captain during his 1st Class year, and according to his history in the Bomb, “established himself as one of the outstanding backstroke swimmers in the state.”

A distinguished military graduate, Spivey commissioned in the U.S. Army field artillery branch. The Army transferred him to air defense artillery, and after training at Fort Bliss, Texas, he served on active duty for more than 2 years. He then served as a citizen-soldier with the U.S. Army Reserve from 1959–62 and the Virginia National Guard from 1962–64. He left military service as a captain.

After his active duty service, Spivey briefly worked for Procter & Gamble before enrolling at Washington and Lee University School of Law. He was the editor-in-chief of the Washington and Lee Law Review and was named to both the Order of the Coif, a legal honors society that recognizes graduates in the top 10% of their class, and Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society, which “recognizes and encourages superior leadership and exemplary character.”

After graduating from law school, Spivey joined the Richmond-based law firm of Hunton, Williams, Gay, Powell, and Gibson (now Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, known widely as Hunton). He stayed with the firm for almost four decades, developing a national reputation as an effective litigator and trial attorney handling a wide variety of cases. He was an associate from 1962–69, became a partner in 1969, took on “of counsel” status in 1993, and fully retired in 2001.

Although he tried several high-profile cases across the country, he is perhaps best known among Virginia’s legal community for his leadership during the 5-year defense of Allied Chemical Corporation in one of the largest environmental lawsuits in Virginia history. Besides admiring his accomplishments in the courtroom, his fellow lawyers at Hunton appreciated the example he provided as an attorney, colleague, and mentor. Alan Rudlin, a retired partner at Hunton, said, “[Spivey] had a wonderful sense of what was right and what was practical, and he combined those qualities to be a mentor to me from whom I learned a great deal and to whom I owe a great debt. He knew how to practice law with complete commitment and creativity. And he also knew how to have fun.”

Thomas G. Slater Jr. ’66, a former BOV president like Spivey and now a special counsel at Hunton, said of him, “As a young trial lawyer, he taught me one of the best lessons I could ever receive: The importance of always shooting straight with judges and other lawyers. Joe taught me that ‘if a judge asks you a question you do not know the answer to, tell the judge you cannot answer it, but you will quickly work to get the answer.’ A trial lawyer’s reputation is his greatest asset.”

Spivey was a member of the Virginia Bar Association and the American Bar Association and served as the Richmond Bar Association president from 1982–83. He was also elected a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an honor granted to only 1% of American trial lawyers. Spivey returned to Washington and Lee University School of Law as an adjunct professor from 1997–99 and a visiting professor from 1999–2001.

Spivey was appointed to the VMI Board of Visitors in 1983. He served on several committees, including the Audit, Finance, and Planning Committee, as well as the Sesquicentennial Steering Committee. In 1987, he became the board’s president, serving in the position for 4 years. In 1988, he served as chairman of the Superintendent Search Committee, which was formed after the retirement of Gen. Sam Walker ’45, the Institute’s 11th superintendent. The board would choose then-Maj. Gen. John W. Knapp Sr. ’54, then-dean of the faculty, to succeed Walker. Spivey would say of his board service, “[It] was, without qualification, the greatest experience of my life.”

“In my four decades at the Institute, I cannot name a person whose contributions exceeded [Joe’s] or whose force of intellect, character, and spirit have had more good effect.”

In March 1990, the U.S. Justice Department sued Virginia, alleging VMI’s all-male admissions policy violated the 14th Amendment. George H. Roberts Jr. ’68, who served as the VMI Foundation executive vice president from 1991–98, recalled “the profound impact” Spivey’s leadership had on VMI’s reaction. “It was on his watch as BOV president that fundamental decisions were made concerning whether and how VMI would undertake a long and challenging period of litigation to preserve its historic all-male student policy. The Board of Visitors concluded, with Joe’s leadership and the guidance of former U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell; our lead attorney, Robert H. Patterson Jr. ’49C; and other leading lawyers, that a case could and should be made for state-sponsored single-sex education.

“Once the decision was made to proceed, Joe played a pivotal role, exercising his sound judgment in the numerous major and often difficult decisions that needed to be made during the course of that litigation,” Roberts said.

VMI’s legal team was successful in the U.S. District Court and in the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court decided in favor of the U.S. Justice Department in June 1996. Years after the case’s conclusion, the successful integration of women into VMI’s ranks stands as a milestone worth celebrating. Throughout the litigation

that reached the nation’s highest court, Spivey’s unwavering professionalism was consistently recognized.

In its May 1991 resolution honoring Spivey, the BOV stated, “His leadership has been strong and sound, providing constructive guidance and a stabilizing influence in all matters which have come before him.” Knapp wrote in a July 1991 letter to Spivey, “In my four decades at the Institute, I cannot name a person whose contributions exceeded yours or whose force of intellect, character, and spirit have had more good effect.”

The VMI Foundation presented Spivey with its Distinguished Service Award in 1994. In his remarks, he said, “This award ... is the highest accolade I have ever received, and to be honored this way by an institution I so cherish and respect fills me with an emotion I can scarcely express.”

Keenly interested in American history and education, Spivey served on the boards of the Shenandoah Valley Civil War Roundtable; the Stonewall Jackson Foundation; and Southern Virginia University, formerly Southern Seminary. He also supported the George C. Marshall Foundation.

Spivey is survived by his wife of 67 years, Ann Dare (née Davis); three sons, Joseph M. Spivey IV ’85, Timothy A.W. Spivey ’86, and Thomas N.C. Spivey ’89, and their respective spouses; and eight grandchildren.

In Memory: Chaplain Charles Caudill

By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Charles C. Caudill, longtime and beloved chaplain to the Corps of Cadets, died Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. He was 93.

Caudill graduated from High Point College in 1953, after which he attended Duke University Theological Seminary. After receiving his Master of Divinity degree in 1956, Caudill entered the U.S. Air Force as a chaplain.

Caudill served in the Air Force for 23 years around the world, including two tours in Southeast Asia. His many decorations and awards include two awards of both the Legion of Merit and the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Joint Service Commendation Medal. The Air Force also recognized his service with the Terrence P. Finnegan Award, which recognized the chaplain who had done the most for single airmen, and the Edward B. Chess Award for dedication and concern for Air Force personnel.

In 1979, he retired from the Air Force and became VMI’s chaplain, the same year his youngest son, Christopher, matriculated with the Class of 1983. Caudill was renowned for his energy and his ability to connect with just about anyone. He reinvigorated Sunday chapel services, which became known for their excellent music—he insisted on an organ— his dynamic preaching, and his frequent willingness to use a relatively light touch. Occasionally, for example, he would dress as a Biblical character, once appearing as the innkeeper in the nativity story.

He reintroduced VMI’s tradition of distributing holy books to graduating cadets. He secured the necessary funding from the Christian Broadcasting Network and created a standalone event during finals week. He would personally present the books to cadets and inscribe each one with a personal, handwritten message.

Alumni prized these books, carrying them throughout their lives. As Jerry Manley ’81 said, “These Bibles have traveled the world. They have been in military and commercial aircraft; in military combat zones overseas and corporate offices across America. ... These books ... provided the comfort of God’s word to many.” In his message announcing Caudill’s death, Lt. Gen. David J. Furness ’87, VMI’s 16th superintendent, wrote, “Throughout my seven combat deployments, I carried in my pack every day the Bible [he] gave me at graduation. That Bible brought me comfort and assurance during

some very difficult times, and for that I am grateful.” Several of the alumni who attended his memorial service on post Nov. 15 brought their copies—including U.S. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine ’90, current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Caudill taught a popular elective course, “Marriage and the Family,” which was always full and had a long waiting list. As an instructor, Caudill was demanding, but he also brought to the classroom the same warmth, wisdom, and empathy that he displayed in his other duties.

Cadets frequently turned to him for advice and counsel. As Teddy Gottwald ’83 said, “He was a calm island in our sea of storms, and he played more roles in our cadetships: Mentor, teacher, minister, motivator, friend. ... He helped at least one BR get a Ring Figure date. He helped another find financial aid to stay in school. ... When an entire room of my brother rats was having serious demerit trouble, in their words, ‘He came by to see us nearly every day to remind us that he cared, that our parents cared, and that it was so important for us to keep our acts together and to make it through.’ When the chips were down, we might not be sure if God could hear us, but we sure knew that Chaplain Caudill did.”

Steve Hupp ’84 described him as “an awesome Christian man who was a positive influence on so many lives” and a man “who became a huge father figure to all of us in some way—whether we knew we needed one or not.”

Undoubtedly, Caudill will always be remembered for his hugs. Hupp said, “He showed up to this all-male military school ... and just started hugging every cadet he saw. Not something any of them were expecting or asking for—but exactly what every one of them desperately needed.” But they were never perfunctory. As Manley said, “They were strong, genuine, welcoming, and almost always accompanied by the words ‘I love you.’ We will also remember how he would look at us when he spoke: With kind but knowing eyes that reflected understanding, a sense of purpose, as well as the strength and love of God.”

Caudill was highly popular in the local area. Mary L. Price, VMI Alumni Agencies development writer, who attended Lexington High School in the late 1980s, remembers, “He came to speak to the students at the school more than once in the time I was there. While I can’t recall what he spoke about, I can recall how I felt when he had finished speaking: Calmer and much more inspired. It speaks volumes about

his character in that he undoubtedly had plenty to do on post, and he didn’t have to speak to a bunch of high schoolers, but he chose to do so.”

Caudill remained close to those he had served at VMI for the rest of his life. As they did as cadets, alumni turned to him for counsel and advice. He officiated countless weddings, baptized many children, served as a father and grandfather figure, and was a warmly welcomed guest at landmark family events and VMI class reunions. He supported many alumni and their families as they wrestled with challenges, dealt with tragedies, and endured grief.

His effect on those who have succeeded him as chaplain was immensely positive. John P. Casper ’04, VMI’s current chaplain who served as associate chaplain from December 2013 until he was promoted to his current position in 2023, said that Caudill “was a legend,” but not intimidating. When he met Caudill, Casper recalls immediately establishing “a special connection. He became a mentor to me as I learned to be an effective chaplain. ‘Chap’ was always supportive and kind.” So important was Caudill’s mentorship to Casper that, when he was promoted to VMI chaplain, he made sure Caudill was present. “After all he had done for me, he and Jan just had to be there.”

“He was truly one of a kind—a man of deep faith, steady character, and boundless compassion.”

Asked about Caudill’s legacy, Casper answered, “You really get the idea that you’re passing the torch he carried, but with that responsibility comes the opportunity to carry on his work, and that is very special.”

After Caudill retired from VMI in 1994, he worked for the YMCA of the Rockies in Granby, Colorado, and served for a time as a counselor/adviser for Ethyl Corp., now New Market Corporation.

His first wife, Shirley, predeceased him. He is survived by his second wife, Janice; his sons, Michael, Marcus, and Christopher ’83; seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

The Class of 1983 elected Caudill as an honorary brother rat. He has an entry in the class’ edition of the Bomb and proudly wore the class’ ring. It is appropriate, therefore, to close with some thoughts the class submitted to Anthony J. MacDonald ’83, class agent. “He was truly one of a kind—a man of deep faith, steady character, and boundless compassion. To cadets, he was more than a spiritual guide; he was a source of comfort, wisdom, and light in what could often be a hard and trying place.” Of course, while these sentiments come from one class, as MacDonald said, “they certainly reflect the feelings of all of those who knew him.”

Furness

’87: “ ”

This Journey Is Not for Everyone

By Mary Price, Development Writer

“I think what this place instilled in me more than anything else was just a commitment to do my best at anything I tried and a commitment to excellence as a habit and not an act. One time is easy—doesn’t get you anywhere. It needs to be a day-on, stay-on type of activity.”

That’s how Lt. Gen. David J. Furness ’87, the Institute’s 16th superintendent, describes his transformational journey as a cadet—a journey that now serves as his guiding star as he settles in to lead the Corps of Cadets and serve as the public face of VMI to alumni, legislators, and the world at large after a military career that spanned 36 years and seven deployments, culminating with his retirement as a lieutenant general in the U.S. Marine Corps.

As he navigated the first 100 days of his superintendency, meeting almost immediately with cadets, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the Institute, Furness sought to spread a clear and consistent message: VMI is in a strong position, and the adjustments he seeks to make—most notably in the areas of recruitment and retention—are designed to reinforce that strength.

“I’d like alumni to know that the foundations that define the VMI experience are just as good today as they were when [they] were here,” Furness stated. “They may be different, they may appear to be different, but they’re as good. The outcome is the same. ... The product we produce is singularly excellent, uniformly so.

“I am focused and clear about the uniqueness, the not-so-ordinary way VMI approaches preparing high-caliber young men and women for their lives ahead. I am also present to the fact that this journey is not for everyone.” It is this link between recruiting individuals who are ready to take on the challenges of the VMI experience and retaining their trust and dedication to embrace the finish line of graduation that guides his course.

“Those two datapoints are critical when sustaining the reputation of VMI and the graduates we produce.”

Feeling drawn to a military career, Furness applied to the Institute on the recommendation of a family friend and neighbor, John Goode ’67. He will tell you that his decision to obtain a VMI diploma definitely took determination and a steadfast belief in its value, as he applied three times before he was accepted. Having been unsuccessful in his previous applications, he enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University, where his then-girlfriend and now-wife, Lynda Furness, was a student, to increase his chances of acceptance.

During his third application process, Goode intervened, setting up an interview for Furness with Col. William “Buck” Buchanan ’50B, then director of admissions. Following his interview, and still unsure if he would be accepted, Furness went to Platoon Leaders Class for the Marine Corps that summer, and when he returned, he opened his mail and learned he’d been accepted at the Institute. With only 2 weeks to pack and prepare, he arrived on post to matriculate with his brother rats.

Soon, despite a deep desire to be a cadet and serve his country after

graduation, Furness found himself struggling with the Rat Line and the intense demands of a VMI cadetship. “It would just come at you unexpectedly from all angles, and it was a difficult experience to get your head around, and then you throw on the academic environment and everything else,” he explained. Two months into his cadetship, he was on the verge of leaving—and that moment of doubt became the turning point.

After sharing his troubles with his academic advisor, Col. John G. Barrett (Hon), Ph.D., Furness was referred to Col. Michael “Mike” Monsour (Hon), Ph.D., and what Furness thought would be a one-time chat flourished into a 2-year mentorship—despite the fact that Furness never took a class taught by Monsour.

“He just took me under his wing,” said Furness of Monsour. “And every problem I had ... he just had a solution for it. After a couple of chocolate chip cookies, life seemed a little bit better.”

Those meetings lasted as long as Furness needed them. Most Sunday afternoons, Monsour and Furness sat down together to look at Furness’ upcoming week and prepare a game plan. “He was just the kindest person I ever met,” Furness stated. “I wouldn’t be here today if he weren’t invested in my life.”

Today, as he settles into the Superintendent’s Quarters, Furness sees evidence that that kind of care and concern for cadets is still very much part of Institute life. “[Faculty are] more than just your professor or your department head or your faculty advisor,” he stated. “They’re a surrogate parent. They’re your best friend. They’re someone to talk to when you don’t have anyone else to talk to.” Those mentoring relationships, he believes, are central to the VMI experience and, in many ways, unique to it.

Thanks in part to Monsour’s encouragement, and that of several other faculty members, by the time Furness reached his 1st Class year, success wasn’t just a someday hope; it was a goal achieved. Not only did he wear academic stars (not a small task for the prospective cadet whose high school grades were not up to par when he first applied), but he also served as regimental commander for the 1986–87 academic year, leading the operations for the Corps of Cadets.

Col. David Harbach ’61, commandant at the time, “gave us a lot of rope,” Furness recalled. “And so we really felt like we were running the school. And it was a great experience to do that.”

As a distinguished graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, Furness knew he was well prepared for his chosen career as a Marine officer.

“I was very confident I could lead an organization, and I knew I had a lot to learn still, but I wasn’t afraid of the responsibilities associated with making a decision, standing up for my people, and being accountable, both to them and to the organization for the performance of the organization,” he recounted.

After VMI, Furness carried the lessons of the Institute with him wherever he went, and they benefited him well as he rose to the rank of a three-star

Furness leads the Corps of Cadets as regimental commander during the 1986–87 academic year.

flag officer as a lieutenant general. Not long after he retired from the military, he heard that the VMI superintendent’s position was available, so he applied. He described getting the news he’d been selected as “one of the best phone calls I’ve gotten in my life.”

He tackled his first few months at the Institute with gusto. “I’m going 1,000 miles an hour, but it’s uplifting and energy-generating,” the superintendent stated. “Every day I’m here, I can’t wait to get up and get the day started. I love every aspect about this job. ... Everything I learned here as a [cadet], I’m trying to apply as a superintendent—a commitment to excellence in everything we do here at VMI.”

As part of that commitment to excellence, Furness has set a highly ambitious goal: To increase applications by threefold, making the Institute highly selective and with a Corps of Cadets numbering 1,750.

“We’ve got to get the brand identified, the brand recognized, the brand out there, so people are aware of it and using it to drive interest in VMI to increase the number of applications,” he noted. “We don’t have a big, wide market. We have a very narrow, well-defined market. We need to go penetrate it as much as we can, both informationally with websites and branding products and advertising, but also with our greatest asset, which is our alumni.”

He’s also determined to solve the longstanding issue of retention, and to do that, he plans to partner with the Department of Human Performance and Wellness (formerly physical education) to see if biometric data can predict those likely to drop out during the Rat Line. If that can be done, he explained, it would then be possible to craft a plan for each at-risk rat. It’s part of an overall focus on cadets: Their well-being, personal growth, and ultimately, a path to flourishing. “Ideally, I would like to place every individual cadet on an individualized plan that would make them the fittest, brightest, and most centered young man or woman that they can be, and so I think that can also be something we sell,” Furness stated. “We’re going to make your son or daughter the best version of themselves that is possible.”

An audacious goal like that, though, can’t be achieved alone—and Furness is well aware that to be successful, he’ll need help from all members of the VMI family, as private support undergirds the entirety of the VMI experience.

“We have big objectives, and they can only be accomplished by all who believe and affirm the VMI mission to prepare leaders for our future,” he stated.

And to those individuals committed to securing the Institute’s future, Furness is issuing a direct call to action: “Help me find the resources necessary to keep this experience, this process world-class, and through that, maintain this school’s reputation as one of the finest institutions of higher learning, not just in the Commonwealth of Virginia, but within the United States writ large.”

Williams ’74 Receives VMI Foundation Distinguished Service Award

By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer

View a video of Williams and more coverage from the event online.

Eugene “Gene” Williams ’74, former VMI Board of Visitors member and founder and executive director of the College Orientation Workshop, received the VMI Foundation Distinguished Service Award during the Founders Day Convocation at Cameron Hall Nov. 7, 2025. John P. Williams ’88, VMI Foundation president and VMI Alumni Agencies Board chairman, presented the award.

The VMI Foundation Board of Trustees granted the award to Williams primarily in recognition of his long and distinguished record of service to the communities in which he has lived and worked through numerous charitable organizations, the VMI family, and hundreds of young men through COW.

In 1978, Williams started his service to VMI as the youngest member of the Board of Visitors, where he served for a decade. He was a VMI Foundation trustee from 1996–97 and on the VMI Keydet Club Board of Governors from 1989–92.

Williams is best known for his establishment of COW in the mid-1980s—and his continued hands-on leadership of that program. With a mission “to enrich the lives of deserving young people who are most at risk of failing to achieve their full God-given potential,” COW brings dozens of young men to VMI each summer to give them the skills they need to succeed and to inspire them to set and pursue ambitious goals.

Prior to presenting the DSA, John described Williams as “someone exceptional—a servant-leader and steadfast exemplar of VMI’s highest ideals.

“Gene’s story is rooted in habits familiar to every cadet: Early formations, squared corners, and the quiet grind of doing one more rep, one more page, one more mile. What sets him apart is not the absence of obstacles but the character with which he met them. Throughout his career, he chose service over spotlight and impact over credit.”

He also highlighted Williams’ devotion to COW. “The program’s success rests on many factors, but, above all, on Gene’s unwavering insistence on effort, integrity, and high standards—qualities he exemplifies every day.”

John reminded cadets that the DSA is focused on “sustained, selfless service—service that holds itself to a standard even when no one is watching.” He urged them to listen closely to Williams and “find something that you can take away for your own betterment. I’m confident there will be something in there for each of you.”

In his remarks, Williams thanked many people, from his family and his brother rats to members of the Institute’s faculty and staff and

many alumni for the support they provided him as a cadet and afterward. He also expressed his gratitude to “my brother rats and my VMI-connected brothers from other mothers for ... being foundations and guardrails for my life. Were it not for you, I would not have any friends or a best man at my wedding, and my son would not have any godfathers.” He told the cadets, “In the not-too-distant future, you ... will know of what I speak when I tell you that the bonds of VMI are strong and extend across all boundaries, be they race, religion, class, gender, geography, or time.

“I am grateful and humbled for this honor,” he continued. “I am a bit embarrassed about it all because I know there is so much more I can and should be doing, and there are others who are equally deserving of this.

“My heart is full because I love my school

“I believe that those of us who have been fortunate enough to experience and survive VMI are truly blessed.”

[and] the principles upon which it operates, as best I understand them; many of the people I have encountered here; and what my VMI experience—warts, bruises, and all—has meant to me. I have spent my entire adult life connected with and committed to my school with all my heart and soul. I have been rewarded in manifold ways from my association with the Institute. I count myself truly blessed to be of VMI.

“There are many elements that contribute to the greatness of the VMI experience, and there is so much that I love about the principles and ideals associated with this unique and indispensable institution, including its ability to draw out the very best in emerging young leaders ... and its record of tremendous contributions to our country and the world. I believe that those of us who have been fortunate enough to experience and survive VMI are truly blessed.”

Williams did state he regretted VMI was the last public institution in Virginia to adopt racial integration. But VMI “implemented the integration of the Corps with dignity, fairness, and a determination that failure was not an option.

... [N]o other school in ... Virginia or, dare I say, the country, integrated ... more smoothly, fairly, and successfully than did VMI. It repeated that performance in 1997 with the admission of women. Neither of these ... were flawless ... but we did demonstrate that we could do very well whatever we resolved to do.”

Williams also charged cadets to take responsibility for the country’s future. “We need more young people like you outstanding cadets to help make America and the world truly great. I know that you have the intellect, the backbone, and the strength of character to do this. It is going to take tremendous courage and foresight on your part and the support of the leaders here at VMI to make that a continuing reality.”

His confidence that today’s Corps can be exemplary leaders stems from his own experience. “In many ways, I am actually defined by my school. VMI molded my life into something of value.” While he probably would have done fine had he attended another school, “I would not have been the same. The unique qualities of the people I have met, the growth-triggering challenges I have been offered and endured, and the opportunities to impact lives I have had at VMI have been incomparable.”

Williams explained that his decades-long commitment to COW is rooted in the VMI experience’s enduring value. “VMI is a great school with a great history. It has ... produced extraordinary [graduates], like George C. Marshall, Class of 1901; Jonathan Daniels ’61; and Herbert Dillard, Class of 1934. ... It continues to be a transformational training ground for outstanding young people.

“We don’t have a monopoly on all that is great,” he continued. “However, I do believe we have more than our fair share of greatness among us. That being the case ... we have an added responsibility and wonderful opportunity to pay forward some of the great blessings that have been bestowed upon us.”

He described COW’s purpose as to expose “deserving young people, who have far too many unearned challenges, to the hard and valuable lessons of the VMI educational and developmental model. For the past 40 years, we have operated COW ... to change lives and create possibilities for generational transformations. We have exported the values and principles of VMI to communities across every region of this country.”

He closed his remarks by saying, “I have always had confidence that the leaders of VMI were committed to developing healthy and honorable young leaders and having fidelity to the principles of this outstanding institution. I have faith that this will continue to be the case.”

Williams ’74 Distinguished Service Award Resolution

WHEREAS, Mr. Eugene Williams, Class of 1974, exemplified the ideals of the Virginia Military Institute through his academic excellence as a mathematics major, his leadership as a cadet lieutenant, and his athletic achievements as a standout football player; and

WHEREAS , following his graduation, Mr. Williams commenced a distinguished 38-year career with C&P Telephone, a predecessor of Verizon Communications, where he held positions of increasing responsibility and played a pivotal role in the restoration of communications services in New York City following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Williams has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to service through his involvement with numerous charitable organizations across the nation; and

WHEREAS, in 1987, Mr. Williams founded the College Orientation Workshop with the mission to enrich the lives of deserving young people who are most at risk of failing to achieve their full God-given potential, thereby inspiring hundreds of young men to set ambitious goals and pursue them with determination, while also providing VMI cadets with valuable leadership and mentoring experience; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Williams began his service to the Institute as the youngest member of the Board of Visitors in 1978, serving for a decade, and continued his leadership as a trustee of the VMI Foundation from 1996 to 1997, a member of the VMI Keydet Club’s Board of Governors from 1989 to 1992, and as a leader of the Class of 1974’s 50th Reunion Campaign Committee; and WHEREAS , Mr. Williams has earned the respect and admiration of his colleagues for his wisdom, integrity, and unwavering dedication to the mission and values of the Virginia Military Institute; and

WHEREAS, his professional accomplishments and steadfast devotion to serving others have significantly enhanced the reputation of the Institute as a school of leadership and his service to VMI has contributed meaningfully to its advancement; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the VMI Foundation does hereby recognize and honor Eugene Williams for his many accomplishments, his exemplary commitment to service, and his enduring contributions to the Virginia Military Institute; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the VMI Foundation Board of Trustees proudly presents Eugene Williams with its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, as a testament to his legacy of leadership, mentorship, and service.

Q&A

with Williams ’74

Q: First, congratulations on receiving the Distinguished Service Award. What was your reaction when you were told you had received the award?

A: My initial reaction when Ernesto Sampson ’98, former Foundation Board of Trustees president, called me was genuine surprise. Honestly, I contemplated not accepting it because doing what you love and feel compelled to do doesn’t require recognition. Furthermore, so many others have contributed greatly to whatever I have achieved at VMI, and it didn’t seem fair to take all the credit. Overall, however, I feel blessed beyond words to receive this recognition.

Q: Why did you decide to attend VMI?

A: Early in my high school career, I decided to attend a military college. I wanted to pursue a path less traveled and seek an environment with rigor and discipline and fewer distractions.

Being reserved by nature and from an economically challenged background, I realized I needed to attend a college where structure and stability were fundamental. I did not want to be in an environment where I’d feel pressure to “keep up with the Joneses” or pursue the latest fashions or trends.

I received an appointment to West Point and planned to attend there— that is, until I visited VMI in the spring. I was mesmerized by the surrounding countryside’s beauty and the genuine kindness of the people at VMI. I was also talked out of attending West Point by Chris Hanburger, who played linebacker for the Washington Redskins. He was a friend of Dave Braine, the assistant coach who was recruiting me for VMI. I suspect that Coach Braine believed an all-star professional football player would have a significant influence on me. And he was right!

Q: Many alumni say that they learned a lot at VMI outside of the classroom. If you agree, what lessons did you learn?

A: I absolutely agree! Living in close quarters and sharing the trials and tribulations of cadet life with people has a big impact. For example, despite the wide variety of socioeconomic backgrounds among cadets, the stress and demands of VMI applied equally, and success or failure was achieved based on the strength of your efforts and grit. Since most things at VMI are challenging, I learned to believe that I can make it through whatever is thrown at me. This was reinforced time and again on the football field. Our team was always outmanned, and our opponents more rested and probably better fed. We lost many games, but our opponents paid a price. What I frequently saw in action repeatedly

was the truth of the saying, “It is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog that matters.”

With all the rules at VMI, including the Honor Code, you learn the true essence of self-discipline and decision-making based on the value proposition of the available choices. I think that this is why VMI graduates and alumni are more accountable and courageous in their actions than the norm.

Q: Wherever your career took you, you made a point of serving others. What inspired you to devote yourself to such service?

A: It is my fundamental belief that we should all work to help make the world better than we found it. For me, this is best done by helping others develop a sense of purpose and aspire to a productive future. I especially want to do this for young people, particularly those who risk not fulfilling their full potential. I am simply paying forward what scores of heaven-inspired people have done for me and doing what my creator expects of me.

Q: You established the College Orientation Workshop in 1987 to help young men “achieve their full God-given potential.” What motivated you to create this organization?

A: As a cadet, I appreciated the value of the VMI educational and developmental approach and wished to share that with more young guys like myself.

As far back as my rat year, I dreamt of a summer program with the best elements of the VMI experience ... for those guys who had the potential to be successful in college but who were also at risk of going down a path of underachievement or worse.

There were several programs, such as Upward Bound, that focused on the best and brightest. I saw a pressing need to develop the talents of those in the middle or below it and help them realize their potential.

Over the years, I discussed the idea with Dr. Clark King, who shared my belief that there was a great reservoir of God-given talent in minority and underserved communities that was going to waste. I had similar discussions with Tom Wright ’54, who committed himself passionately to helping me achieve my dream. Without them, COW would never have become real.

Q: In 2026, COW will celebrate its 40th anniversary. What accomplishments of the program give you the most satisfaction?

A: What gives me the most satisfaction is the number of COW graduates who tell us that, prior to attending COW, they didn’t see themselves as college material or realize they could master their fears. While most went on to attend other colleges, such as Judge Marvin Adames, some matriculated at VMI. Among them are U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kendall Clarke ’95, U.S. Air Force Col. Damian Wilborne ’95, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Richard Borden ’93, and entrepreneur Jamel Lynch ’94.

I take great satisfaction in that COW has significantly benefited decent, at-risk young men who ... met the challenge, grew from a character and leadership perspective, and now are responsible and dependable members of their families and communities.

Q: Let’s talk about your time serving VMI. How did you react when you were appointed to the VMI Board of Visitors in 1978, when you were in your 20s? What did you like about your BOV service?

A: Frankly, when the secretary in my office told me that Gov. John Dalton’s office had called, I first thought it was a practical joke.

I have received many undeserved blessings throughout my life. Being appointed to the BOV only a few years after graduation was one of them.

Frank Louthan ’41 was the first BOV president during my tenure. He was the perfect example I needed at that stage of my professional development. By closely watching and listening to him, I learned so much about effective leadership. I learned a great deal from Jack Marsh (Hon) and Frank Liddell ’49B, too.

Throughout my 10-year tenure, I noticed a common trait in the most effective members of the board: They listened more than they spoke, but when they did speak, it was not to play to an audience but to move the debate forward to a decision. Over time, I grew beyond my inhibitions and insecurities, encouraged as I was by so many powerful, successful, and influential people. I soon began to feel that I brought value to our work and that my colleagues listened to me.

My BOV service accelerated my leadership development and my character enhancement. My decisions were better because I had seen firsthand how prominent business executives and retired flag officers asked questions, discussed issues, and made decisions. I also learned to deal with confrontation and uncomfortable subjects and situations more effectively.

It also enhanced my courage to stand alone because there were occasions when that happened. ... It is important to note, however, that throughout that matter, my colleagues listened to me closely and with unwavering respect.

Q: If an alumnus were to ask you why he or she should serve VMI and/or financially support it, how would you respond?

A: I would definitely encourage them to share their time, talents, and treasure with VMI. There are some tremendous faculty and staff members who enrich the lives of the exceptional young people in the Corps of Cadets. There are many deserving young people who need the “sharpening” that VMI’s educational system provides. I hope that as many alumni and friends as possible, therefore, choose to advocate for and support this unique and indispensable institution.

Right now, that message might be a hard sell for many alumni. I know that some loyal alumni feel somewhat estranged from VMI because the actions and words of a few haven’t reflected its tradition of fairness and civility. Some recent actions, like those related to the treatment of former superintendent Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins ’85, also have alienated some. That said, I focus on the benefits of VMI’s principles and how its educational system transforms the mind, body, and spirit of each cadet. I also look at how our outstanding faculty and staff positively affect the lives of our cadets.

Q: We might not have covered some things you’d like to talk about. So, we’ll give you the last word.

A: Thank you for giving me an opportunity to share my thoughts and emphasize those things most important to me. VMI has been extremely important to me, and my VMI experiences have made an indelible imprint on my life, my family, and every young person I have interacted with as a coach or mentor. Often, my VMI background comes out loud and clear. On more than a few occasions, folks have said to me, “Coach, take it easy. We are not at VMI.”

Finally, although the Institute is imperfect, like everything else established by man, it never stops trying to better adhere to its high principles. I count my blessings for being a part of this unique and outstanding place.

2025 Alumni Survey Results

Building on the strong response rate from 2023, the VMI Alumni Association conducted the VMI alumni survey again in 2025 to gain deeper insight into alumni satisfaction and engagement with the Institute. Both the 2023 and 2025 surveys were conducted by Performance Enhancement Group, Ltd., a nationally recognized firm with a long history of supporting the research goals of colleges and universities across the United States.

The most recent survey garnered a strong response rate of over 14%, nearly three times the national average of 5%. Results revealed deep engagement with the Institute and its traditions, and alumni overwhelmingly reported VMI prepared them well for postgraduate life. The Alumni Association is very appreciative of the level of participation and for the valuable insight provided that helps make more informed decisions about how to better serve alumni in the years to come.

3X

2,261 total responses

*A total of 2,261 responses were received from the 2025 survey, compared with 3,059 in 2023. This was somewhat expected by our advisers, as the 2025 survey was longer and covered more topics than the 2023 survey. If you would like to share why you did not take the survey in 2025 but did in 2023, please send an email to Norma Robinson, VMI Alumni Association office manager, at nrobinson@vmiaa.org.

100% of chapters represented in survey results

67.4% have donated to VMI at some level within the last 5 years

What do alumni most want to hear about?

Your favorite communication from us is the Alumni Review. 84% say a printed Alumni Review is very or critically important. The top two ways you hear from us are:

84%

74% Alumni Review Emails

92% - Class notes in the Alumni Review

79% - Messages from the superintendent

78% - Alumni stories, news, and achievements

Is VMI preparing leaders?

At least 95% of participants said VMI helped prepare them to collaborate with others and use ethical reasoning, decision making, problem solving, and leadership skills.

What are the top three types of activities alumni are most interested in?

Networking with other alumni

Mentoring

94% of alumni say that they received good or excellent preparation from their VMI experience

Overall, VMI alumni feel more prepared to navigate the challenges of life and the world than the average alumni of colleges nationwide.

*An incredible 96% rate the decision to attend VMI as Good or Great.

Rating the decision to attend VMI

What is your opinion of VMI and how has it changed since the last survey?

NCAA House Settlement Opt‑in Decision

I support the VMI Alumni Agencies developing a fund to receive gifts that will financially support and incentivize NCAA cadet-athletes.

Good or Excellent in 2025

Good or Excellent in 2023

*Respondents who said their opinion of VMI was poor dropped 50% since the last survey.

We

Room to Grow

Respondents told us how we can support alumni and the Institute. Looking at the data, the VMI Alumni Association sees that we can strengthen our communications and efforts surrounding:

Identifying job opportunities for graduates

Serving as ambassadors promoting VMI to others

Recruiting cadets

*These areas will continue to receive focus as the Alumni Association looks forward to strategic growth over the next 5 and 10 years.

Approximately three-quarters of survey respondents provided comments on the open-ended questions. In your responses, several of you addressed recurring themes, including leadership changes, athletics and funding, political and social differences, and your belief in VMI’s mission amid these changes. In response to questions about what’s most important to you as a VMI alumnus, many of you cited benefits such as tradition and honor, brotherhood, the alumni network, and the overall value and preparation for life provided by a VMI education.

When asked what the Alumni Agencies can do over the next 5–10 years to support alumni, you mentioned transparent communication, alumni engagement, and career support and mentorship.

The VMI Alumni Agencies thanks everyone who took the time to respond to the survey. Your invaluable feedback will help guide us as we strive to support the Institute, its alumni, and the Corps of Cadets.

Please stay tuned for future updates as the Alumni Association reviews the survey results and takes action based on alumni feedback.

First Fall Reunion

Sept. 5–6, 2025

The following pages contain photo collages for each class in attendance at the first fall reunion. More photos of the classes and reunion are available online.

Scan the QR Code with your smartphone or tablet camera to view all of the VMI Alumni Agencies images from this event.

Or if you prefer, you can visit the link directly at: vmialumniphotos.org/ 2025-First-Fall-Reunion

Second Fall Reunion

Oct. 3–4, 2025

The following pages contain photo collages for each class in attendance at the second fall reunion. More photos of the classes and reunion are available online.

Scan the QR Code with your smartphone or tablet camera to view all of the VMI Alumni Agencies images from this event.

Or if you prefer, you can visit the link directly at: vmialumniphotos.org/ 2025-Second-Fall-Reunion

Founders Day Parade 2025

By Marianne Hause, VMI Communications & Marketing

VMI celebrated 186 years of traditions, disciplined training, and founding principles with a parade and 15-gun salute Nov. 7, 2025. Before the parade, Eugene “Gene” Williams ’74 was presented with the VMI Foundation Distinguished Service Award for his tireless dedication to the College Orientation Workshop, Inc., which he founded 40 years ago. He joined Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87, superintendent, to take review of the parade.

Cadet Studies Civil War Medical Kit

By Marianne Hause, VMI Communications & Marketing

Cadet Moriah Delozier ’28, a chemistry major with double minors in history and literary studies, is revealing medical mysteries from the 19th century using 21st-century technology. She also works as a cadet curatorial assistant at the VMI Museum. It was there she learned from Cathy DeSilvey, museum registrar/curator, that among the many intriguing artifacts found there is a leather roll-up field medical kit that belonged to Dr. J.A. Bennett, a physician servicing the Union Army in a field hospital during the Civil War.

The kit contains 19 sleeves, each holding a small cylindrical tin vial filled with a compound used for treating illnesses or injuries. Each sleeve is labeled in handwritten ink with the Latin name of the compound stored in the vial. For the safety of the museum staff and patrons, DeSilvey, along with Col. Keith Gibson ’77, VMI Museum System executive director, requested the assistance of Lt. Col.

Kevin Braun, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry associate professor, to safely dispose of the chemical residue in the vials. The request provided a unique opportunity for an independent study project for Delozier under Braun’s supervision.

Delozier’s initial tasks were to translate the Latin names into English, learn what each compound consisted of, and ascertain its medical uses. To decipher the ancient words, she used a modern tool. “I Googled them to get the broad overview of what these Latin words mean. Most of them begin with the word ‘pulvis,’ which means powder in Latin, indicating they were in powder form. Others were originally in pill form.” After she translated the names, she went to Preston Library and found books on Civil War pharmaceuticals.

“I wanted to see what the Latin words meant from medical historians who had done their research. I also contacted the Society of Civil

War Surgeons. They’re knowledgeable on Civil War medical procedures, and they were able to send me an exhaustive list of all the medicines and what conditions they treated.”

The next step was to confirm identification of the compound assumed to be in each vial. According to Delozier, an easy way to do that is chemical spot testing.

“We take a mixture of chemicals to test each compound within the different vials. We’re currently testing a tartar compound for the presence of antimony, and we were using a few different chemicals to see if it would form a precipitate. There can either be a color change that indicates the presence of antimony or the formation of a solid. There also could be the possibility of when the vials are oxidizing, they’re also oxidizing on the inside, within the compound. This could be giving evidence of tin or lead.”

Braun added that each spot test includes

a series of controls. “Those controls look for interfering agents and the presence of other species of interest. There is also a little bit of troubleshooting associated with each method.”

Braun and Delozier are also conducting instrumental testing on the compounds using instruments in the chemistry department.

“We’re going to try running some of the organic molecules using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, known as NMR, similar to an MRI in the medical field. The NMR is a smaller version that allows us to look at the connectivity of carbon-based molecules. The instrument will allow us to identify the carbon-based molecules and their degradation products. The hard thing is that medicine is compounded—multiple things are in it—so that’s where the spot testing is a nice first layer to figure out if it’s roughly what we think it is. Then we can separate the compounds and analyze them further,” explained Braun.

Delozier is thrilled to be able to combine her interests in chemistry and history. “I think it’s fascinating that this is American history, and being able to see it come to life so many years later, to test something that perhaps somebody was using over 160 years ago. I really love that realistic piece of history,” she reflected.

The story behind the museum’s acquisition is almost as intriguing as the kit itself. A year ago, a woman who resides in Colorado

donated the item, which belonged to her father, a retired lawyer and Civil War buff. Because of the small-town nature of his practice, his clients often paid him in goods rather than cash. Through this method of payment, he received the kit from a grateful client.

Also included in the kit was a handwritten letter from Bennett to his wife and baby, who waited for him to return home from the war.

Among his eloquent and poignant words, he wrote, “Oh God of battles, look with mercy upon our distracted country and restore to her, her wanted peace and prosperity. Towns, villages, and cities are laid waste, fields and farmhouses devastated, millions of money wasted, and almost every family north and south are mourning for loved ones lost.”

The full analysis of the kit was not completed by the end of the fall semester. Delozier, who is studying abroad during the spring semester, hopes to continue her study of the compounds as a Summer Undergraduate Research Institute project in the summer. Once complete, the compounds will remain with the chemistry department and be made available for others who may be interested in analyzing them. The medical kit itself will return to the VMI Museum for display.

Delozier is the daughter of Donavon and Loretta Delozier from Penhook, Virginia. Upon graduating in May 2028, she plans to commission into the U.S. Marine Corps.

VMI Maintains Strong Rankings in U.S. News Best Colleges List

By Marianne Hause, VMI Communications & Marketing

VMI has maintained its reputation as one of the nation’s best colleges, according to the 2026 Best Colleges rankings released Sept. 23, 2025, by U.S. News & World Report.

Among public liberal arts colleges, the Institute ranked fourth behind only the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Military Academy. VMI ranked No. 65 among more than 200 national liberal arts colleges.

Unlike many other publications that issue college rankings, U.S. News also ranks certain programs found at numerous colleges and universities. This year, VMI moved up to No. 29 out of more than 280 institutions nationwide that have an accredited engineering program but do not offer a doctoral degree. The Institute’s undergraduate economics program was also recognized in this year’s rankings.

More than 97% of VMI graduates are employed or enrolled in a graduate program within 5 months of commencement. U.S. News reports the median salary of a VMI alumnus 6 years after graduation is $63,545.

U.S. News analysts work to enable students and their families to identify colleges that meet their needs, using a wide variety of data sources. With only slight changes reported by U.S. News regarding the methodology this year, more than half of a school’s rank is made up of outcome measures related to a school’s success in enrolling and graduating students with manageable debt and post-graduation success.

Annual Leadership & Ethics Conference Draws International Delegations

By Marianne Hause, VMI Communications & Marketing

VMI’s 16th annual Leadership and Ethics Conference, hosted by the Center for Leadership and Ethics, was held Oct. 26–28, 2025. This year’s theme was “Leading with Integrity,” an extension of the CLE’s academic year theme of “American Values.”

The conference hosted nearly 190 participants from many colleges, universities, and military academies from across the nation. Additionally, schools from three foreign countries—Hungary, Poland, and the Philippines—sent delegations.

As the conference opened, Col. Dave Gray, CLE executive director, welcomed the assembly and affirmed that leading with integrity is quintessential to the American experience. “In the 18th century, integrity was linked to sacred, personal honor. That means being very trustworthy, candid with your peers, and of sound moral principle. Throughout his life, despite setbacks that he may have had, [George] Washington gained that reputation both here in Virginia and among the other colonies, and so he was appointed as the commanding general of the Continental Army.”

A second example Gray offered was VMI’s most famous graduate, Gen. George C. Marshall, Class of 1901. “Because Marshall was a selfless man, a man of integrity, a man of duty, and had served his country well, Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed him as chief of staff of the Army during World War II.”

The first guest speaker, U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles Dunlap Jr., Duke University Center on Law, Ethics, and National Security executive director, spoke on “Becoming a Leader with Integrity: Lessons We Keep Learning.” Dunlap shared that the nature of the nation’s adversaries is now quite different from other times in history. “They don’t share our values,

and they don’t believe the law applies to them ... We have to worry about nation-states, as well. China and Russia have been replete with activities that challenge the idea of integrity in leadership and honor in war. How can we address that in practical terms?”

That afternoon, conference attendees heard the powerful story of a hostage crisis victim. Moran Stella Yanai, an Israeli jewelry designer, was held hostage in Gaza by Hamas terrorists for 54 days after she was kidnapped from the Nova music festival Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. Gray led a moderated interview with Yanai, who spoke with courage and candor, emphasizing her personal experiences and not her political viewpoints.

Yanai was scheduled to sell her jewelry at the Nova festival, but that morning had second thoughts about leaving her home that morning.

“Now I can say it was God’s plan. I was supposed to be there, but I was very stressed. I kept thinking of ways to go back home but was obligated to stay till the end.” At 6:29 a.m., the rockets started flying.

“I served in the army, and I know how to recognize all the sounds. ... I had severe panic attacks one after another and couldn’t really act.” A friend insisted they run to the car and drive as fast as possible, but driving proved impossible among all the people screaming and being massacred. Abandoning the car, they ran for hours, struggling to survive. Finally, Yanai hid in a tree, where she was found by terrorists who pulled her down. She was crammed into a car with 10 terrorists, convinced they planned to drive her to a makeshift gallows to hang her, but she was spared from death that day. “I was counting the miracles that happened to me that day because I was saved so many times from death. I kept thinking there must be a reason I was surviving.”

Yanai emphasized that she does not harbor ill will but seeks peace and reconciliation. The audience, who had remained silent throughout her heart-wrenching narrative, erupted into an enthusiastic standing ovation when she concluded.

The second day opened with M. Alejandra Parra-Orlandoni, the Caroline Dawn Wortham ’12 Leadership Speaker, a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, whose work focuses on artificial intelligence policy. She shared with the audience about the ethical responsibilities of developing and working with AI. She first discussed the difference between adaptation and innovation. “When I think of adaptation, I think of stepping into a different situation and figuring out how you can still succeed. ... When I think about innovation, I think of a situation where you step into the

unknown. There is no charted territory.” She stressed that integrity is crucial when assessing new technology.

Another concept Parra-Orlandoni examined was friction. “Most digital technology is built with this notion of reducing friction, to make everything as easy as possible for the user. Maybe, though, sometimes having friction is important.” As an illustration, she shared that she injured her back years ago and had to undergo hours of physical therapy and discomfort at the gym to restore her strength. “Because of doing that hard, uncomfortable work, today if my dog pulls me and I fall, instead of reinjuring my back, I’m OK. That kind of friction in our lives, those difficult things are what forge who we are.”

The concluding speaker of the conference was the H.B. Johnson Jr. 1926 Distinguished Lecture Speaker, retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne Division, who spoke in Cameron Hall to an audience that included the entire Corps of Cadets and guests of the conference. Mills was critically injured by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Afghanistan during his third tour of duty in 2012, losing portions of both legs and both arms. He is one of only five servicemembers from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive quadruple amputee injuries.

Mills opened his talk with self-deprecating humor to put his audience at ease. “I think jokes really do help to disarm the situation. Knee-slap if you got them. I don’t, but if you do, by all means, feel free.” After the laughter subsided, Mills’ tone turned serious, though still sprinkled with good-natured humor, as he shared his story of being critically injured and his long road to recovery. “We had a minesweeper out front who swept the ground, not once, but twice. He told us it was clear. I took my backpack off and put it on the ground. When it hit the ground, it landed on top of a bomb. When that bomb went off, it tore my right arm and right leg off instantly. My right side was completely gone and never found. My left leg was broken at the bone, and muscle and tendon held it on. My left arm was blown off at the wrist, but I could still use my thumb, index, and middle finger.”

Within 10 minutes, he was helicoptered to the Kandahar Airfield hospital, where nine doctors and seven nurses worked on him for 14 hours. When surgery was over, Mills was a triple amputee. Two days later, the doctors realized Mills’ remaining arm had necrotized and needed to be removed, as well.

He arrived at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, April 17, 2012. There, he was able to see his wife, Kelsey, and baby daughter, Chloe. Having Kelsey by his side gave Mills motivation to overcome his obstacles and to keep a positive attitude. Mills worked hard with his physical and occupational therapy and learned to use his new prosthetic legs and arm in record time. He amazed all his medical providers with the speed of his recovery, his optimism, and his encouragement to other patients going through similar challenges.

Cadet Maximus Ankrah ’26, who attended the conference, stated the collaboration of all the senior military colleges and academies is what he enjoyed most. “Meeting dedicated young leaders from all parts of our nation motivates me to serve this country.”

Cadet Kristopher Ruth ’26 agreed, “The experience provided a unique opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from diverse perspectives, and deepen my understanding of what leading with integrity truly means.”

This year’s Leadership Conference will be held Oct. 26–27, 2026, with an announcement of the theme and title coming in the spring.

To stay informed, visit the conference website and join the mailing list at conferences.vmi.edu/leadership.

2025 Cross Country WOMen’s SEASON RECAP

» VMI women’s cross country placed seventh at the Southern Conference Championships, the program’s best finish at the league race since rejoining the SoCon in 2014.

» Jillian Sisk ’27 led the team with a 20th-place finish at the SoCon race, VMI’s best individual finish since Anna Armfield ’21 took 15th in 2020.

» Reagan Gilman ’28 finished close behind in 22nd place, just 6 seconds behind Sisk at the SoCon Championship.

» The Keydets took 14th at the Panorama Farms Invite, led by Sisk in 61st place individually.

» VMI came in third with 70 points at the JMU Invitational, led by Sisk in third and Gilman in fourth place.

» VMI finished third at the Shenandoah Twilight, led by Gilman in second and Sisk in third place.

» Samantha Layton ’28 earned her best individual finish of the season at the Shenandoah meet in ninth place.

Men’s SEASON RECAP

» The men’s cross country season was highlighted by a first-place finish at the JMU Invitational, held at the New Market Battlefield Sept. 26, 2025.

» Ben Hagerich ’26, Patrick Lowry ’27, and Nicholas Russo ’29 placed first through third to lead the team to victory over Mary Washington, Mount St. Mary’s, and others at the JMU meet.

» Hagerich placed first and the Keydets placed sec ond at Shenandoah Twilight in Winchester, Virginia, Sept. 12.

» The Keydets took eighth place at the SoCon Championship race, led by Hagerich, who placed 23rd overall.

» VMI came in 15th place at Panorama Farms again, led by Hagerich (96th place).

» VMI finished 10th at the Spider Alumni Open to open the season, paced by Hagerich in 41st place indi vidually.

Photos courtesy VMI Athletics.

Keydets Close 2025 Season with Standout Individual Performances

The VMI football team concluded its 2025 season by falling to Western Carolina University, and although the Keydets didn’t have the season they wished for, there were memorable moments along the way.

VMI opened its campaign at the historic U.S. Naval Academy, where Collin Shannon ’25 and Owen Sweeney ’28 were able to connect for a score. In week two, the Keydets dominated Ferrum College in its home opener.

As the year progressed, Sweeney continued to find the end zone and was named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List, which recognizes the top freshman in Football Championship Subdivision football.

That same week, Kouri Crump ’26, redshirt 2nd Class cadet, was named the 2025 Defender of the Nation, an award presented by the Charlotte Touchdown Club to one of the top defenders from a service academy. Crump was recognized in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dec. 8.

Against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Ben Shrewsbury ’27 had four punts of 50 or more yards and two completed field goals, earning SoCon Player of the Week honors.

After the year concluded, six Keydets collected a total of seven recognitions on the All-SoCon Teams. Shrewsbury and Nathan Payne ’26 earned First Team Specialist honors, while Stephen Dean III ’26 and Sweeney got Second Team Defense and Offense, respectively.

Along with Sweeney, Donovan Burnett ’29, defensive lineman, and Derek Hite ’29, linebacker, were named to the All-Freshman squad.

Members of the team, now under the direction of Ashley Ingram, newly hired head coach, turn their sights to the fall 2026 season.

2025 Women’s Soccer Season Recap

» VMI women’s soccer finished the 2025 campaign with a 2-17-1 overall record and 0-9 mark in the Southern Conference.

» The Keydets faced off with nationally ranked No. 3 Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, Sept. 4.

» VMI earned its first win of the season and first win for Jim Robbins, head coach, in a 3-1 win over Saint Francis University Sept. 14.

» The goal from Rachel Baez ’28 in the match against Samford Oct. 10 earned a No. 5 on SportsCenter’s #SCTop10 daily feature.

» VMI earned a 2-0 win over Gardner-Webb University Oct. 22 for its second victory of the year.

» The season came to an end in the opening round of the SoCon Tournament in a hard-fought 2-0 loss at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

» Mackenzie Hobik ’29 was named to the SoCon All-Tournament Team for her efforts at the tourney.

Men’s Soccer 2025 Season Review

» VMI went 3-12-3 and had a 1-4 Southern Conference record.

» The Keydets earned their first SoCon win since 2002, breaking an 87-match skid, and had their first conference victory since 2013 (Big South).

» The team earned five results against NCAA Division I opponents—the most in 13 years.

» VMI conceded 10 SoCon goals during the regular season, the fewest since 1982.

» Zack Murphy ’26 leaves VMI ranked third with 3,892 goalie minutes played, fourth with 235 career saves and 2.30 career goals-against average, and fifth with four career shutouts all-time.

» Murphy ended the regular season ranked in the top five nationally with 83 saves.

» As a team, the Keydets ended the regular season ranked 12th nationally with five saves per game.

» Two players earned weekly awards: Jesse Lee ’27 was SoCon Offensive Player of the Week Sept. 30, and Jack Yough ’29 was SoCon Defensive Player of the Week Nov. 4.

» Nick Regan, head coach, recorded his 15th win, moving him up to third all-time at VMI.

Elise Woodworth ’07, VMI Foundation Board of Trustees member, addresses members of the Rat Mass of 2026+3 in Memorial Hall during the Cadet–Alumni Career Networking Forum Sept. 27, 2025.

Cadet-Alumni Career Networking Forum Showcases

Cadet Opportunities

By Mary Price, Development Writer

Just under 100 alumni representing an impressive span of career fields gathered on post Sept. 26–27, 2025, for the 16th annual Cadet–Alumni Career Networking Forum, an event designed to bolster cadet success in navigating the often uncertain path from higher education to the workforce. This year’s event attracted 95 alumni panelists, the highest number ever, up from approximately 70 in 2024, representing the Classes of 1965–2024. Fields represented included but were not limited to health and healthcare, IT/cybersecurity/tech, law enforcement, energy, law, sales and marketing, and transportation/logistics. In addition, there were alumni available to assist with resume review and post-graduate planning for fields such as law, medicine, and business.

The forum kicked off Friday, Sept. 26, with a dinner in Moody Hall attended by alumni, faculty, and cadets, followed by remarks from Charles W. “Charlie” Sachs ’79, Alumni Association Board of Directors member and Region X South director, who is also chair of the board’s Career Networking Committee.

The next morning, the forum shifted into high gear, with members of the Rat Mass of 2026+3 gathering in Memorial Hall to hear remarks from two alums—retired U.S. Army Col. Jamie MacDonald ’83 and Elise

Woodworth ’07—about the importance of getting the very most out of their 4 years at VMI.

MacDonald, whose Army career spanned more than three decades, currently works for the Department of the Army as a civilian, leading the Strategy and Initiatives Division supporting the Headquarters Department of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (G-2) on the U.S. Army Staff. In passing lessons learned along to cadets, MacDonald stressed that although he’d never seen VMI until the day before matriculation and knew little of what to expect, he quickly learned that success was only achieved by working alongside his brother rats.

“In the classroom and on the Parade Ground, I discovered we were a team,” MacDonald stated. “I needed my brother rats, and they needed me. If I failed them, I failed myself. That bond is the essence of VMI and the strength of the brother rat spirit. I didn’t fully appreciate this until I matured through my cadetship. Along with my brother rats, I learned humility and success, perseverance and hardship, and resilience and failure. These lessons made me a better person and prepared me for a life beyond the Institute.”

Woodworth, a U.S. Air Force veteran, entrepreneur, and VMI Foundation Board of Trustees member, spoke about facing the Institute’s challenges head-on through realizing that very often, relief isn’t as far away as it feels.

“You can do anything for 10 seconds,” she counseled, telling the rats that she’d picked up that piece of advice during her rat year from a 3rd Class cadet. “It is in those moments, my friends, where you have to push past the next 10 seconds to forge the weakness of thought into the strength of knowledge, knowledge that you can do anything you put your mind to.

... You’ll meet alumni today like me who have walked this line, and we come back to post to offer snapshots of our journey, those turning points, the decisions we’ve made, and how they’ve shaped us.”

Much of the morning’s activity, though, took place in Cocke Hall, where cadets came to chat with alumni either in small groups or one on one and learn more about the various career fields represented.

Cadet Carla Feaster ’27, a computer and information science major, was attending the forum for the first time. “I’ve met amazing alumni, and they’re very talkative and very informative, too,” she said.

For Feaster, who plans to commission into the U.S. Army as either a cyber or an intelligence officer, the breadth of career fields represented was especially impressive. “You don’t have to stay inside a certain field or a certain major,” she noted. “You’re not limited to one thing.”

Like Feaster, Cadet Zachary Denton ’27 is planning on an Army commission. Still, he’s thinking of an educational delay so he could attend graduate school. He’d been especially glad to speak with Sean Lanier ’94, a former Alumni Association Board of Directors member who, like Denton, was a track and field athlete as a cadet.

“He’s been a big help for me and a lot of my teammates,” said Denton. “He’s been very active and proactive in trying to help us find opportunities.”

Denton was also impressed with the generational span of alumni at the forum.

“I saw one alum who graduated last year, the year before, I believe, and I’ve seen people from the Class of ’71,” he noted. “They all bring such a unique perspective from so many fields. I think seeing all the generations who are so willing to come back and help us with this every single year—I think that’s just great.”

Alums, too, were enjoying the chance to network at the event and give back in grateful acknowledgment of all they’ve been given. Michaela Speas ’16, a civil engineer doing stormwater management for Roanoke County, found her current position through an alumni connection, and her current supervisor is Robert “Bob” Atkinson ’77. Speas credits the alumni network, plus the Institute’s strong track record of producing successful graduates, for opening doors for her over the years.

“The people that I interviewed with were not VMI alums, but they had my supervisor on their staff, and they knew about [VMI’s] values and the work ethic,” she explained. “[Atkinson] knew he was going to be getting somebody who was ready and willing to work. So it kind of comes with the territory. It comes with the name.”

Sachs, who is in his fourth year orchestrating the event, was more than pleased with alumni turnout and engagement. “This is our signature event,” he commented. “This is the most successful event we’ve had to date. ... It’s about alumni talking with cadets and helping them make informed decisions. We all share a passion for doing this and giving back to the Institute.”

Photos from Top:

Alumni panelists Will Bynum ’77, Bill Wieners ’85, and Nick Latsios ’96 meet with cadets interested in the construction and engineering fields.

Keith Sykes ’89 (right) speaks with a cadet.

Carlos Fernandes ’90 (left) speaks with cadets.

Chris Kemper ’93 (left) speaks with Charles Gregg, a member of the Rat Mass of 2026+3.

VMI Foundation Hosts Annual Institute Society Dinner

The VMI Foundation hosted the 51st Institute Society Dinner on the evening of Nov. 7, 2025. This event—which takes place annually in the Hall of Valor in Marshall Hall—honors the hundreds of alumni and friends whose generosity in support of the Institute marks them as leaders in philanthropy and, therefore, members of the Institute Society. Since the organization was established in 1973, thousands of members of the VMI family have been in the ranks of the society, and about 800 alumni and friends qualified for membership in the Institute Society in Fiscal Year 2025.

After the opening social hour, the VMI Herald Trumpets played the national anthem, and Meade B. King ’85, VMI Foundation chief operating officer, welcomed the evening’s 500 attendees. Col. John Casper ’04, the John M. Camp Class of 1905 Chaplain to the Corps of Cadets, then provided the invocation.

After dinner, John P. Williams ’88, VMI Foundation president and Alumni Agencies Board chairman, spoke. In his remarks’ opening, he said he felt “privileged to be in a room with people who are so unified and dedicated in the support of VMI and the Corps of Cadets.”

He continued, “You represent those alumni

By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer

and friends who signal their dedication to VMI through financial support that allows VMI to produce the high-quality graduates it does. It is you that makes that happen.” He cited the “generosity of the members of the Institute Society” as helping those on post “fulfill their responsibilities to our cadets and thus ensure that VMI will continue to produce the well-educated, noble, principled, purposeful graduates whose accomplishments, service, citizenship, and leadership have won for VMI an outsized reputation.”

Williams then cited the fact that the leadership from the Institute Society had helped the VMI Foundation provide the Institute with almost $500 million from Fiscal Years 2001–25 in the form of scholarship aid, unrestricted funds, and support for academic programs and faculty.

He thanked the Institute Society members for their leadership and generosity and “what has always set the Institute Society apart ... a generosity that doesn’t stop when a goal is met but keeps looking for the next opportunity to lift up VMI.”

Williams then recognized Eugene “Gene” Williams ’74, who had received the Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award earlier that

day at the Founders Day Convocation. “Gene has led a life characterized by an unshakeable resolution to serve others and an enduring love for the Institute.”

To close his remarks, Williams presented some of his memories of another alumnus. He related how, when he was a rat, his brother, Rich Williams ’85, pointed out a “particularly impressive 3rd classman” and predicted he would be the first captain. In 1987, Williams admitted he had “lost his way ... and was on the cusp of some real trouble.” Happily, the first captain—who was the man predicted by Williams’ brother—provided the leadership and mentoring that helped him correct his course, graduate on time, and realize his dream of becoming a U.S. Marine Corps officer. Nine years later, Williams recounted, he was serving as a company commander in 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, as was his mentor from VMI.

In what Williams described as “one of life’s few truly poetic moments,” he introduced the man he was referencing: “Our 16th superintendent, Lieutenant General David Furness ’87.”

In his remarks, Furness, who was making his first address to the Institute Society Dinner, urged the audience to be confident in the Institute’s current condition. “I stand before

you today to affirm that VMI has grown in stature and impact but has never compromised its foundational values. I am very pleased with what I observed during my first 2 months back on post. If you take away one point tonight, trust me when I say that VMI is on solid footing and has an amazing future ahead,” said Furness.

He thanked the members for what he described as “your relentless support of VMI. ... We would not have the facilities and resources today without you.” Furness also expressed the value of the more intangible support offered by alumni and friends, saying, “From mentoring cadets, to supporting them at competitions, and offering employment after graduation, cadets notice your efforts and appreciate everything you do for them.”

After acknowledging the iconic value and inspiring nature of VMI’s infrastructure, Furness stated, “What makes VMI truly great is the human dimension. By that, I mean the people who went here for their undergraduate education were forever transformed through that arduous process, realized their God-given potential, and became all that they resolved to be. Some of you may have heard my story and know that, like many of you, my journey to VMI began with an encouraging word and challenge from my neighbor, who was an alumnus. I know my experience is not unique. I believe that overall, what I gained from my time at VMI is incredibly common among its graduates.”

The state of the Corps is good, he said. “Our

cadets are working extremely hard and want to excel. They are putting forth an incredible effort and doing very well.

“Cadets still need to be challenged,” he continued, “but as Aristotle said several thousand years ago, ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.’

It’s a habit I will instill in every cadet while superintendent. There are a few places where we could sharpen our actions, but that is not a systemic problem. ... I believe that focus on ‘good order and discipline’ is always needed. Self-discipline must be embraced; it’s a lifestyle that we instill in our cadets every day.”

Furness praised the Institute’s faculty and staff, saying they “truly enjoy being here and working with our cadets. They invest an amazing amount of time and energy, not just during the working hours but in the evenings and on weekends.” He pointed out the often-unsung contributions of VMI’s staff. “Much of what they do on a daily basis goes unnoticed by cadets, but I see the pride they take in their work.”

He pointed out that “two key priorities will consume much of our time and resources. First and foremost, the Institute will focus on our recruitment efforts to bring in a large class of highly qualified cadets. This effort will include an all-hands-on-deck effort to reach every corner of the country and the world to attract the right type of cadets. ... Secondly, we will be working diligently to repair, restore, and build relationships with legislators and the new governor’s executive administration in Richmond.”

Furness then urged the VMI family to act on behalf of the Institute, “We must give our time, talent, and treasure to help sustain VMI’s traditions and core values. We must all engage local youth organizations, our neighbors, and coworkers. We must champion the tangible and intangible benefits of the VMI experience to help translate our own lived-out lessons to a modern audience. We must not shrink from this fight or assume it will be done by others. To do so is to risk becoming spectators as the VMI spirit that has burned so brightly for 186 years starts to dim.”

He closed by thanking the attendees for “your continued support of VMI. You are a tremendous part of our success and mission moving forward. We need each of you and all of your efforts.”

Williams then ended the event with thanks to the superintendent, the attendees, and the people who organized the dinner. The dinner closed with the singing of the “VMI Doxology” and a promise by many to return for next year’s Institute Society Dinner.

See more photos online.

Central North Carolina – Raleigh Chapter August Senior Breakfast

Central North Carolina – Raleigh Chapter members gather for a senior breakfast at Brigs Great Beginnings restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, Aug. 19, 2025. Pictured are (seated, from left) Parky Parkman ’66, Bill Gibson ’65, Alan Tashima ’71, Bill Murchison ’70, Jerry Hughston ’66, Barton Pasco’77, Rick Hening ’75, Kirk Hubbard ’57, Lane Toomey ’74, Roger Rosenfield ’47, Larry Wilson ’62, (standing) Ed Andrews ’70, Will Bynum III ’77, Pete Shelley ’74, Jim Brown ’76, Chip Davis ’77, and Paul Johnston ’61.

Arizona Chapter Hosts Watch Party

Attending the Arizona Chapter watch party for the VMI versus the U.S. Naval Academy game in Phoenix, Arizona, Aug. 30, 2025, are Ty and Kathleen Lloyd, parents of Brenden Lloyd ’21; Brad Beckner ’07; Bob Eckhoff ’87; Richard Coupland III ’91, Region I Southwest regional director; Mike and Michelle Haag ’03 and children; and Bruce and Mary Nickle ’86.

Central North Carolina – Raleigh Chapter Enjoys Tailgate

Members of the Central North Carolina – Raleigh Chapter tailgate before cheering on VMI women’s soccer in a match against Duke University Sept. 4, 2025.

Left: Pictured are (from left) Will Bynum III ’77; Michael Jackson; Owen Dunlap ’83; Jamaal Walton ’07, VMI director of intercollegiate athletics; and Rick Hening ’75.

Right: Enjoying the VMI versus Duke tailgate are (from left) Will Bynum IV, Bynum, and Walton.

Central North

Carolina –

Raleigh Chapter September Senior Breakfast

Attending the Central North Carolina – Raleigh Chapter senior breakfast Sept. 16, 2025, are (front row, from left) Don Brown ’71, Bill Gibson ’65, Parky Parkman ’66, Will Bynum III ’77, John Kuchnia ’57, (back) Alan Tashima ’71, Barton Pasco ’77, Roger Rosenfield ’47, Paul Johnston ’61, Jim Brown ’76, and Bill Murchison ’70.

Charlotte Chapter Holds Old Corps Lunch

Charlotte Chapter members attending an Old Corps luncheon Oct. 21, 2025, are (from left) Andy Neff ’79, Dennis Staples ’79, Mike Guffey ’71, Lori Czupryna, Ray Whitner ’79, Dan Czupryna ’71, Harlan Niehaus ’79, Tom Shedd ’80, Tom Massey ’70, Tom Phlegar ’61, June Murray, Rob Murray ’72, Davy Davenport ’70, Michele Davenport, Andy Adldoost ’09, Brenda Young, John Young ’75, Justin Tammelin ’09, Guy Wilson ’68, Leland Caldwell ’63, Mya Krebs, Charlie Krebs ’67, and John Vaughan ’67.

Central North Carolina – Raleigh Chapter October Senior Breakfast

Attending the Central North Carolina – Raleigh breakfast Oct. 21, 2025, are (seated, from left) Sam Hening, Rick Hening ’75, Lane Toomey ’74, Jerry Hughston ’66, Jim Brown ’76, Will Bynum III ’77, Mike Ernzen ’74, Pete Shelley ’74, Bill Murchison ’70, (standing) Bill Gibson ’65, Alan Tashima ’71, Paul Johnston ’61, Larry Wilson ’62, Roger Rosenfield ’47, and Parky Parkman ’66.

Pikes Peak Chapter

Hosts Fly-Fishing Trip

Paul Tallat-Kelpsa ’90 (left) and Robert L. “Bob” Fricke ’78, Pikes Peak Chapter members, enjoy a multi-day fly-fishing trip across different areas of Colorado—including the Arkansas River—Oct. 14–16, 2025.

Lynchburg Chapter Hosts Senior Alumni Luncheon

Lynchburg Chapter members hold a senior alumni luncheon in Lynchburg, Virginia, May 30, 2025. Attending are (from left) Mott Robertson ’62; Ed Anderson ’68; Bill Cloyd ’68; Jim Sublett ’66; Bland Massie ’77; Brig. Gen. Dallas Clark ’99, VMI deputy superintendent for finance and support; Louis Kiger ’61; Dave Kiger ’65; Jim Piggott ’57; Max Guggenheimer ’59; and Bob Chapman ’84.

Tidewater Alumni Fish in Virginia Beach

Tidewater area alumni enjoy a day of fishing at the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Sept. 13, 2025. Pictured on the pier are (from left) Ken Blythe ’78, Steve Thompson ’78, Laura Fenske ’25, Dwight Weirich ’78, Chuck Shank ’78, Jim Simons ’78, and Tim Berkhimer ’78. Present but not pictured are Phil Saunders Sr. ’81, Phil Saunders Jr. ’07, and Daniel Hennelly ’07.

Rockbridge Chapter Enjoys Dinner, Receives Award

Rockbridge Chapter members gathering for a dinner in Moody Hall Oct. 15, 2025, are (from left) Patricia Hammond, widow of Leroy D. Hammond ’57; Sharon Peters, widow of Philip B. Peters Jr. ’57; Joanne Robblee; Artie Nunn ’75; Paul Robblee ’66; William Wells ’63; Evan Haberman ’76; Margaret Haberman; Frank Kalesnik ’83; Scott Risser ’75; Justin Tammelin ’09, VMI Alumni Association director of networking; Easley Moore ’65; David O’Connor ’68; Linda Merrick; Alice Moore; William Wieners ’85; Col. Travis Homiak ’95, VMI chief of staff; Jay Thompson ’86; Ruth Smith; Jimbo Smith ’60; Suzanne Kornegay; Melou Piegari, widow of George Piegari (Hon); Phyllis Cartwright; Billy Kornegay ’59; Kathy Larlee; Columbus Cartwright ’62; Christian Larlee ’90; Ann-Ashby McKissick; and Mark McKissick ’78. Present but not pictured is Barbara Risser. At the dinner, Rockbridge Chapter members also received the VMI Alumni Association Distinguished Chapter Award.

Alumni and Future Grads

Connect at 1st Class Cadet BBQ

1st Class cadets celebrate their return to post with a gathering in Moody Hall with alumni Sept. 4, 2025, sharing experiences and building valuable career connections through the VMI network as they prepare for graduation.

VMI Alumni Association 2025

Distinguished Chapter Awardees

The Distinguished Chapter Award recognizes VMI Alumni Association chapters that demonstrate exceptional creativity, engagement, and impact within their communities. Chapters earn this honor by hosting a variety of events aligned with the four core purposes of a chapter—engage, involve, network, and recruit—and by meeting both quantitative and qualitative criteria during the award year (July–June).

To be eligible, a chapter must have held at least four events during the award review period. Chapters are evaluated on factors such as event variety, innovation, organization, volunteer involvement, and reporting. To ensure fairness, awards are given in four size-based categories: Small, medium, large, and mega.

The Winner’s Circle

Chapters Hold 36 Rat Send-Offs in Summer 2025

Each year, VMI alumni chapters welcome incoming cadets and their families with a send-off and show of support ahead of Matriculation Day. In summer 2025, 177 incoming cadets in the Rat Mass of 2026+3 and their families met with Institute alumni, family, and friends around the country at rat send-off events. Forty-eight chapters, representing more than 50% of all VMI alumni chapters, hosted or cohosted a total of 36 rat send-off events.

Jonathan M. Daniels 1961 Seminary Scholarship

Dr. G. Lee Southard ’59 and his family established the Jonathan M. Daniels 1961 Seminary Scholarship in 1985. The purpose of the scholarship is to assist VMI graduates pursuing an advanced degree leading to Protestant Christian ministry. The scholarship is named in honor of Jonathan M. Daniels ’61, who, after graduating from VMI, followed a call to ministry and entered seminary.

For more information, applications, and instructions, please contact Mary Cannon, administrative assistant in the VMI Chaplains’ Office, at cannonml@vmi.edu.

The degree pursued must lead to service as a pastor or military chaplain in Protestant ministry. The deadline for submitting the application is June 15 each year. Scholarships are awarded in July.

2025 Day of Giving a Resounding Success

by Mary Price, Development Writer

Held Nov. 13, 2025, VMI’s 2025 Day of Giving, an annual crowdfunding campaign, was a resounding success, raising $502,194 for the Institute and Corps of Cadets. It was by far the Institute’s most successful Day of Giving yet, with the support of 1,234 donors, going well beyond the original goal of 700, which was surpassed in the early afternoon.

New this year was the major participation challenge, which brought in widespread engagement from faculty and staff across post. During the donation process, supporters were asked to select an academic major from the dropdown menu, and the department with the most donor “votes” received $25,000 in funding. Taking top honors in the major participation challenge was civil engineering, which was chosen by 227 donors, followed by history (194), economics and business (167), English (137), and biology (92).

Also propelling donor interest and engagement was the class year challenge. As in years past, the class with the highest donor participation was offered the chance to have its class year on Moe’s jersey during home football and basketball games, and this year, the Class of 1994 secured rights to that honor, with 81 donors participating. Taking second place was the Class of 1976, with 72 brother rats showing their support for the Institute.

Once again, alumni provided the overwhelming majority of support, with 80% of gifts coming from them, followed by parents (9%), friends of the Institute (6%), and faculty and staff (5%).

And while the Day of Giving is all about providing resources for the Corps of Cadets, donors have much flexibility in determining where those dollars go. Supporters had the opportunity to direct their gifts to one of eight areas: Unrestricted giving, academic excellence, cadet life, Call to Duty scholarships, scholarship enrichment, athletics, the Center for Leadership and Ethics, or a gift to a specific scholarship, team, etc.

This year, a gift to an area of the donor’s choice was the most popu lar selection, raising $232,101, and unrestricted giving was the second choice, bringing in $122,521. Rounding out the top five were athletics, scholarship enrichment, and the Call to Duty Scholarships, which provide room and board for highly qualified cadets already receiving federal ROTC scholarships.

“This year’s Day of Giving highlights the generosity of the VMI fam ily,” said Andrew C. Deal ’12, VMI Keydet Club chief operating officer and Alumni Agencies chief development officer. “Current and future cadets will benefit from their overwhelming support, which will allow them even more opportunities than are possible today.”

1,234

DONORS RAISED $502,194 IN JUST 24 HOURS WITH THE CLASS OF 1994 WINNING THE CLASS PARTICIPATION CHALLENGE

Throughout the day, members of the VMI family could monitor the campaign’s steady forward momentum online and via social media. By the campaign’s end, donors from 49 states and many foreign countries had shown their support. DAY OF GIVING #RAHV AMIL

Class of 2015 Presents 10th Reunion Gift

The Class of 2015 presents its 10th Reunion gift of $159,160.15 to the Institute during the football

Sept. 6, 2025.

Class of 2000 Presents 25th Reunion Gift

its 25th

of

the

Q&A

W. Lloyd Taliaferro Jr. ’95 earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from VMI, graduating with distinction. During his 1st Class year, he was Com pany E commander, and in his 2nd and 1st Class years, he served as an Honor Court prosecutor. After serving for 4 years in the U.S. Navy, Taliaferro earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Emory University and worked in banking for several years before becoming chief financial officer of a maritime company. Today, Taliaferro is chief executive officer of Mancon LCC, a company providing business and industrial supplies to various state and federal agencies. A passionate supporter of VMI, he is a current VMI Investment Holdings, LLC, board member and a former VMI Foundation Board of Trustees member.

Taliaferro ’95

“If Not Me, Who?”

Q: How did you find your way to VMI as a young person coming out of high school? What was most attractive about the Institute?

A: I grew up on a family farm in the Tidewater part of Virginia, so my weekends, holidays, and summers were mostly working alongside family on a tractor or farm machine. I was a notoriously bad farmer and had a terrible record of driving farm machinery! I laugh that I had damaged so many tractors and farm implements that the Lord (and my family) was telling me I was not meant to be a farmer.

I also grew up on the Rappahannock River, so I spent much of my free time on or around the water. So I really was kind of drawn to the travel and excitement of a Navy life. What drew me to VMI specifically was my high school principal and some other family friends who were VMI men. They were successful, respected, and self-assured. They were like giants to me.

Q: How did your cadetship influence the path you took after VMI graduation?

A: I was on a [U.S.] Navy ROTC scholarship, so my initial job out of VMI was already determined when I arrived. I was an engineering major and had an interest in math and working with numbers. Although I never practiced as an engineer, I have always taken roles that fed this interest. I served out my commitment and then went back to grad school and eventually into several finance-related jobs.

Q: Which lessons learned at VMI have stuck with you throughout your career?

A: The first lesson is to not take yourself too seriously, either successes or failures. Sometimes, your successes aren’t always due to your work; sometimes, your failures also aren’t a result of you. Whenever I’m sometimes struggling, I think, well, this is just another Rat Line, and this storm will pass. The second lesson is that life is more fun with a little bit of risk. Why run the block? Yes, because you want to be off post, but also because you might get caught. That sort of risk-taking, I think, is representative of many VMI [alums]. And then the last is a framework for life—living a life of integrity is its own reward.

Q: You have given back to VMI quite a bit in terms of time, talent, and treasure, which is not easy to do when you are busy with career and family commitments. Why did you start serving VMI? What were the rewards of doing so?

A: When I moved to Norfolk, I really knew next to nobody here professionally. Sometimes I was given a modicum of trust, or simply an introductory meeting, by virtue of the fact that I was a VMI graduate. I felt a great deal of gratitude for this and wanted to start giving back as soon as I was able. I feel like I have stood on the

By Mary Price, Development Writer

shoulders of alumni both individually and collectively (by reputation) and want to do what I can to pass that experience forward. In terms of serving on the boards of the LLC and the Foundation, I feel like I’ve gotten more out of it than I’ve given. The alumni engaged there are driven and successful, and yet they’re volunteering their time and considerable talents toward current and future cadets. Being around them is a real pleasure. [And] being around current cadets, I get energized and hopeful for the future of VMI. Their energy is contagious, and they are just as irreverent and fun as we were.

Q: How has the time you’ve spent on various boards—among them the VMI Foundation Board of Trustees, the VMI Alumni Agencies Board, and VMI Investment Holdings, LLC—influenced your perspective on the Institute’s current needs?

A: I’ve seen VMI from a new level, being involved as an alumnus. It’s given me a perspective about how VMI operates. If we look at what funds VMI, tuition and fees comprise a big chunk of it, over half of it. Then about a third of it is state funding. But that means the remainder—about one quarter of annual expenses—comes from private giving. Generous alumni and faithful stewardship have filled that gap, but it must be sustained. The thing that makes VMI so distinctive and so unique requires private support.

VMI’s mission has remained virtually unchanged since its founding—that is to produce educated and honorable men and women ready to serve as military officers when and if called. The political turmoil swirling around VMI in recent years hasn’t changed that mission, nor has it changed the ethos of serving others. That focus is unique in higher education and is urgently needed in our country.

Q: If any alumni or friends of VMI asked you why he or she should serve VMI or give to it, how would you answer?

A: We’re all taught personal responsibility from the moment we meet the cadre. To paraphrase a common saying, “If not me, who? If not now, when?” I’d say start with getting involved. Try and attend an alumni network event. Hire or pave the way for success for another VMI grad. And absolutely, go back to post. The post facility is now very impressive. Walking around post will fill you with pride.

Q: If I haven’t touched on something you’d like to address, you have the last word.

A: I didn’t recognize the value of my VMI education until I’d been out several years. With some experience and perspective, you start to see similar traits of VMI people—grit, determination, candor. I realized that I picked them up at VMI. The drudgery of daily life as a cadet is tough, but it did teach me a lot. I look back and realize how valuable that was in my life, and I want to do my part to provide that to future generations of cadets.

1944

Jonathan Safrit ’10

It is with profound respect and sadness that I share the passing of retired U.S. Air Force Col. Robert W. Smothers Sept. 28, 2025, just a couple of months shy of his 103rd birthday. His passing marks not only the loss of a remarkable alumnus but also the closing of another living chapter in VMI’s storied history. Bob was the last surviving member of the Class of 1944—a class called to duty in World War II before the majority could march across the stage in Memorial Hall.

As class agent, I had the privilege of maintaining regular contact with Bob for nearly 6 years. Despite our being separated by 65 years, I quickly realized it mattered little; what bound us was the shared language of honor, brotherhood, and duty learned on the same Parade Ground in Lexington.

Bob’s life was extraordinary, marked by courage, service, and curiosity. A native of San Marino, California, at the age of 10, he attended the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, where he witnessed Ben Eastman win the silver medal in the 400 meters—a moment that sparked his early appreciation for excellence. Later, a Life magazine article celebrating VMI’s centennial and the excellence surrounding the school inspired him to join the Institute, setting him on a path that would define his life.

Like the majority of his class, Bob was called to serve in World War II before he could march across the stage in Memorial Hall. He flew bombing missions over Germany during the war and humanitarian missions throughout Europe after it ended. After coming home from World War II, he completed engineering studies at Stanford University, where he met his beloved wife, Joan Marion. Together they raised three children, instilling in them the same values of integrity, service, and kindness that guided Bob throughout his life.

Called to serve again during the Korean War, Bob demonstrated the same precision and courage that he showed in World War II and earned the Silver Star for valor when he risked his life to rescue a downed comrade. Bob would go on to serve in the Vietnam War, as well, before retiring from the Air Force in 1971.

Bob’s professional life was equally remarkable. From director of facility development for San Diego County to leading Scripps Clinic as

Class Notes

vice president and director of general services, and later serving as an Air Force base civil engineer overseas in Greece and Spain, Bob’s expertise and leadership were sought wherever he went. His “retirements” were never an ending but a continuation of service—a testament to a life lived with purpose.

For me, knowing Bob was not just an honor; it was a bridge across generations. Our conversations were filled with stories, lessons, and gentle humor, revealing a man whose humility matched his accomplishments. His life story reminds us that service and love are not bound by time— they are legacies we leave in the hearts of others. Through his courage, compassion, and commitment to excellence, Bob Smothers lived more than a century not just of years, but of purpose. His example continues to inspire future generations to live with integrity, curiosity, and joy.

With solemn respect and deep gratitude, I would like to acknowledge that these will be the final notes devoted to the remarkable Class of 1944. With Bob’s passing, an extraordinary chapter in VMI’s history gently closes. These men— who trained under the shadow of global conflict and carried the Institute’s values of duty, honor, and service into a world at war—leave a legacy that endures far beyond their numbers. As I mark this moment, I honor not only their sacrifices and achievements, but also the enduring spirit they embodied, a spirit that I pray will continue to inspire generations of cadets to come.

1946

David M. Hudock ’97

Editor’s Note: We did not receive notes for the Class of 1946.

1947

Jonathan Safrit ’10

The Class of 1947 wishes the VMI community a happy New Year and congratulates the Class of 2029 on their Breakout.

Roger Rosenfield is still doing well. As he says, every day he wakes up and gets vertical

is a good day. In one of our phone calls during this notes period, he discussed the fact that there were only around 60,000 World War II veterans, like himself, still alive, and of that number, over a hundred pass away every day. According to Roger, he himself is one of only three in his community. As I told him, I dread the day when that generation is no longer with us.

Roger also shared a story recently that I know those in the VMI community would find equally informative and amusing. During his time at VMI, the cavalry detachment at VMI was still in operation, though its days were numbered. I’ve always felt it must have really been quite a sight to have seen a detachment of cavalry on the Parade Ground, so to be able to talk to someone who remembers those days is truly an honor. As Roger told me, part of the training involved “mock” charges. The horses must have been well trained because on this particular day, once the instructors had everyone mounted and in line, they gave the command “gallop” while blowing the associated bugle call, and the horses did the rest. They took off wild with eagerness, and it took some time for Roger and the others to gain complete control. Roger laughs about it now, but I’m sure at the time he and the others were wondering how this was going to end. This was one of, if not the last, cavalry charges at VMI. Shortly afterwards, Roger recalled, the horses were shipped to Kansas. Truly a great story, and I’m so thankful to Roger for sharing.

I’ve still not been able to establish contact with Donald T. Doherty. If he or someone close to him reads this, please reach out to me. I would love to establish contact with him.

As always, I remain available to the friends and family of 1947 and always enjoy hearing from you all. On behalf of the Class of 1947, I wish you all the best going into the new year.

1948B

Lisa Tracy

Greetings, Brother Rats of ’48B, Families, and Friends!

I write to you from a gorgeous fall in Lexington and the surrounding mountains. By the time this reaches you all, we’ll be looking at the bare branches of January and the post-holiday season of the new year, so I wish you a joyous one in advance! I hope that the holidays were a time of

good health and celebration for all.

I also write to say that two of our Class of ’48B now hold places on the senior alumni list, as Al Loth has now joined Rod Kallgren on the list— Rod as No. 8 and Al as No. 9. When called, Rod wasn’t able to come to the phone, but I had a nice chat with one of his granddaughters who lives nearby. A number of Rod’s family live close by in Michigan, and she told me many visits with him were planned for the winter holidays.

I caught up with George Ramsey with a call to his Lynchburg home, which he said would be hosting a goodly number of family over the holidays. He expected to celebrate Thanksgiving with local family members, but as he noted, the Ramseys are a far-flung clan, and for Christmas, folks from the West Coast and from as far away as Australia were planning to visit and celebrate. “It’s one of the main reasons I keep the house,” he said, “so there’s plenty of room for their visits.”

George also mentioned a recent trip to Poplar Forest—Thomas Jefferson’s elegant getaway, not far from present-day Lynchburg. He’d gone with one of his daughters who lives in the area to the annual Fall Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival, which celebrates the legacy of Jefferson as “father of Virginia wine,” with tastings from a number of regional vineyards and offerings from local artisans. A member of the Ramsey family is president and CEO of this National Historic Landmark, which is currently preparing to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. George himself was earlier a member of its board of directors, and says he’s proud to see how the site, some 90 miles south of Jefferson’s principal residence at Monticello, has been restored and developed in recent years.

Speaking of birthdays, Angus Crook celebrated his 98th in style in October, with wife Nancy and more than a dozen family and friends. They met

at the Belle Meade Country Club, just a few blocks from their retirement community, and among those gathered were a number of cousins from the Hale side of the family, who live in the Nashville and Murfreesboro area. Angus noted that from their common ancestor—his aunt was a Hale by marriage—the youngest at the birthday party, at age 4, represented the seventh generation of the family.

Angus also mentioned that the Belle Meade area outside of Nashville proper takes its name from Belle Meade plantation, which was the original site of the neighborhood where Angus and Nancy now live.

Like many members of the wartime classes, Angus mentioned in our latest conversation that he’d enlisted in 1945 and was preparing to join the Navy and join the battle in the Pacific, “when the bombs were dropped.” The formal end of the war didn’t preclude his military service, however, as the medical degree he’d earned at UVA served him well at posts, including the Philadelphia Navy Yard, in the years after the war.

“Here’s an interesting coincidence,” he said, mulling wars in which Institute cadets and alumni served. “From the beginning of the Civil War to the start of World War II was 80 years—1861 to 1941. And from the end of the Civil War in 1865, it was 80 years to 1945. But even though it had been 80 years, things weren’t so very different. Yes, the roads were paved by 1945—most of them, but not all—but they traveled on roads that followed much the same routes as they did in 1865. Electricity and the automobile weren’t so far off. Life was stable and even comfortable for many people in the 1800s, not so different from what we knew in the mid-20th century.

“I was 18 in 1945, and today I’m 80 years older. Imagine now, someone who is 18 today, and we’re in 2025; they’ll be 98 in 2105. ... Can

you even imagine, at the rate we’re going, what that will be like? And will they look back at us, and what will they be thinking?”

As he spoke, I thought that those could be some of our grandchildren, those 18-year-olds. And I recalled a museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, the Mercer Museum, that features collections of everything imaginable from the past, ranging from an 18th-century tinsmith’s shop to a basket of eight-track tapes and a dial telephone! Anyone here remember before there were dial telephones? And what else? I leave you with this question, for now—do you ever converse with your grandchildren about the things you’ve seen that they might not even recognize?

Again, all my best wishes for the new year and the months ahead. May your winter be suitably mild, but not too much so, and all your days bright. And you know that we here at the Review would welcome photographs, news, or any other reports you might care to share.

Respectfully and fondly, Lisa Tracy

1949A

Jonathan Safrit ’10

Happy New Year from the proud and enduring Class of 1949A! We also extend warm congratulations to the Class of 2029 on their recent Breakout—an exciting achievement and one of many moments that will surely strengthen the bonds you share for years to come.

By the time these notes reach you, the last living member of 1949A, Harrison Whitten, will

have marked an extraordinary occasion: His 99th birthday. This remarkable milestone deserves every bit of recognition it brings. On behalf of the entire VMI community, I offer Harrison heartfelt congratulations and the very best wishes as he continues his journey toward the century mark. Speaking with Harrison is always a pleasure; he gives generously of his time, and his stories are as rich as they are entertaining. Our shared interests make it easy for our conversations to stretch on, and I’m always grateful for the insight and warmth he brings to every exchange.

As ever, I remain fully available to the friends and family of 1949A. Hearing from you continues to be one of the great joys of maintaining these notes, and I always appreciate the updates, memories, and reflections you share. Your connection to the class keeps its history vibrant and its spirit alive.

1949B

Ding Patton

These notes cover the period from Aug. 16–Nov. 15, 2025.

In the previous class notes, I asked if anyone had any information on Inga Van Hook, our Brother Rat Mack’s widow. Mary Price at the VMI Alumni Agencies informed me that Inga had passed away June 29, 2024. Inga and Mack were stationed in Charlottesville in 1962, where they made their permanent home after traveling the world in the Army. She and Mack attended manyclass reunions where they foundother BRs and wives to play tennis, and they continued the game into their 80s.When she was 94, Inga traveled back to Germany, where she had grown up, to visit family and friends one last time. She was a remarkable lady.

After several attempts, I was able to speak with Jack Hayes The last time we spoke,Jack said he would like to get together with brother rats for lunch,ifitcouldbearranged.Icalledhimtolearn ifhewasstillabletodrive,assomanyofusdon’t anymore or have self-imposed limitations. He said that he doesn’t drive, but his wife still does, but he has health issues that prevent his getting together at the present time. You may recall that Jack had earlier broken his back and is still suffering from it. Be sure to see an article elsewhere in the previous edition of theAlumni Review on Jack’s distinguished military career.

Class Notes

to Florida. He has not played golf since returning to Staunton in the spring, but he continues to exercise regularly by walking several miles a day. He asked me to come and join him in his walk, but with the hills around Staunton, I may not be able to keep up.

Greg Nelson says he agrees with Joe Spitler, whom I reported in earlier class notes said that one of the greatest fears we have in old age is the fear of falling. I agree but so far have not had to resort to using a cane or walker. Greg also said that the Westminster-Canterbury retirement home, where he lives, was recently rated the best in Virginia and the nation, and he continues to give glowing reports on the attention and service he receives. There are a number of dining venues there, but Greg prepares most of his meals except when his family visits. He is blessed to have children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren living close enough to visit often. He is still active in the woodworking shop and recently made several jewelry boxes, which he stuffed with money for the great-grandchildren. Greg asked about Tom Altizer and if I had heard from Max Feinman Max calls about twice a year but has not called recently. I always feel uplifted after speaking with Max.

I heard from David Briggs, who spent the rat year with us before attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. After Army life, David went to law school and established a practice in Dallas. He and Margaret now live in a large Presbyterian retirement community in Dallas and said they moved there to avoid all of the problems associated with house ownership as you age. David matriculated from Texas but has family ancestors from Stafford County, Virginia. He said that one of the problems of living so far from the Institute is that you don’t see the brother rats or get to visit the Institute. He does have a Virginia connection, as Tommy Altizer’s brother lives in the same community. He asked me to tell you that we in ’49B were a great group of men, and he sends his warmest regards to all the BRs. For those who remember the Dallas mini reunion, you will recall that David and Margaret and the Rawls were hosts that year and arranged the reunion.

I also spoke with Barbara Bradley to inquire about Harvey. He has been in a memory care facility for about 18 months. The facility is close to their home, so Barbara is able to spend part of every day with him. He knows who Barbara is most days, but does have occasional difficulty.

I called Ann and Bill Stribling Bill sounded as if he could still shout, “Who is the King of Siam,” just as he did 75 years ago, and they are still enjoying the Westminster-Canterbury

retirement home in Winchester, Virginia, where they get good care. Ann says that they don’t drive anymore.

I would like to hear from some of you who seldom write. Please send some news for next time. God bless America, VMI, and ’49B, Yours in the Bonds of VMI, Ding

1950B

Robert F. Lynd

Hello, fellow brother rats. This article covers the quarter from Aug. 15–Nov. 15, 2025.

First off, as I wrote to you earlier, we lost another BR during this quarter. Mitch Lawrence passed away Nov. 2, 2025. At the time, he was our oldest living BR. Many of us knew Mitch as “Mike” during our years. But that was because, during his rat year, his dyke (whose name was Mitch) said there can’t be two Mitches, so he named him Mike—and it stuck. Although Mitch didn’t graduate until 1951, he was an ardent supporter of VMI. In fact, he was charged up about coming to our 75th Reunion, but illness prevented him. As an ex-Marine and a CIA agent and supervisor, Mitch had a most interesting life. He is missed.

Bert Jolly called to let me know he’s still around. A former ardent hiker, he gave that up about 2 years ago and began using his walking sticks to get around. He does OK around the house but uses a walker outside. He just got a four-wheel walker that he likes very much. It has brakes with the levers affixed to the handrail. He says his wife, Marie, does better than he, but she has a balance problem and macular degeneration and must have injections.

Bert has had vertigo for about 2 years, resulting in several falls. It all started when he bent over to pick up a piece of paper, and he completely flipped around and fell on his back. Luckily, they haven’t had the flu or COVID. Marie does most of the shopping at a nearby store. A friend picks her up, and they go together, but it’s close enough to walk for just a couple of items.

Bert goes to Costco, which is about 12-15 miles away. Used to be taken by a friend who has now moved away. So, Bert, who still drives, goes alone. Speaking of driving, Bert says he’s only hit one car—on the other side of the road, which

caused a trip to the ER. It all comes down to what Bert says, “Gettin’ old ain’t easy!”

Got a call from Jones Felvey, and he’s still perking along. The latest is that he is supposed to have a hip replacement. This comes after years of running and playing tennis. You may remember he had real problems with his back, which limited his participation at our reunion. Well, he’s had a back operation since then and has recovered. Although it didn’t turn out to be all that he hoped for, it’s still better than it was. He still drives and plans to go see his wife, who is in a home in Richmond. (You may recall that Jones lives in the wilds of nowhere on one of the Virginia peninsulas jutting into the Chesapeake Bay.) Although he does have internet and email, he doesn’t use email much. I’ve noticed that—we do better with phone calls. Like all of us, he is delighted with the appointment of VMI’s new superintendent, Lt. Gen. Furness ’87. Jones believes he is just the man to lead the Institute into the future.

As I write this, there has been an explosion at the Harvard Medical School. That reminded me of the night of the Torch Light Rally during our rat year. Do you remember that night? It was near Thanksgiving in November, the night before the big game with VPI, and Ring Figure was that weekend.

After supper, the Corps assembled on the Parade Ground by companies. Everyone was issued a torch, which consisted of a long pole with a wad of burlap wired at one end. Can’t remember if the burlap was dipped in something, but it was lit and burned well. We went through a series of cheers to pep up the team. When the cheering was finished, we put our torches out and each company was assigned an area of the campus to “secure” because there were rumors that “bad hombres” from VPI might try to sneak onto the campus and possibly do damage. I don’t remember where Company B, my company, was assigned, but I think it was some area on the Parade Ground.

As it happened, a couple of VPI baddies had been captured sneaking on post. They were locked in a room at Washington Arch, which coincidentally contained the newly cleaned mess jackets for Ring Figure. The baddies put them on the floor and stomped on them. Near catastrophe.

In other events during that night, a group of Keydets went to the bridge to the football field and dropped rocks and stones on cars passing underneath. That resulted in the Institute being involved in several suits.

But the key remembrance that night was the death of a Keydet. A chemistry student (can’t remember his name, but think he was a 2nd Class cadet) had made gunpowder in the lab and put it in one of cannons. Then, to put out his torch, he

Class Notes

rammed it down the mouth of the cannon. The gunpowder exploded and drove the rod of the torch into him, killing him. Of course, that put a somber pall over the evening.

As a lowly rat, I don’t know how it all concluded. All I remember is my roomie, Jack Lyons, and I hid under the tarp covering the evening gun until things quieted down and then sneaked off and went to bed. That was a night to remember.

After the death, all of the cannons were plugged to prevent further such incidents. What you may not know is that there was a big celebration on the VMI Parade Ground to celebrate this country’s bicentennial July 4, 1976. All four “gospel” cannons were unplugged and fired as part of the celebration.

For those of us in this part of the country, we got great news. The Rio Grande Chapter of the VMI Alumni Association is being resurrected. Two younger alums have stepped forward to get things started. They are Erin (Claunch) Pettyjohn ’01, chapter president, and Joe Aldrich ’93, chapter vice president. They both live and work in Albuquerque. Erin made this announcement via email, and with a list of 88 recipients, it appears there are quite a few alumni in the area. This region includes all of New Mexico, and Erin indicates El Paso, Texas, would be included. I think there’s a possibility that the chapter might also draw on West Texas and East Arizona. In her email, Erin says she wants to build opportunities for connection, camaraderie, and continued VMI spirit within the chapter. She’s planning a Founders Day gathering in Albuquerque on or around Nov. 11. Already, she’s set up a gathering for the VMI versus The Citadel Game Nov. 1, 2025. From what I have

learned about her, Erin is a real go-getter and has a tenacity of purpose. As a Keydet, she wore stars and was on the dean’s list all 4 years. As an ardent horse lover, she was on the mounted color guard, which is something we never had, even with our horse troop in our first couple of years. I believe most of the chapter events will be in Albuquerque, which I probably won’t get to; still, it’s great to see the red, white, and yellow making an impression in New Mexico, once again.

As reliable as sunrise, Tom Kirk responded to my plea for input. To encourage responses from fellow BRs, I had suggested the topic we used to get at the beginning of the school year—“What I did last summer.” Well, Tom did have a pretty good summer. He and Ann went on a 2-week Viking Expedition Cruise, traveling all five Great Lakes in June. They started in Duluth, Minnesota, and ended in Toronto, Canada. Then they wanted to revisit some old haunts, so they rented a condo for 6 weeks in Frisco, Colorado. But that was cut short because, at 9,500 feet, Tom discovered he was not doing well because of a lack of oxygen— no golfing there. So, they “dropped down” 1,500 feet to Vail, which is at 8,000 feet, and he found they could play golf there for a couple of weeks. Then back to home in Anthem for the rest of the summer in Arizona. Hot, but bearable, with good air conditioning.

I’m surprised. Maybe Tom forgot that, before the days of pressurized cabins, pilots always went on oxygen at 10,000 feet and above. I don’t think 500 feet would make much difference. I remember a recent birthday excursion of mine when we took the narrow-gauge Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad from Chama, New Mexico, to Antonito, Colorado. That trip runs from about 7,900 feet to over 10,000 feet, and I admit that, when we got to altitude, I began to feel queasy. I was mighty glad to get back down. When younger and during my skiing days, I remember getting up to about 11,000 feet. But then one is only there for a moment before zipping down the hillside—er— mountainside.

Tom has bitten the bullet and gotten a Tesla Y model electric car. He says it’s a technical marvel. I was amused to read that he and Ann “have both studied and can now operate and drive it reasonably well.” These high-tech cars need a lot of learning. It took about 10 days for the wife of a friend of mine to learn how to turn on their new Lexus.

Ann is now doing most of the driving. But one feature that has enthralled Tom is called “selfdrive.” He says he enters an address and the car drives them to the designated spot. So, he anticipates driving for a while longer.

They plan to stay home for Christmas and hope the family comes to them. They have seven great-grandchildren—four in Wichita and three in Houston. He remarks that they grow up fast. And now, as I warned you, here is your exposure to one of my happenings. This is the story of dogsitting Hank, a 4-year-old, 60-pound Bassett hound who is strong as an ox. He belongs to my son-in-law and daughter, who were married this past January and live in Albuquerque. Because of her husband’s work schedule, their honeymoon was delayed until this October. To celebrate, they took the entire month of October to tour Japan.

Now, here is where my wife, Nancy, and I come into the picture. What to do with Hank for a month? Well, why not leave him with “the folks” in Roswell? And so, they drove down here with Hank and all his impedimenta. Two large dog beds, blankets, toys, dog food, treats, vitamin pills, etc. Oh, I forgot to mention that on a previous visit, son-in-law had cut a hole in our back door and installed a doggie door. Hank had been down here before for a couple of days with his “parents.” Whenever one or both left our house without him, he would whimper and then go into a loud, mournful howl, sounding like a banshee wailing. So, the idea of spending a month with Hank without his parents portended to be hellish.

However, after a 2-day visit, the honeymooners slipped quietly out of the house without fanfare and left before Hank knew what had happened. Well, hooray and hallelujah! Hank hardly let out a peep, and day one turned out to be a great success. He continued to focus his attention on us thereafter.

Having Hank in the house was like having a 2-year-old around. Although he slept much of the time, when awake, Hank was demanding of our time. We kept him mollified by stuffing him with treats all day long—interrupted only by his dinner at 5 p.m. Fortunately, he knew how to use the doggie door. Which leads to other “problems.” As you dog lovers know, you have to “pick up” after them, and I had to try to ensure all was removed before our yard man came to mow. Dogs are so much more “trouble” than cats. This was the incident with Hank that was most memorable: I noticed he had a small red mark on his left leg, which he was constantly licking. Because we were fully responsible for his wellbeing, we took him to a vet. Rather than lift this 60-pound beast up to a table, she got down on the floor and squeezed the area. A great burst of pus shot up, almost hitting her in the face! Couldn’t tell any reason for this infection. She put him on antibiotics and Tylenol—and—put the “cone

Class Notes

of shame” on him so he couldn’t lick the spot. (Aside: I can’t figure out why that cone, or collar, is called that.) He wore that for 24 hours a day for 5 days. Hank is so low to the ground and sniffing constantly that the collar was always catching on something. He couldn’t eat out of his bowl with it on, so I took it off for his dinners (he could still gobble treats, though). Of course, he couldn’t get out the doggie door with the collar, so we would let him out several times during the day and get up about 3 a.m. to let him out. At least 2-year-olds might use diapers.

After the week was up and he finished his meds, off came the collar, and the spot had gone away. We never told his parents because we did not want to distract them from their honeymoon. We did tell them when they came to take Hank home, and they took it calmly and in stride. So now we have an empty nest, and I must admit—it is kinda lonesome—but peacefully quiet. I warned you about this—causing me to bore you with trivia. You see, you don’t have to hang the moon to drop me a note. Unless you want more of my drivel, please talk, email, or phone me with your happenings. Just let me know you’re still here! And don’t worry about trivia— that’s about all we have left.

Keep the red, white, and yellow floating on high! Rah Virginia Mil!

¡Hasta la próxima vez!

1951

Ursula Baxley

Today is Nov. 14. My news today first comes from Frans Kasteel. Frans says that he and Daphne are back in Virginia from her camp in the Adirondacks, where they always spend the summer months. “This year it was very cool and rainy. I’m glad to be back at Millenbeck, where I do not have to negotiate so many challenging differences in elevation. We are trying to age gracefully in our home, rather than in some facility for seniors. I turned 96 in September, and she is younger than I. It presents challenges, but so far none that are insurmountable. I recently found a red maple leaf that I believe is from the guard tree on the Parade Ground. Does anyone know what kind of tree it was?”

Bounce Carstens reports that three members of the Class of ’51 met again this year in Dallas, Texas, over Memorial Day weekend to catch up

and reminisce about their days as classmates, as well as to remember the patriotic soldiers who gave their lives for our country.

Please send news. Remember, I can’t make it up. God bless all of you, and God bless VMI.

1952

Mary Lanford Price

Dear Class of 1952 Family,

These notes will be very short, since very few folks have reached out over the past 3 months. However, I have a small number of updates to share, and I also want to encourage each of you to attend your 75th Reunion, to be held in April 2027. More on that in a bit.

First up is a note from Vann Boudreaux of Erath, Louisiana, who is quite faithful in responding to the birthday greetings I send. He writes, “Thanks for the card. Time marches on. Last winter, we had snow and ice for a few days. Not used to this kind of weather. Keep busy keeping the place up. Started jogging in the morning. We have a 300-foot driveway, so I use that to keep the Grim Reaper at bay.” Mr. Boudreaux also added that he’d gotten six bantam chickens lately! Hope he’s enjoying some eggs from them.

I also heard from a few widows this quarter, among them Gayle Hanna (widow of Jeff Hanna) of Puyallup, Washington, who sent a sweet card thanking me for her birthday card, and Shirley Thomas of Richardson, Texas, widow of retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Blair Thomas

Class Notes

Mrs. Thomas and I played telephone tag for a while, as I was in a store when she first called, but we eventually caught up. After a very nice chat, she sent me a note to share with you: “Mary, thank you for keeping me up to date on ’52 class doings. The cards at Christmas, birthdays, and others mean a lot to me. We VMI widows soldier on, remembering what VMI meant in our husbands’ lives, which was God, country, and family, not in that order, but certainly the traditions of the Institute. I talked to Pat McCarthy, widow of Russ McCarthy, about 2 weeks ago. Russ and Blair were roommates and stayed in touch all their lives. My health is as good as expected for a 90-year-old Texas gal. God bless you today, tomorrow, and always.”

Since news was scarce this quarter, I made a few phone calls and sent a few emails. Henry Nanninga was unable to come to the phone. I hadn’t heard from Rem Simpson in some time, so I sent him a “how are you?” email, and he replied: “Thanks for the email. I am doing pretty well. I may have told you that I live in a house on the grounds of a retirement community (Bayleigh Chase) in Easton, Maryland, about a mile from where I was born. I still drive and can come and go as I please. I like it here. I have a condo in Sarasota, Florida, where I spend several months in winter weather, and will be going down there Dec. 2. Getting in touch with me there will be the same. Thanks for all you do for us.”

I also emailed Dr. Andy Dickinson, since I hadn’t heard from him in a while, and a couple of days later, he called. He and his wife, Mary, are still doing well in their Virginia Beach home, with plenty of family nearby for company. “We’re blessed,” he reported. Dr. Dickinson asked me for Dr. Jim Wiley’s phone number, which I happily supplied, and told me that life was going well. “I play a little golf, and I play a little bridge,” he noted. He added that he misses Bill Ruffin, a fellow Virginia Beach resident who died last year. As of early November, Dr. Dickinson was trying to arrange a conference call with as many brother rats as possible. I hope that went off as planned, and if you’d like to get in touch with him so you don’t miss future calls, please let me know.

And those are the only inputs I received this quarter. Since I have a little space, and many of you can’t make it back to post easily, let me share my impressions of the new superintendent, Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87. Simply put—he’s stellar, and I very much appreciate his plans for the Institute, which include increasing enrollment and working to improve retention. He’s passionately committed to ensuring the Institute’s future

remains bright. On a personal level, he’s very relatable, as he applied to VMI three times before he was admitted and freely shares that faculty mentorship was key to his success as a cadet. I look forward to getting to know him better and serving under his leadership.

On the reunion front, it’s hard to imagine but true—by the time you read these notes, it will be only 14 months until the class celebrates its 75th Reunion! I serve as a photographer at reunions, and while I enjoy seeing all members of the VMI family gather on post, there’s something so incredibly special about reunions for the older classes, as decades-long friendships tie brother rats and their spouses together, and the joy of recognizing BRs is something you can almost feel in the air. I hope as many of you as possible will be able to attend this once-in-a-lifetime event.

I don’t have official dates yet, but I expect the reunion to take place on a Monday and Tuesday in mid-April 2027. In April 2024, we at the VMI Alumni Agencies had the great fortune to welcome three members of the Class of 1949B back to post, and in April 2025, four members of the Class of 1950B attended their 75th Reunion, with two of them traveling all the way from Arizona and New Mexico. Might 1952 see five (or more!)? It’s not outside the realm of possibility. And let me add— widows are warmly welcome at reunions! If your health and circumstances permit, please make plans to come back to Lexington.

I wish you all the best for Valentine’s Day and the spring. ’52, ’52, ’52!

1953

WilliamC.NoellJr.

Editor’s Note: We did not receive notes for the Class of 1953.

1954

J.M. Perry Archer

Greetings:

Billy Kingery reports that he is still playing tennis 6 days a week. Singles, mostly. As Dean Martin would say, ain’t that a kick in the head?!

He plays in local and state tournaments, but no majors lately. Billy is still ranked in the top 10 of his age group nationally. At Roanoke Country Club, there is now The Kingery Cup. This year, 56 played in its singles ladder. Billy may go to St. Petersburg, Florida, for a tournament in December.

Some life passages—Bill Paine, Jack Tiller, and Bill Schubmehl.

Bill Paine passed away Aug. 4, 2025. He was born in Jackson, Mississippi. He attended VMI but graduated from Georgia Tech, after which he joined the USAF from 1954–56. It is notable that Bill was an Eagle Scout with Palms and was one of the initial recipients of the Boy Scout God and Country Award. In honor of his lifetime of service and dedication to the Boy Scouts of America, Bill was honored with the Silver Beaver Award, and the 1991 Andrew Jackson Council Class of Eagle Scouts was named in his honor.

Bill worked in the supply and distribution industries for many years and was president of Paine Supply Companies and Paine Refrigeration Company. He was president of Southern Wholesalers Association and served in many other businesses and civic capacities, including as president of Paine Properties, Inc. He was a member of the VMI Marshall Order. The rest of Bill’s myriad accomplishments are too numerous to mention.

Bill is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Garrison Paine, his children, grandchildren, and extended family.

Jack Tiller passed away July 31, 2025. He is survived by his son, “Rusty” Tiller, grandchildren, and a step-daughter. Jack graduated from the cadet corps of Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond and, later, from VMI. He served in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of captain. He worked as an engineer for C&P Telephone for over 38 years. He was a member of the Joppa Lodge No. 40 A.F. & A.M. for 62 years. Jack was also an avid long-distance runner, completing over 31 marathons, plus numerous races of shorter distances, and was a member of Richmond Roadrunners. He also had an abiding passion for railroad trains and was a member of the RF & PRR Historical Society. Jack was a collector of model railroad trains, as well.

We have reported much concerning Jack’s life in previous Alumni Reviews, and we refer you to those writings for more on Jack.

Jack was a fast friend to me. Although we did not see each other after June 1954, through telephone conversations and mail, we became close. One time, about 4 or 5 years ago, he called and could not reach me after repeated attempts. At the time, I was undergoing a fairly long hospitalization following a running accident. My wife got

Class Notes

home from visiting me at the hospital only to find a Houston Police Department patrol vehicle sitting in front of our house. Turns out that Jack, concerned about the inability to contact me, had called the Houston police to go to my residence and find out what might be wrong. Greater love hath no man. Jack Tiller was a gem.

Jack was especially proud of his granddaughters, whom he called “superstars.”

Finally, Bill Schubmehl died Oct. 17, 2025. History is rife with offbeat obituaries, and in this case, Bill was no exception, to say the least. These obituaries can be humorous, sardonic, misleading, and even bizarre. Where to categorize the one for our BR Schubmehl? We suppose “humorous” might be a fit. Bill wrote it. We received it and read with a bit of alarm that he died in a skydiving accident. We asked ourselves, since he wrote it, how could he know, or—the obvious thoughts—why did it happen? What happened? Was it ...? You get the thought. I had only recently communicated with Bill and did not know of his condition. When he signed off, he wrote, ‘Take care of yourself, Perry.’ That sounded like a farewell, and of course, it was because he was close to the end, unbeknownst to me. Then his obituary closely followed with the “skydiving accident” thing.

The answer came via Mud White. At Schub’s funeral, Bill’s son revealed that Bill, who was a skydiver, passed away peacefully from a terminal condition and composed the skydiving part of the obituary as a joke. We would have to categorize this also as bizarre. So be it. Schub’s sense of humor was an integral part of him to the very end. Schub and I first met in our rat year, and I got to know him somewhat as a result of our dyking in the famous first stoop corner room featured in the 1930s film “Brother Rat,” later made somewhat infamous by 1st Class Cadet Rufus C. Lazzell ’51, who misbehaved by giving “The Yell” from the room during religious emphasis week in 1950–51. Most memorable to me concerning Schub was when Lazzell hung him from a coat hook one night. It was a very strange room. But then, on reflection, was VMI not a pretty strange place in many respects when compared to most other colleges? Strange but—whenever we were there, anyway—the best in my view, difficult as it was. We were proud of that.

Mud White reports he and Fran recently drove to Chicago via Cincinnati. They spent 4 days in Chicago for the 35th meeting with six of the original 15 orthopedic surgeons and wives in their group. All of them had trained together in New York City over 50 years ago. The group is planning a meeting for 2026 in Nashville. They shared stories and reminisced with many memories. Mud

had planned other visits to spots on the way home, but the government shutdown prevented that. What a trip.

At Schub’s funeral, they saw Paul Lamb and wife and Bruce Gottwald and wife. Next stop was the Institute Society Dinner, held Nov. 7, 2025. Keep it going, Mud—and that’s for all of us, as well.

These deaths are a repeated reminder of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s work, “Wind, Sand and Stars,” and how he described the honored dead. Paraphrased, not quoted, it was to the effect (as I may have written before) that this same shape will never again take place in the world, nor will be heard that same note of laughter or that same intonation of voice, so no wonder we go on speaking of and remembering and respecting the dead.

I guess that is it. Sure do wish I heard from more of you. Happy Thanksgiving!

1955

Barney Lawless

Please forgive my abbreviated column in which I have shown only the names of those answering “all right” to the stick check. I have had to cut the input due to a computer malfunction and an unfortunate hospitalization for a head injury, which has left me with a bandaged head resembling a Revolutionary War soldier. I have included names only and will forward comments at a later date.

Those brother rats answering “all right” are as follows: Canby Dautel, Joe Cestaro, Joe Brenner, Roby Thompson, Jack Dorey, Ron Bryan, Bob Rennicks, Richard Katorincek, Frank Brooke, Bill Hart, Tom Williamson, Charlie Echols, Bill Cridlin, and Richard Georgiades; and from the distaff side of the class, Sherry Sidney and Rosemary Coleman.

Taps: Col. Robert “Bob” Beale

Thanks for your input.

Barney

1956

Dickie Justice ’82

Greetings,Alumni, Spouses, and Friends of the Class of ’56,

As I write, the Corps is anxiously awaiting the imminent Thanksgiving break and can see the light at the end of the first semester tunnel. Of course, at publication, the entire campus will be deep into the Dark Ages, enduring BRC formations in the dark, SRC formations in the dark, and wishing duty jackets were just a little heavier and warmer for class formations. How could a person’s college experience get any better!

Peter Taylor checked in a couple of months ago and reported on visiting Virginia, making the trip from his home in Weston, Massachusetts. Peter was visiting his cousin, Elizabeth Johnston, in Lynchburg, whose son, Whit Johnston ’00, an attorney with JJW Law in Lynchburg, went to VMI and graduated with the Class of 2000. While in Lynchburg, Peter celebrated his 91st birthday with a party attended by his daughter, Victoria; nephew, Michael; Whit and Whit’s

Class Notes

wife, Abbey, and their children; and several other family members. Sounds like a wonderful way of celebrating a 91st birthday. Per Peter, “The next day, my cousin had arranged for a group of us to go to VMI for a tour, which was led by Justin Tammelin ’09. He’s an employee of the Alumni Association and did an excellent job explaining the many changes and upgrades that have occurred. I was very impressed by the condition of the Institute. He told us that the Corps has grown to about 1,700 cadets.”

Peter said the group toured the civil engineering department, where he got his degree, and he was very impressed to see the cadets working and the projects they were working on. I bet there wasn’t a slide rule in sight!

My dad, Dick Justice, talked to Rocky Stone a few weeks ago. Rocky is living in Bassett, Virginia. Dad and Rocky were 1st Class privates

together in Company E and reminisced about their time at the Institute and gradually transitioned into an organ recital. Many of us are familiar with this conversation—where we recite how our various organs don’t function quite as well as they did during our “bullet-proof” cadet years.

The discussion with Rocky got dad thinking about his 1st Class year roommates, Hop Graham, Walt Tatum, and Frank Wiggins, and he sent pictures of them in their room in Old Barracks. I know my dad feels blessed to have had such fine roommates.

I’ve been working with Brooke Shehan of the Alumni Association to finalize the 70th Reunion planning. The reunion will be April 13–14, 2026, with early check-in available April 12. We have a block of rooms at the Wyndham Hotel that are available to be reserved now. I look forward to meeting those able to attend.

1957

George Sydnor Jr.

Nick Kallelis

The Virginia Military Institute: An Uncommon Purpose!

Good afternoon, brother rats of the Class of ’57. It’s a late fall afternoon here in Fincastle, windy but pleasant, and now suffering from a long dry spell and near drought conditions. Quite different from the wet, muggy summer we experienced.

Those of us still standing have passed our 90th birthday celebrations, that is, with the exception of our four youngsters who will finally cross the threshold, they being Bill Gay, Jan.16; Randy Pendleton, Feb. 13; Milt Hargrave, April 4; and John Kuchnia, June 14. Good work, guys; keep taking whatever elixir it is that keeps you moving each day as you become part of the top 2.5% segment of the nation’s population. And even more gratifying to know that, as the database on aging states, once attaining the age of 90, you have a 40% chance of making it to 95. (Class agent’s note: Now isn’t that reassuring?).

The Class of ’57’s call-a-thon program has had a “change of command” with Ben Elmore, having completed his tour of duty, graciously

turning over the reins of command responsibility to Don Coombs who, in turn, humbly accepted the responsibility of providing the continuation of its established tradition of excellence. Don has developed his teams of callers who will spring into action during the next quarter with updates on our BRs to be included in the next edition of these notes. The team callers and their designated brother rats to call are:

Team No. 1: John Kuchnia to call: B.D. Ayres, Bill Batten, Alan Baumgartner, Bill Benson, Bob Blocker, and Bob “Mad Dog” Bolling

Team No. 2: Bill Gay to call: Dick Collier, Don Coombs, Claiborne Coupland, Lew Diuguid, and Mark Doty

Team No. 3: Curly Mason to call: Ben Elmore, Carter Fox, Milton Hargrave, Carl Hellstrom, and Tommy Hunter

Team No. 4: John “Pags” Paganelli to call: John Kilday, Frank Kline, Howard Lawrence, Carl LeBourdais, and Charles “Tiger” Locke.

Team No. 5: Tony DiCesare to call: Ron McManus, Phil Miller, Bill Moore, Paul Muldowney, G.E. Murray, and Jay Musser.

Team No. 6: Martin Andersen to call: George Niedermayer, Randy Pendleton, P.D. Phillips, Jim Piggott, John Poffenbarger, and Ed Powell.

Team No. 7: Nick Kallelis to call: Dudley “Pruney” Price, Warren “Skip” Richardson, Fritz Scholtz, John St. George, and George Sydnor.

Team No. 8: Kirk Hubbard to call: Jack Trant, Armand Wagner, Harry Warner, John Whittle, Joe Wickes, and Jay Woodward. Don is off to a good start in “filling” Ben’s shoes and shares the same passion as did Ben in keeping up with those 52 of us still standing in ranks with the call-a-thon program, wherein each brother rat gets a call twice a year, and which is designed to check in with “those still standing” in our ranks. The call-a-thon program is our “how goes it” program ... checking in to see how each BR is doing, verification of addresses, mobile numbers, email addresses, and info for inclusion in the class notes in the Alumni Review, noting such as things of general interest as family life, trips, interesting stories, reflections on our time at the “I,” and photos are important for including in these notes.

During the celebration gathering on his 90th birthday, George Sydnor found his daughter, Brooke Sydnor Curran, casually perusing a number of back issues of the Alumni Review and came upon the 2024-Issue 4, and was taken aback by the cover featuring the conclusion of the 2025+3 Rat Mass crucible, marching up Letcher Avenue, commanded by a female cadre commander. Brooke looked up at me and said, “You know, dad, I could have been her. I never

Class Notes

told you how much I had wanted to go to VMI, but could not have been accepted as a female, and so, I opted for JMU, class of 1990, as a second choice.” The irony of it all to George was that

he had two sons—one had opted to attend Texas A&M, the other to Western Carolina. So, here is Brooke, in her own words: “Well, brother rats, the Institute finally got smart in 199[7] and started admitting women. Too late for his daughter, Brooke—she would’ve been in the Class of 1990—but I’ll tell you what VMI missed out on. While you were learning to march in formation, Mosquito (as I’ve been called since I was small enough to be annoying), I started to run in selfdefense, discovered I liked it, learned how to effortlessly run and run. And kept on running. So, Brooke has now knocked out 207 marathons. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s roughly the distance from D.C. to Los Angeles and back— just the marathon miles, mind you, no training runs. All seven continents. All 50 states. All the World Marathon Majors. One marathon a month for longer than some of our grandchildren have been alive. Threw in some Ironman triathlons and 100-milers for variety.” The woman survived a brain aneurysm and exercise-induced asthma and decided the appropriate response was to keep running. But here’s the kicker: Brooke founded something called Move2Learn—free programs in schools that get kids moving. Running clubs, yoga, dance, the works. For students who wouldn’t otherwise have access to that sort of thing. Turns out, I’m no education expert here, but apparently moving around helps kids learn better. Who knew? All of it’s designed to help students focus better and actually want to be in the classroom and in school. They’re working with students from elementary through high school at Alexandria City Public Schools, and the kids actually want to show up. Of course, we forged belonging the VMI way, through the Rat Line. Brooke just figured out how to get kids to show up without having to hike House Mountain first. Brooke’s still running; still building Move2Learn, Move2Learn.org; and still figuring out what’s next. It’s just trying to keep up with the updates.

And now for a humorous bit of trivia: John

Poffenbarger and Claiborne Coupland talk frequently, and as past roommates, often reminisce about “the ridiculous” and find humor in most any situation, and this was frequently the case. Clay was a star player on the Keydet roundball team and, as such, was often assigned to guard the WVU likes of “Hot Rod” Hundley and Jerry West. Often was the time that Clay would return to their room in barracks with a smile on his face, only to say: “Good game, guys, held him to 35 points.”

Class Notes

Kirk Hubbard and John Kuchnia continue to faithfully carry the ’57 guidon, representing our class at the Central North Carolina – Raleigh monthly senior breakfasts. There is no news from other chapter meetings that other brother rats may have attended.

The widows’ column: We had a nice note from Lynn Wiggins thanking us for the nice birthday card, which she appreciated very much. Then there was another nice note from Beth Wharton, thanking us for her birthday card remembrance and advising us that her grandson, Conrad Wharton ’15, had just celebrated his 10th Reunion and now has two sons of his own, who he hopes will be future Keydets ... “life goes on.”

Since the last edition of these class notes, we have lost Joe Spivey, who passed away Aug. 17, one week following his 90th birthday Aug. 10. “Joe was determined to make it to 90.” We also learned of the passing of Bruce Dunseth almost 4 years ago, March 1, 2022.

Before signing off on this edition of our ’57 class notes, we continue our honored tradition of remembering those brother rats who have “crossed over the river to rest under the shade of the trees.” Our 21st list of those gone but not forgotten in the Class of ’57: Joe Gilbert, April 3, 2018; Charlie Jenkins, April 25, 2018; Sid Perry, May 18, 2018; Dick Carlton, Sept. 17, 2018; and Jay Long, Jan. 4, 2019. Rest in peace, brother rats, who have passed, until at last, we are all reunited; close ranks, brother rats still standing, as we continue our march forward on life’s path into the vast unknown and whatever the future may bring. When you are young, speed and adrenaline seem to be great. But as you get older and wiser, you learn that comfort and peace are more important. This is called S.O.S: Slower, older, but smarter. Dedicated to all our brother rats who, like me, now realize that it is time to slow down and enjoy the rest of the trip.

As it says in part in our “Doxology,” “The spirit blends with those we cheer, our brother rats we

hold so dear. So now Keydets with one voice cry, God bless our class and VMI.”

Your Class Agents, George and Nick

Lee McCown

Brace yourselves. You’re about to read way too much about my 90th birthday party.

Laura said, “Your 90th birthday calls for a party.” I agreed, and after 3 months of planning, it happened on that actual day, Oct. 10. The setting was splendid, at the Branch Museum of Design.

It’s in a house more than 100 years old, the biggest on Monument Avenue here in Richmond, at almost 30,000 square feet. Laura and I have volunteered there for ages.

We planned for a maximum of 100 people, but one thing led to another, and we ended up having 120, including the following BRs and SRs: Jules Berman, Howell Bowen and Rosemary Connelly, Linda and Brooke Doggett, Bill Harshaw, Charlie Hayes, Susie and John Peters, Hope and Paul Royer, Bill Walker, and Jane and Stirling Williamson.

Another VMI connection, our friend, Lee Camp—who served on the Board of Visitors during some of the years Sam Witt was president and thought the world of him—also came with her daughter. Her birthday card gave me her award for best class notes, which Laura and I found extremely flattering.

Stuart Whitehurst had planned to come but caught COVID. Jack Payne and Becky and Onza Hyatt had also planned to come, but Jack and Onza were ailing.

In addition to the party being a mini ’58 reunion, it was a two-family reunion. All of our children, grandchildren, and our great-granddaughter were there. So were my brothers and their children, as were McCown cousins on my father’s side and Mason cousins on my mother’s side. Friends who came included the people who keep me going at this ripe old age: My family physician, my yoga instructors, and several gym buddies who make it

fun to exercise regularly. Our doctor violated my “no gifts” rule by bringing me a bottle of Italian wine, appropriate from someone whose surname is Fierro. I accepted it without hesitation because I thought of it as a medical directive.

I was pleasantly surprised when, on behalf of our class, Charlie Hayes presented me, Laura, and daughter Alane Cameron Ford—our sort of unofficial class chaplain at reunions—with a stunning bronze sculpture of a fox, done at Turner Sculpture near Olney, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. (See www.turnersculpture.com.) The father-son duo specializes in capturing the wildlife of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean in their bronze art. Their beautiful work can be found at, among many other places all over the U.S., the University of Virginia, the College of William & Mary, and the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, where the beautiful Moses Ezekiel statues now stand restored thanks to the fundraising work of Bill Harshaw and others. I can tell the fox is a first-class work, not just by how good he looks, but also by how much he weighs. He’s heavy!

The sculpture came with a note from Brer Fox, as Charlie calls him, saying he wanted to come live with us “as a memento of the appreciation of your brother rats for your tireless, superb handling of the thankless tasks of being our class agent. I represent their deepest gratitude.” Mighty nice, Charlie. Thank you. I’ll never feel unappreciated by my BRs. Also—again thanks to BRs contacted by Charlie—Laura, Alane, and I received a generous gift

Class Notes

certificate for dinner at Lemaire, the grand dining room at the equally grand Jefferson Hotel. Charlie had no way of knowing how much meaning those two gifts have for us, as A.) Laura and I were married at that hotel 35 years ago, before it was so fancy, and B.) our beloved neighborhood elementary school, named William Fox, reopened for this school year after a devastating fire that almost destroyed the more than 100-year-old structure 3 years ago.

Alane went to Fox, as did Sally Witt, who was teaching there when she and Sam got married. Some of the rest of you Richmonders may have gone there, too. It seems to have some kind of magic because we’ve never heard of an alum who didn’t love the school, its superb series of principals, and its renowned artist in residence program.

Our fox sculpture is now being displayed next to a photograph of the school taken when it was brand new. Charlie calls the sculpture Brer Fox or Zorro, the Spanish word for fox. I like Brer Fox; Laura and Alane call him William.

Gifts were given to VMI honoring me by Paul Royer, Jim Stillwell, and my cousin, Lynn Atkinson, which I deeply appreciate. And Bill Harshaw gave me a surprisingly stylish chair that, for more than 50 years, graced Club Crozet, our mess hall. He gave Laura his late wife Carolyn’s miniature ’58 class ring, at Carolyn’s request. Both gifts proved very moving, and one of us cried when she accepted hers.

Speaking of sentimental tears, Laura arranged for our three-piece band, the Happy Lucky Combo, to play “Shenandoah” at the party. A neighbor came to see us the next day with a card thanking us for inviting her and her husband. She said that hearing “Shenandoah” had made her cry. Her father and her son both went to the “I,” so she grew up hearing it and continued to hear it through her son’s time there. The first version the combo played was very slow—that’s probably the one that made her cry— and the second one very jazzy. She was so taken with the band that she decided to have them play at a party for a significant birthday she has coming up.

Thanks to all of you who attended in body or spirit. It was a great time, and nothing got broken or stained.

Rich Neuberger called to wish me a happy birthday and said he really enjoyed the picture of the BRs at the party, which I sent by email. He and his wife, Karen, are now living in Healdsburg, California, having moved there from San Rafael. He’s no longer coaching the softball team at San Quentin, the Hardtimers. He gave that up when the prisoners got his telephone numbers and started calling him constantly, asking for things like—what else—cell phones.

Rich and Karen now have three dogs, the most recent one being a neighbor’s runaway. Karen has a problem with her back that will take two hip replacements to fix. Best of luck to both of you with the dogs and the possible surgeries.

Rich had talked with Lenny Rubin recently. He’s fighting a cancer that requires him to have a port in his chest. The cancer has been retreating. I had spoken with Lenny a while ago about meeting him and other BRs we could scare up for a home football game. The cancer diagnosis nipped that in

Class Notes

the bud. Hang in there, Lenny. We all hope that enemy will continue to retreat.

I also got birthday wishes from Annette Johnson, whose late husband was BR Duke Johnson She said, “Lee, just realized I didn’t wish you a happy 90th birthday. Hope your celebration was great!! I’m right behind you in December. We are expecting our first great-grandchild this month. He is due in a couple of weeks. The grandmothers gave the parents a baby shower Sept. 20. I think we are ready to welcome this little guy anytime he’s ready. I hope to be around for a few years longer to see him grow. Lee, you look great. Keep doing whatever you have been doing. Love to you and Laura.” Thanks for that, Annette. May our paths cross again at our 70th Reunion.

Don Cuthrell sent me this nice note: “Lee, I was so pleased to see the turnout by so many of our BRs for your 90th. You deserve every bit of the recognition for all of your work keeping us informed regarding our class and VMI in general over many years. My card to you was returned, as I had the right street number, but the wrong street!! Talk about senior moments. Please know that I wish you all the best and hope that you will continue to do the great job you do for us remaining BRs. Yours in the spirit, Don.” Such a nice tribute, Don. Thank you.

Former roommate Frank Hancock says he’s hanging in there, although his breathing isn’t as robust as it used to be. He says he spends most of his days on the couch now. He had a heart attack several years ago, but he has Shelby Agee King by his side to keep him going. Shelby was the equivalent of a class agent for our Jefferson Senior High School class of 1954 in Roanoke and did a great job of organizing reunions and keeping up with everyone.

I had my quarterly lunch with BR and former roommate Paul Royer recently at a restaurant called Ford’s Garage. A number of Ford Model As were parked on the grounds, and a Ford Speedster was hanging inside from the ceiling.

This appealed to Paul as he owned several Model As in high school and had bought and sold 15 cars before he got to VMI. He noticed that the engine block near our table had the wrong fan blades on it. You get used to these surprising tidbits of wisdom when you hang out with Paul.

Roy Palmer has stayed busy in recent years caring for his brother, whom he has now settled in a retirement community. He’s looking for his own spot in such a place.

I told him I was sorry he has now written off Richmond, but I’m glad he’s considering Charlottesville, which is only 70 miles away. If he ends up in Stir’s hometown, it will be a shock

to Stir as he’s thought Roy would never leave Mercer Island. I’m sure he would be glad to have Roy close by. So would I, as they would be able to travel to our Richmond-area lunches together.

Even more significant, Roy has finally retired as a pilot! Now we can all entertain, and sometimes shock, friends who know our ages. We can brag about having a classmate who just quit flying. It will make us seem youthful. Welcome to retirement, Roy. The golden years get a little tarnished at times, but they’re better than the alternative.

On the subject of memories, the University of Richmond used to be a sure win on our football schedule. No longer. Now they usually make the FCS playoffs, and we played them early in the season this year. After a pretty good first quarter and a downpour that suspended the game for hours, the game went to Hades in a handbasket. We lost big.

We did, however, win the tailgate party, thanks to daughter Sydney Sanderson, her manfriend, Tom Carr, and son Derek McCown ’89, and his wife, Anu, with their tailgating setup. During the long suspension of the game, Sydney, Tom, and I walked to the home of Roy Woolwine ’86, one of our BR Sam’s sons, who was having a tailgate party in his backyard close to the football stadium. Roy welcomed us with good food and drink. I told him how much our class appreciated Sam and his battering ram style of running, even though he only weighed 175 pounds. Nothing Roy didn’t already know, but he appreciated my saying it. It was such a shock when Terry Moore III ’67, Ernie Edgar’s first cousin, who said they were more like brothers, called to tell me of Ernie’s death.

I was shocked because in our last Alumni Review, Ernie described a great trip he and Elizabeth had just taken on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, enjoying many sites connected to the work of the Corps of Engineers. In that accompanying photo, Ernie appeared to be as healthy and youthful as ever. In fact, 1 week before his diagnosis, he had a golf game where he shot an 83.

Ernie’s death came just 2 months after his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Elizabeth says he died with grace and dignity after receiving the last rites (Episcopal). He had asked to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery and is on the waitlist there. He is survived by Elizabeth, his three children, seven grandchildren, and two siblings. Our class fund will make a contribution to VMI in memory of Ernie. Thank you to those who have recently contributed to this fund.

Ernie was among the Class of ’58’s stars, reaching the rank of major general in the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers while remaining wellliked and respected by everyone. In another section of this Alumni Review, there is a more complete look at his life. Rest in peace, Ernie.

That closes these notes on the Class of 1958. I promise to never again make class notes so much about me. Please consider them a tribute to all of us who have made it to this age and to those who have left us.

Please send me news about you and yours. It doesn’t have to be about foreign travel or winning a marathon. It could be about a book you’ve enjoyed or a TV show you watch regularly.

I’ve had the pleasure of being your class agent since May 2013—12 years. The great Wes Roberts and his wife, Annemarie, preceded Laura and me, making it to 15. Thank you for appreciating all four of us throughout this time.

Wishing all of you the best,

Lee

We lost four brother rats this past quarter, all in the month of October. Much to my surprise Harlee Pate passed away Oct. 1. I recently talked with Harlee, and he gave no indication that he was feeling bad; as a matter of fact, he sounded great. Harlee will be a great loss to the VMI Class of 1959. He was a behind-the-scenes guy who was always involved. Lots of things would not have been completed without Harlee’s leadership. I will miss Harlee.

Lon Martin joined his beloved dog, Sammy, in heaven Aug. 10. He celebrated his 88th birthday with family and friends just a week prior. Lon and Patty lived in San Antonio, Texas, one of Ann’s and my favorite places. Whenever we returned from a trip out West, we would stop by San Antonio and visit old friends. This always included Lon and John Tompson, who also lived there. We would meet for lunch and spend the afternoon retelling VMI war stories. I considered Lon a good friend.

Class Notes

began our journey. We rented a car and traveled the circumference of the country, ending up in Belfast, where we visited the Giant’s Causeway. It was a trip that Ann and I always remembered. We will miss Noland.

Steve Hall, who spent only 1 year at VMI, passed away. I did not know Steve, nor had I heard from him in the past 30 years.

Denyse Kramer, Buddy Kramer’s widow, has finally bitten the bullet and moved from their home in Sanford, Florida, to a retirement home just down the road a piece. So far, she is happy, but as the guy who jumped from the 15th floor said as he passed the tenth floor, “So far, so good.”

Shay Booth, Jerry Booth’s widow, wrote to say how much she enjoys reading the class notes. She was hopeful that the plea I put out for more input was heeded. Unfortunately, it was not as you see from the length of these notes. I fear the notes will continue to get shorter and shorter. Thank goodness for the stalwarts who continue to provide input each quarter. I still encourage others to do the same and invite all our sister rats to contribute, as well. We are interested in what you are up to.

Got a nice note from Bette Thacker, Lloyd Thacker’s widow, hoping that I am enjoying my new digs at the retirement home. I am looking at the green side of the grass every day, so I suppose I am adjusting. Lots of nice folks with problems much greater than mine. Bette says that living alone has its downside, as she is discovering since Lloyd’s passing 2 years ago. All I can say about that is amen. Since then, she has rescued a little dog who has, in turn, rescued her. Her new rescue is Bentley. Bette enclosed a great picture of her

and grandson Colin Thacker ’23 standing next to a helicopter at his flight school graduation in Alabama. As you may recall, Lloyd donated his body to medical research, and it has taken a year and a half to get his ashes returned. Bette writes that hopefully, the med students did research on Lloyd’s brain to figure out what made him tick. She said she never could. This fall was the first opportunity she had to take his ashes to VMI and Staunton, Virginia, where he wished to have them scattered. She spoke with the VMI chaplain, who said the VMI Memorial Garden would be perfect; so, she scheduled a trip to meet at the Memorial Garden Saturday, Sept. 27, at 11 a.m. There was not a service, but she invited any brother or sister rat who might be in the area to attend. I understand there were several people there to honor Lloyd.

Larry Wood and his team of four bicyclists rode in the Las Vegas Honor Ride Nov. 8, 2025. On the closest Saturday to Veterans Day, bicyclists ride down the legendary Las Vegas Strip to honor and support America’s finest and bring attention to the national mental health crisis created by PTSD and TBI. Larry and his friend, Phil Spargo, have ridden in all but two of the annual rides since 2018. Their team is named “Not so Fast.” You will recall that in the last issue of the Alumni Review, Larry wrote that he and Harry MacGregor competed at our 60th Reunion over who could do the most pullups. Harry won the contest, and here is the proof. Mel and Jean Anderson are doing all right. Their daughter, Bonnie, and her husband, Toby, are returning to Florida after crossing the Atlantic on a cruise. They will be celebrating Thanksgiving 2 weeks early to take advantage of Bonnie and Toby’s arrival, as well as other Eastern relatives. They will then head to Glendale, Arizona, for Thanksgiving week, where they have rented a large house for a get-together with their western relatives. The best part is that their three greatgrandchildren (ages 4, 3, and 2) will be there. Another big event in their lives will be the marriage of their son, Todd’s, youngest son to a local Tampa girl in April.

Nancy and Lee Southard are doing great, considering Lee had his knee surgery and all went well. He has a routine of icing and PT, and it seems to be doing the trick. He is even driving now. He is currently using a cane but feels confident that he can do away with it soon and walk on his own. Nancy is also doing well and gets kudos for being a great nurse and caregiver. Lee gets more excited about his grandson, Christian, and the Carmel, Indiana Greyhounds every day. They finished the season at 8 and 1. Only loss was to Trinity of Louisville, who has won the Kentucky state championship 29 times. Now they go to playoffs and hopefully play 1959

Noland Pipes passed away Oct. 26. I knew Noland was in the hospital but did not think it was that serious. Neither did Mary; his death came quickly. Twenty-two years ago, Noland, Mary, Ann, and I traveled to Ireland for a few weeks. We stopped off in NYC to take in a Broadway show before continuing on to Dublin, where we

for the state championship, which they are favored to do. Christian is just a junior, 6’6”, 285 pounds, and the starting left tackle. Lee is not bragging, but he is very good at his position. He has gone up against senior five-star recruits and has come out on top. His coaches have already told him that by the end of this season, he will be a fivestar recruit. Lee has been hoping for a long time for VMI, but he will be heavily recruited by the Big Ten, although Christian is still very impressed with VMI and has talked to them. More importantly, he is a good Christian young man and academically near the top of his class. Lee is just a doting grandfather. He is streaming VMI football games every week, and they sure need some help. Still, it’s VMI and no better education anywhere, and he knows it.

Class Notes

were unable to make it: A grandson and his family serving with the Army in Germany and who just received early promotion to captain. If anyone is headed this way, Bob would love to have you stop by and visit.

Tex and Emily Carr are back in their cruising routine again. First trip is back to the Caribbean for a week. Tex went in for a heart catheter checkup, and all is well; however, yet another prescription added to the already long list. Emily’s granddaughter will graduate with an MS in nursing in December. Her other grown granddaughter is a lawyer. Tex spoke with Sonny Bishop, and he seems to be doing well considering he has wet AMD, an eye disease that affects the vision.

Bob Hobson is doing great. He has recovered from his hip and knee injuries and back at the same assisted living facility, Legacy in Provo, Utah. He enjoyed a family reunion at Bear Lake in August with 91 members of his family attending. Five

Carolyn and Eddie Barnes had a busy summer traveling. Their first trip was Eddie’s favorite; a family reunion at Holden Beach, North Carolina, where they have been going for over 40 years. Next, they spent 2 weeks in Sweden with their son, Rob, and his family. They have been doing this every year and usually involved side trips but have stopped that because of crowds at European airports. After returning from Sweden, they made their annual trip to Door County, Wisconsin, which is located about 60 miles northeast of Green Bay. They have also been doing this for over 40 years. Carolyn’s sister has a cottage there, and it is a very relaxing trip. Carolyn and Eddie plan on continuing this agenda for as long as they can.

Alice and Bobby Ross are doing pretty good, considering. Bobby has started his chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatments and, so far, is doing well, just fatigued all the time, but he is keeping a positive attitude. CLL is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow. They stay in close contact with Joann Fall, Baldy Fall’s widow, and the VMI guys living in their retirement community. Nevertheless, they miss going to football games but are enjoying watching them on television. They wish everyone in the class good health and hope everyone is doing well.

This has been a rather active quarter for me. My sister, Susan Mease, widow of Bud Mease, came to visit me from Colorado Springs. Rather than spend our time around Melbourne, something she has done before, we drove over to our old stomping grounds in Clearwater Beach, where we still have relatives living. After a few days reminiscing about the good old days, we made it down to Naples to visit a nephew and his family. On the way down, we stopped by Fort Myers and had lunch with Lee and Nancy Southard. We spent the rest of the week with our nephew, John Shepard, and his pediatrician wife, Debbie. Also accompanying us was one of Susan’s daughters (my favorite niece), Stacey, and the daughter, Sydney, of another one of her daughters who tragically passed away from cancer a few years ago. Stacey is a retired DODDS school teacher living in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Sydney was on her way back to college in Manchester,

Class Notes

England, where she is on track to graduate next year. After Susan left, we packed up the family and headed for Hilton Head, where we spent the week relaxing and enjoying good food and stimulating conversation. Keep those cards and letters coming in.

Yours in the Spirit, Shep

1960

James A. Smith III

Greetings from Lexington, Virginia. We begin these notes with a sad note. Brother Rat John Hilliard passed away at his home Aug. 26. Hap Miller had a long remembrance of John as follows: In 1971, Hilliard was part of the American delegation to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, a Cold War-era negotiation between the United States and the then-Soviet Union that would culminate in a 1972 treaty limiting the use of nuclear weapons. This task required Hilliard to speak truthfully without leaking classified details, and he did the job admirably. “Talking face-to-face with true communist leaders—it was hard at first,” Hilliard said in a later interview. “How do you answer their questions honestly without giving classified details? If you get caught in a lie, your credibility is gone.” The answer, he realized, was to use the lessons he learned at VMI, chiefly those about discipline, honor, and moral clarity.

In 1983, Hilliard retired from the U.S. Air Force as a colonel and entered government contracting, where he became vice president of space systems at Analytic Services, Inc.

After he retired, Hilliard turned his prodigious talents and energy toward documenting the history of the United States’ spacefaring efforts, and there was no better place to do that than Cape Canaveral. There, he became a volunteer docent at the U.S. Space Force Museum and a Space Launch Delta 45 public affairs volunteer. In his spare time, he embarked on a monumental project that would be too daunting for almost anyone else: Creating a photographic archive of every missile launch from Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Air Force Base. Near the end of his decades of work, Hilliard had amassed over 50 4-inch binders filled with photos, a range of images capturing everything from Apollo moonshots to obscure missile tests.

Heidi Hunt, the 45th Delta Space Force public affairs community engagement chief at Patrick

Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, says of Hilliard’s work: “I have seen firsthand John’s perfectly organized collection of detailed launch documentation. His efforts are important because they preserve American and military history ... for now and future generations.”

Diane Manahan, who worked with Hilliard at the U.S. Space Force Museum, noted his “sizzling intelligence” and had high praise for Hilliard’s hours upon hours of dedicated labor in recording rocket launches.

From VMI to the Air Force to missile silos, camera systems, diplomatic negotiations, and a passionate, painstaking dedication to making sure the American space odyssey is well chronicled, Hilliard reflects the sterling qualities of character that VMI teaches so well. “Always tell the truth, even if it hurts,” said Hilliard. “Keep your room clean, always.” Hilliard’s legacy will be long remembered at Cape Canaveral and by his brother rats. John will be missed.

His obituary is as follows: “Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel John Robert Hilliard, 87, passed Aug. 26 at Holmes Regional Medical Center, Melbourne, Florida, following a courageous battle against cancer. Born in Morgantown, West Virginia, May 8, 1938, John was preceded in death by his parents, Lieutenant Colonel Robert C. and Geneva Hilliard; sister, MaryJo Hilliard; son, Steven C. Hilliard; and daughter, Cheryl L. Lambert, and her husband, Scott. John attended 17 schools as a military dependent, living in South Carolina, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Germany, Louisiana, and Ohio. He came to Brevard County in 1953 from Akron, Ohio, with his family. His father, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Robert C. Hilliard, was assigned to Patrick AFB. John was a 1956 graduate of Cocoa High School and a 1960 graduate of Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with a B.S. in electrical engineering. He obtained his Master of Science degree in aerospace management from the University of Southern California in 1966. Colonel Hilliard served over 23 years in the Air Force before retiring in 1983 at Andrews AFB, Maryland. He had extensive experience in the management of space and missile programs. He was a longtime member of the intelligence community, concentrating on scientific and technical intelligence, collection management, and international negotiations. His assignments included tours at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, as an Atlas E missile combat crew commander; Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, as a space test conductor for the Thor-Agena/Atlas Agena/Thor-Delta; Eastman Kodak, Rochester, New York, (monitoring the construction of the National Reconnaissance

Organization photo reconnaissance satellites); the Pentagon and Andrews AFB, Maryland (intelligence officer); chairman of Director of Central Intelligence Weapon and Space Systems Space Subcommittee. Finally, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, he had firsthand experience in negotiations of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty with the Soviet Union in Geneva, Switzerland. After retiring from the Air Force, he spent 12 years at ANSER Inc. He retired from ANSER as vice president for aerospace systems in 1995. He moved back to Brevard County in 1998, living in Satellite Beach.

He was a lifetime member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (past chapter chairman); National Military Intelligence Association; Association of Air Force Missileers; Air Force Association; VMI Keydet Club; secretary of the Air Force, Office of Special Projects Alumni Association; Military Officers Association of America; Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum and Sands History Center Volunteer Association (past chairman); and was a tour guide for public affairs and protocol offices at Patrick Space Force Base. He served as a media escort, providing coverage of Cape Canaveral SFS for launches; volunteer for Space Launch Delta 45th Public Affairs Office; volunteer at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum; Military Order of the World Wars past chapter commander; the Space, Missile and Range Pioneers director; and as the Moorings Homeowner Association past president.

He had a unique collection of information and photos of the United States space and missile programs, including descriptions of the launch complexes/sites, photos of most of the launches from Cape Canaveral SFS and Vandenberg SFB missile/rocket launches, and write-ups/photos of over 750 missile/space systems. These items will be given to the Space Force/Air Force.

He is survived by his wife, Linda Ann “Lin” Hilliard; children, Jeffrey S. Hilliard (Chris), John C. Hilliard (Jennifer), and Sharon Fowler (Michael); grandchildren, Carissa Hilliard, Zachary Hilliard, Griffin Hilliard (Cassie), Ryan Lambert (Allison), John J. Hilliard, Ashley Davis (Brad), Brittany O’Banion, and Daylon King; and great-grandchildren, Garrett Lambert, Aubrey Davis, Tara Marlow, and Evelynne Marlow.

John had a special love for their poodles and participated with Lin in poodle rescue. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Coastal Poodle Rescue, P.O. Box 121142, Melbourne, Florida 32912 or via the rescue at www.coastalpoodlerescue.org.”

On Aug. 26, Tom Royster celebrated his next birthday. I did not speak with Tom but left a

voicemail. He responded with the following email: “Jimbo, Sorry I missed your call. Jennifer and I are on a trip to Western Canada, Alaska, and Cannon Beach in Oregon. We are both well and would be happy if it continues so. Hope you and Ruth are well. Tom.” On Aug. 28, Jim and John Powell celebrated their next birthday. I spoke with John, who says he is well and working on another book. Jim called later as he was going to the U.S. Open of tennis the next day.

He is also doing well. On Sept. 2, I spoke with Joe Sisler, celebrating his next birthday. He had not played golf that day but had done so the 3 days before. Joe is well. Vaughn Foxwell attended the VMI/Navy football game. Unfortunately, VMI lost but he was able to meet an individual who had recovered a VMI guidon from the past. Vaughn wrote: “Jimbo, I have an interesting story. In 1996, VMI played football at West Point, during which West Point cadets stole the VMI cannon battery guidon. U.S. Army Capt. Bill Gillespie, a professor at West Point who had worked for us at our KOA campground, retrieved the guidon from a dumpster. Knowing I was a VMI graduate, he presented it to me on a visit to West Point. This past Saturday, VMI played Navy, so I intended to return the guidon to the cannon battery. I was unaware that now the cannon battery is only used at home games. During the game, two graduates who had served in the cannon battery introduced themselves to Helen and me. Berley Rister ’10 offered to return the guidon to the cannon battery during a VMI home game. I displayed the guidon during the VMI-Navy football game. Sadly, VMI lost 527.During the game, several USNA midshipmen appeared to be planning on stealing it again. I was not having any of that. The guidon is now safe with Berley in Richmond, awaiting return. Rah Virginia Mil. Vaughn.”

On Sept. 16, Earl “Ed” Marquette celebrated his next birthday. On Sept. 18, Barry Worst celebrated his next birthday. I never hear from Barry. Wish he would give me a call. On Sept. 24, Mike Shoemaker celebrated his next birthday. I missed it, but spoke to him a few days later. Mike is fine. On Oct. 3, Roy McLeod celebrated his next birthday. We had a wonderful, long conversation. Roy brought me up to date regarding Sewell’s father, General Freeman, a very distinguished general of the Army with a distinguished career. Roy has been very active in his Episcopal

Class Notes

Church over the years. He and Sewell live in the Westmister Canterbury facility in Richmond. On Oct. 5, George Uhlig celebrated his next birthday. For the first time, I was not able to catch up with George. He has been very thoughtful over the years with the gift of Pro V 1 golf balls, which I can’t now use, and candy. I hope he is well. I miss speaking with George. I called Ed Duncan Oct. 6 to wish him a happy birthday, but only could speak to his wife as Ed now is in an extended care facility. On Sept. 4, our Bayliss Class Scholarship was awarded to 1st Class Cadet Reese Lassiter ’26, an AFROTC cadet in pilot training. His AFROTC resume is as follows: “Cadet Lassiter hails from Central Virginia, is the youngest of seven children, and will be the third sibling to commission in the U.S. Air Force. He has excelled academically at VMI in a tough double major of physics and mechanical engineering with a minor

in math, where his achievements have landed him in the physics honor society, Sigma Pi Sigma. He has also performed above and beyond in his military obligations by pursuing and attending multiple professional development training events. Through these events he has earned his German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge, as well as his air assault wings through successful completion of the Army Air Assault School at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. These are already considered major achievements at the officer level, and he has surpassed them while still a cadet. Within the Air Force cadet wing, Cadet Lassiter has persisted through multiple attempts and earned the privilege of being the vice wing commander this semester and the wing commander in the spring where he is responsible for weekly training operations for over 175 cadets. Within the Corps, Cadet Lassiter holds the rank of lieutenant as the S4 for 2nd Battalion and has directly led six open house events for 480 high school students and ensured 512 incoming rats were efficiently issued all their uniforms and gear. Cadet Lassiter is the model cadet for this scholarship, and it was my pleasure to award it to him.” Hap Miller, G.G. Phillips, me, and our wives were in attendance to present the award. The Corps, faculty, and alumni are all excited about the appointment of U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87 as the 16th superintendent of VMI. I encourage all to read his biography and the comments he has made since his arrival on post in mid-September. He is an impressive individual and communicator and is eager to begin his tour. Changes will be forthcoming. On Oct. 20, Jack Willard and Roy Quinn celebrated their next birthdays. Roy has fallen off the face of the earth with no contact information. Jack sounds well but is no longer allowed to drive. He, as so many do, has mobility issues. Spirits are good, however. On Oct. 21, Bill Spicuzza had his next birthday. I didn’t speak to Bill, but he got birthday wishes. On Oct. 27, I tried to speak with Frank Ferrier to give him birthday wishes. I could not catch up with Frank but to no avail. He got a birthday email. On Oct. 29, Ruth and I celebrated my next birthday with a dinner at the Bistro On Main in Lexington. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed balance issues, among other things. I can still treat myself to a dose of the Institute and hang around the post. On Nov. 2, Jay Jarrett celebrated his next birthday. Although I didn’t speak with Jay, I

got an email from him later reporting his good health. On Nov. 6, I spoke with Fudd Caldwell and wished him a happy birthday.

Fudd reported he is feeling well for his age. It’s always fun to speak with Fudd. On Nov. 8, Bob “Railroad” Hamilton celebrated his next birthday. We had a long conversation, with Bob relating that he is feeling well. On Nov. 7, Ruth and I attended the Institute Society Dinner. General Furness spoke eloquently. He’s a nice guy and very young but appears very qualified. I know Jim Tumlinson would be very happy to have a Marine running the show. There were no other members of our class present. I sent a birthday email with well wishes to George Coulburn Nov. 10, a day before his birthday. I love speaking to George. Joe Stewart sent a text with a photo of him hunting and a message as follows: “Jimbo, Just got back from a week’s pheasant hunting trip in Faith, South Dakota, way up in the northwest corner. We had a great hunt. I was with a bunch of guys I’ve hunted with up there for a number of years. The weather was typical South Dakota in early November. Everything from 65 degrees and sunny to 34 degrees with the wind gusting to 35 mph. That made for some tough shooting. The long pushes on some of those half-mile draws with tall grass are tough on me, but I made as many of those as I could.

“Wasn’t top gun but took my share of birds, so was happy about that. Overall, I’m still hanging in there and feeling pretty good. Hope you are doing well.

“Stay safe. Joe Stewart.” His photo is included in this edition of notes.

I had a wonderful late birthday call from Rev. Bob Graves. Bob is recovering from his second hip replacement but doing very well and still saving souls. It was very thoughtful of Bobby to call.

This brings this edition of our class notes to a close. I appreciate your contributions to this edition. Keep them coming! Please remember our class’ Tumlinson and Bayliss awards with your generosity. It has been a privilege to be your class agent.

In the Spirit,

Jimbo

Sal Vitale Jr.

Class Notes

bright spots, and one was when Jerry Eubank called and said his son, Christopher ’91, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate Oct. 30 to the rank of lieutenant general, and his assignment is commanding general at U.S. Army Cyber Command, Fort Gordon, Georgia, effective December 2025. Chris always called Brother Rat Harbach, “Uncle Dave.” Now, Dave can call him general, sir. Congratulations to Lt. Gen. Christopher Eubank ’91 and the Eubank family. The second bright spot was the confirmation of a new superintendent at VMI, Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87. I believe he has what it takes to bring VMI back to the best of VMI’s old traditions and history.

More blood work and infusions slowed me down a bit, so I did not make all of the activities I would normally do. However, the entire family was together for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day brunch, and we had a great time. Autumn was approaching, and days are a blur. Bill Braithwaite and I met for lunch in Annapolis, and I learned that Bill is still teaching one class a semester, is a grandfather, and his health is good. Robert Williamson surprised me when he sent me a wedding invitation. Robert and Kay Seagrave tied the knot, and Ray and Sally Hanlein were there to witness the wedding on Labor Day weekend. Dude Copenhaver and Lee Crow were in Arlington to place Stu Crow in his final resting place. My son-inlaw, Mark Perry, drove Sue and I to meet Lee and Dude (Warren) for lunch, along with Lee’s children and Rob Crow ’88. Warren is feeling well enough to take long walks, and Lee is coping with some muscle issues. Soon after, Sue and I were back in D.C. to have lunch with Paul and Rae Goldman. Paul says he enjoys living in a desert town of about 10,000 people. Everybody says hello. They both plan to be at our reunion. Our next adventure was driving to Williamsburg by ourselves. We took

our time, made a stop one or two times (smile), and arrived ready to party. What a wonderful turnout to include: Widows, Sue Patrick and Peggy Alligood, and brother rats and spouses, Willard Hoskins; Hugh and Nelle Gouldthorpe; Paul Johnston; George Henning; Dave Harbach and his friend, Sandra; Tom Phlegar; Jud McLester and his friend, Susie; John Tharrington; Larry Respess; Harold and Cecilia Kurstedt; Robert and Kay Williamson; Clayton and Jan Smith; Dick Youngblood; Ashby and Sandra Taylor; Bob and Bronnie Polk; Ray and Sally Hanlein; Sal and Sue Vitale; and Stu and Sylvia Woodcock. Once again, thanks to Sylvia Woodcock for the Tuesday dinner arrangements at their private dining facility of WindsorMeade. Ray Hanlein did a wonderful job arranging for dinners at the Bonefish Grill and Giuseppe’s Italian restaurant. Dave Harbach and Sandra and Bob and Bronnie Polk were the only folks who played golf. In good to excellent health are Harbach, Respess, Gouldthorpe, Polk, Hanlein, Johnston, Henning, Phlegar, Tharrington, and Youngblood. Hoskins broke his hip and had been in rehab for weeks when, thanks to Larry Respess, Willard had a night out. Clayton Smith is still struggling with back issues, Jud McLester uses a cane as I do, and Taylor is now feeling the effects of dementia, as is Woodcock. Kurstedt was getting around very well, but several weeks later, his Parkinson’s put him in the hospital. Tom Phlegar volunteered to climb to the top of the sentinel box and lead the Corps in an Old Yell for ’61 at our 65th. October was a very exciting month for me. The major events were a shocking back of my heart into normal rhythm, and several weeks later, a pacemaker. Very special thanks to Larry Respess for notifying the class of my condition, which generated cards, emails, and phone calls. Thank you all; I love you. Except

This has been a very difficult quarter for the class and me. However, there have been some

for some small bowel issues, I feel great. October came to an end with Constance May “Connie” Oliver’s celebration of life service. Connie had been suffering from a rare type of dementia for a long time. Attending the funeral were David Harbach and Sandra Coleman, Mitch and Jennifer Kot, George Henning, Barry Orndorff, Terry Fridley (Harrison was home ill), Mitchell Fridley ’89, and Samuel Anderson ’90. I continue to be bothered by the passing of Bill Gibbings. Those that visited the Gibbingses’ house Friday night for Bill’s invention, “beer and cookies,” watched him orchestrate the evening. He was always engaging in conversation, and when catching his breath, managed to find a reason to poke fun at me. I am smiling while typing this and will always remember our times together. As for Joyce, she is catching her breath and has continued Friday “B&C.” Ashby Taylor and Larry Wetsel stopped by and told me that Joyce is looking better than she has in years. Sue communicates with Joyce every few days.

Two weeks before Wyatt Durrette’s passing, I received a telephone call from him saying that he was not long for this world. He asked me not to notify the class until he told me to do so, and as it turned out, 10 days later, he was gone. Sue and I decided we would take the chance to take the long drive to Urbanna. As the class agent, I thought I needed to be there. I got lost right near where the service was being held, and when we finally arrived, I was so happy to see John Tharrington in the parking lot, and he helped Sue and me to a seat. (Can always count on John.) There were at least 150 people in line to sign the guest book, so we waited until after the service. Most brother rats and spouses and widows tried to sit together under the large tent that had been erected for the outdoor service, and the seats ran out quickly. Those attending were Sal and Sue Vitale, Bill Daniels, Robert and Kay Williamson, Jud

Class Notes

and Susie McLester, Ashby and Sandra Taylor, John Tharrington, Bill and Wendy Braithwaite, Dick Youngblood, Larry Wetsel, Ray Hanlein, Larry Respess, Stu and Sylvia Woodcock, and our brother rats’ widows, Sue Patrick and Frankie Ring. Attending from other classes that I recognized was Ed Johnson ’79

Wyatt’s service was different. I heard Governor Youngkin lowered the state flags for 1 day. As it turned out, Tom Phlegar had planned our annual luncheon at Paint Bank, Virginia, for the same day as the service. Those at Paint Bank were Jim Oliver; Harrison and Terry Fridley; Barry Orndorff and his friend, Irene Tweety; and Tom Phlegar Tom said the food was great as always. I was notified that Betty Everts passed away. Ben Lynch passed away quite suddenly. Anne Lynch, his daughter, said Ben was suffering from pneumonia. Rather than keep going through hell, Ben signed out of the hospital so he could be home, surrounded by his daughters and pass on his terms. Church services were held in Portsmouth at St. John’s Episcopal, and Robert and Kay Williamson and Ashby and Sandra Taylor represented the class. In November, the Institute Society Dinner was held. My daughter, Barbara, volunteered to drive us. My tux fit, Sue picked one of my favorite dresses to wear, and we were ready. My cardiologist suggested that we reconsider going, as it was a little too soon. Representing the class at the dinner were Jerri and Larry Wetsel and Hugh Gouldthorpe. There was a time when our class had 34 Institute Society members, and we occupied eight tables at the dinner. What’s next is Thanksgiving at our house, three children and grandchildren with November birthdays, and Christmas. The following information is from the rest of the class: I heard from Don Fang, and he is doing OK. The same for Fred Kressierer. Doris Rudibaugh and her daughters had a delightful lunch with

John Tharrington at the Army Navy Country Club in D.C. (John is a sweet guy.) The brothers in the Washington, D.C., area try to get together for lunch at various locations, usually diners. The last lunch was at a restaurant called The Falls. John Tharrington, Larry Wetsel, Ray Hanlein, Larry Respess, Raine Gilbert, J.D. Miller, and Ed Doleman managed to make it. Holmes Smith’s hip was so bad that he could not get out of bed. Holmes’ operation is scheduled for Nov. 26. I hope the hospital is serving turkey for Thanksgiving. Bill Maurer finally took off his ortho boot and replaced it with a shoe-like boot. In 3 short weeks, Bill hopes to have a real shoe back on his right foot. Hill and Heather Browning headed to St. Martin’s for their fall visit. I love that place. Joe Lisiecki’s granddaughter, Angie Rooks, took a weekend break from her third year of medical school classes and completed the Chicago Marathon. Faye and Tom Bradshaw are doing well except for Tom’s walking and balance. They both go to town most days, and Tom uses a walker. I try to keep up with Lou Shuba, and he does the same for me. Lou still has issues with his legs and is slowly recovering. When I spoke to him last, he was planning to put his shoes on for the first time in months. Pris Shuba is doing OK. Lou’s “tent camp” hunting club was written up in the Pennsylvania Game News. The club has been in existence for 78 years. Clara Gilbert has a “severely” sclerotic aortic valve, which is planned to be replaced by the TAVR process in about a month. For my replacement, they cracked my rib cage. Bill Keech is in OK health. He has been a real fighter for a decade. Marci is doing fine. She does the driving as Bill is in a wheelchair. I hope they make the reunion. Mary Callander said Spike Callander is still dealing with the same routine—medical therapy and dialysis three times a week. Spike has been through more hell and hangs in there. How he does it, only God knows. Received a nice note from Nancy Bell, and she is doing well. Nancy helped me locate Jude Elliott, who had moved to a Grand Living senior citizens facility in Naples, Florida. Clayton Smith took a trip to the mountains to attend a religious event. Hope he prayed for all of us. Andy Myruski is back from Florida, doing OK, and is predicting a poor crab season. What a wonderful article written in the KA magazine about our Dr. George Henning. George was the team doctor for VMI football for over 30 years. George is enjoying his retirement, and every once in a while, I see him with a very nice lady. Tim and Sandy Bryant periodically visit their

Class Notes

son and need to travel through Annapolis. Next time, I hope to get together for lunch. Tim can no longer drive, and he is in the early stages of Parkinson’s, and on top of this, he is facing a left knee replacement. Bobby Burks had been dealing with an infection on his foot, and when doctors were unsuccessful in using antibiotics, they were forced to remove his right foot. In addition, he fell and broke his wrist. Jeannie’s Alzheimer’s has progressed in the wrong direction. Their current plan is to move near their son in Pooler, Georgia. Bob Reitz wrote a letter to the new superintendent and was very pleased that Lt. Gen. Furness answered the letter and took the time to write the response using script. Over a period of 4 years, Bob wrote at least six letters to the former superintendent and never got a response. Things are changing! There was a great picture of John Gangemi on Facebook on his 86th birthday with his grandkids all around. John’s Parkinson’s has taken his life a little at a time. Gaylia Hudgins, “Miss Energizer,” keeps on chugging along. Gaylia has posted some wonderful pictures of her recent travels in the West. Hugh and Nelle Gouldthorpe are doing very well. Tennis and turtles keep them busy. Hugh traveled by train (8 hours each way) to be with us in Williamsburg and then again for the Institute Society Dinner. Wow! After Labor Day, my daughter, Lynn, and family visited the Gouldthorpes and had dinner with them. My daughter’s family hopes to rent the same house near them so they can visit. Dave Bella is not planning to get old. Dave goes to the gym for Fitness Over 50 three times a week and still drives his tractor to mow the meadow and spread chips on the walking trails of their 5-and-a-half acres in the woods. Cammie manages to keep up with him. Tom Jones said things are changing in

Camden, Maine. They are experiencing a severe drought, which means poor blueberries. Tourist activity has picked up in this old, quaint fishing town; they now have parking meters in the parking lots. What next, traffic lights? Tom has Parkinson’s, and when things go south, Tom can handle it with his trusty sidekick, Annett. Binnie Peay ’62 was kind enough to send me a copy of Senator Kaine’s remarks at Wyatt’s service. The P.A. system was poor at best, and I did not hear it very well. I did not know that Wyatt and Senator Kaine were so close. Senator Kaine said in his introductory remarks, “I am very humbled to say a few words today about a good man, a good leader, and a good friend.” Of course, General Peay’s note was handwritten. Rod Hudgins is still performing engineering designs for old customers but has difficulty seeing and is in a wheelchair. Doris does all the driving. Ray Hanlein had a wonderful idea pertaining to All Souls Day. In many churches, the names submitted by the parishioners are read aloud. This year, John Tharrington provided a list to Ray of the brother rats who had passed during the last 12 months, and the names were submitted and read. Thanks, Ray, and all of those who did the same in your church. Dick Lindquist sent me a note and commented that many of the brothers in the Company A Bomb picture are gone. Harriotte McDannald knew Laura Fletcher, a widow whose family had inherited Col Alto and given it to Washington and Lee; they apparently had not taken care of the home, so it was returned to Laura, and she sold it to the Hampton Inn, which restored the historic house.

Benjamin P. Lynch Jr., Esq., passed Friday Sept. 19, at his apartment in Norfolk, Virginia. Ben was suffering from pneumonia, and he asked to be released from the hospital so he could be at home, where he was surrounded by his daughters. Ben’s friend, Lynn (Ben Wiggins ’57 widow), had just left and quickly returned. Ben was a “true gentleman” with a smile that could light up the room. He had a servant’s heart and brought joy to all those he encountered, often playfully teasing them or lending a helping hand. He played clarinet in the band and worked in the Post Exchange.

After his time in the military as a JAG, Ben began his practice of law at the firm that ultimately would become Harris, Fears, Davis, Lynch & McDaniel. Ben would practice there until the firm’s dissolution in 2006 and then continue to practice on his own until retirement in 2022.

In Suffolk, he became a member at St. John’s

Episcopal Church—Chuckatuck, serving as trustee, on the vestry, and as Sunday school teacher. In recent years, Ben has been a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church—Portsmouth, where his booming, joyful voice was always welcome in the congregation. A Requiem Eucharist was celebrated at St. John’s Episcopal Church. The church was packed.

Wyatt Beazley Durrette Jr., Esq., our class president, passed away Oct. 1, 2025, at his home in Urbanna, Virginia. His wife, Monica, and his children were at his side.

Wyatt showed a desire and ability to lead. At VMI, he was the class president, and at W&L, he was the president of his class, chaired the Moot Court, and was editor of the Law Review. Wyatt became enamored with political science, in which he earned a master’s degree at Johns Hopkins. After serving in the U.S. Air Force as a JAG officer, he began practicing law in Fairfax, Virginia. Wyatt represented Fairfax County in the House of Delegates for three terms. He ran as the Republican candidate for attorney general in 1981, and many of us supported him for governor in 1985 against the Democratic candidate, Gerald Baliles. Wyatt lost both elections and conceded the loss timely, with his characteristic grace and integrity. Wyatt was far more comfortable in jeans and T-shirts than suits and ties; he never missed a child’s sporting or school event and loved Jimmy Buffett. He had a great laugh and, above all, he was a casual, kind man with simple tastes and an unwavering devotion to his family.

William Russell “Bill” Gibbings passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours Oct. 17, 2025. He died looking at “his river” and holding the hands of his wife of 64 years (Joyce), son (David), and daughter (Elisabeth). They kept their promise to get him home.

Bill was a civil engineer, earned a Master of Engineering, and was both a professional engineer and professional land surveyor. For 29 years, he served in the Atlantic Division of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, traveling on 24 hours’ notice to any part of the world the Command needed him and received commendations for his efforts in Jamaica and Somalia. I can still remember his stories about Somalia.

Bill loved sailing and, of course, winning. Wednesday night was club racing at the Hampton Yacht Club, and during the summer, he entered his sailboat, Jonathan, in regional and other national sailboat racing events to include the “Down the Bay, Annapolis to Hampton.” His second loves were woodworking, reading, history, and

Class Notes

sharing his wisdom with others—whether they were ready for or seeking that wisdom or not.

Once Bill retired and did not have a weekly schedule to control him, he needed a way to mark Friday’s arrival. So, he developed a tradition, the now-famous “Beer and Cookies.” Every Friday at 4:30 p.m., the front door in their Virginia Beach home would open, and he and his wife, Joyce, would welcome neighbors, classmates from college and earlier, fellow sailors, former co-workers, and even friends of their adult children to have beer, wine, snacks, and camaraderie. Furry friends were also welcome! On the night of his passing, many friends and family gathered to raise a toast in his honor. A filled beer stein was left at his seat in his memory.

John Joseph Moorcones passed Oct. 27, 2025. John had a stroke some time ago and never fully recovered. His wife, Madeleine, said that John appreciated all of the cards and notes over the years. “John was not one to correspond.”

Bill Maurer roomed with John for 3 years. Bill remembers that John, an A company 4-year private, conducted a “blood drive” at VMI our 1st Class year and was proud that he gave two times that day. An obituary was not found.

Did you mark your calendar for our 65th Reunion April 13–14, 2026? Did you make your hotel reservation, as the room block ends March 13? Class headquarters is the Hampton Inn Col Alto. When you call 540-600-3410, select No. 1 for existing reservations, and that will direct you to the desk in Lexington. Sunday, early arrival is a class buffet (optional). Monday reunion check-in at Marshall Hall. The Alumni Association-sponsored dinner (optional). Tuesday is class lunch at the Center for Leadership and Ethics and class dinner at the Hampton Inn “Rockbridge Room.” If you can only be at VMI for 1 day, make it Tuesday for the memorial service, parade, picture, and class dinner. Transportation every 15 minutes to and from the Hampton Inn and VMI will be provided by the Alumni Association.

Just finished the notes, and our lunch guests arrived: My roommate, Carl Hirsch, and spouse Becky. They both look great.

I can only hope that I did not forget any brother rat who provided me with information. Please let me hear from you. Many asked how many we have lost. Of the 346 that signed the “book” to date (Nov. 14, 2025), 186 passed. These include those that did not graduate with us. God bless you, our country, the troops, the Institute, our new superintendent, and the VMI Corps of Cadets.

1962

Edmund R. Strickler

John Mott Robertson

I recently heard from Dan Prall, and he threw out an interesting fact that some of us may have known and others not. Did you know Dabney Coleman ’53 and Fred Willard ’55 weren’t the most famous comedians to go to VMI? That would be Mel Brooks. He attended the Army Specialized Training Reserve Program in 1944. You can read all about it in his autobiography “All About Me!” Dan is just vegetating in his Northwest Dallas suburb, growing all of his favorite veggies like tomatoes, cukes, and extremely hot peppers, watering nightly to let them survive until fall. He recently found in his garage a hat that doesn’t fit anymore. He prefers to think the leather headband shrank, rather than his head having grown larger. He bought some Brasso and can now use a power tool to polish rather than a lot of elbow grease.

Bill Fisher writes that he and Donna recently were in the San Diego area visiting family and friends. Their health is generally good despite their afflictions. Bill is currently having physical therapy to improve his walking and posture.

Weldon Eddins says that he and Nancy are in their 57th year of living in Hawaii and still enjoy it. They are fortunate to have their son, Todd, and his family living two houses away. He is one of the five justices on the Hawaii Supreme Court and has four children. They have one grandson in the Coast Guard, currently stationed in Hawaii; a granddaughter in med school, another grandson is a senior at UC San Diego; and then a bonus baby granddaughter is in the eighth grade. Their daughter, Beth Anne, and son-in-law are in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and Cape Cod and have three children who are all out of college and spread out from NYC to Virginia to Dallas. Their eldest grandson is a vice president at Goldman Sachs in New York, one granddaughter teaches school in Virginia, and the other granddaughter works for Fidelity in Dallas. Weldon and Nancy spend 4–5 months each year traveling the East Coast from Massachusetts to Florida, visiting family and friends. He is on the

tennis court almost every day, and this year has been fortunate enough to play singles in two of the four national grand slam events for super seniors (85-plus). These events are like the professional grand slams and are played on different surfaces. They usually have 32 players from the U.S. and internationally, and the winners get the coveted gold ball. Weldon was fortunate to win the hard court event in Laguna, California, in May, and also the grass court event at the prestigious Longwood Club in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, in August. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to make it to the final clay court event in Palm Beach, Florida, because it is too late in November for him. Although he did not enter the other hard court event that was played in July in Kansas City, he beat the winner of that event in each of the tournaments that he won. As a result, he could or should be ranked No. 1 in the U.S. He has since been encouraged to play on the U.S.A. America Cup team that competes in a different country each year.

Class Notes

Bethel, Virginia. What impressed me was that the people at the church told me what a great minister he had been and how much they hated to see him go.”

In his email, Gary Kaylor also mentioned that he participated in the 2025 National Senior Games during the last week in July, and he and his teammates earned a gold medal in 85-89-year-old men’s 3-on-3 basketball. He has now retired from playing basketball.

I recently had a nice conversation with Bill Ricketts, thanks to some urging from Gary Kaylor. Bill was the son of Maj. Ricketts and spent his last years in high school in Japan. He came to VMI because he wanted to make a career in the Army. After VMI, Bill was stationed in Germany for a period of time. After being discharged to the U.S. Army Reserve, he returned to Germany as a civilian. That is when he had the call to ministry. He retired in 2003 from Urbanna, Virginia, UMC. He returned to Luray, Virginia, in 2010. He retired from the reserve as lieutenant colonel in armor. He served as division chaplain for A/C Squadron S3, XO, CO. At one time, he volunteered with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation as one of 10 original in-costume interpreters, did research, and served on committees. He also helped design the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation logo. He and Mary Jane (now deceased) were married for 53 years and have one son, William III. His favorite recreation is UTV rock crawling in Utah, and his hobbies include oil painting. He likes to take a cruise at least once a year, and his next cruise is a European river cruise. Gary Kaylor commented the following: “I learned that he was the minister of the church in downtown Luray and went by there to visit with him one day. It just so happened that he had just left that church to go to one in

Lou Ritchie writes that he and Sue are doing very well and definitely enjoying life in South Florida. They are both still staying very active with aerobics classes, swimming, walking, golf, bike riding, etc. He recently called a halt to his shooting career and ended up selling all of his equipment.

George Collins recently had minimally invasive hip surgery performed by an excellent surgeon who trained as an engineer, then decided he wanted to be a surgeon. At about the same time, he had sciatica on both sides that needed attention, as well. This same practice did a full knee replacement 4 years ago. His 6 weeks of recovery should be well behind him now. Take a look at the picture George sent shortly after his return from the hospital. From the grin on his face, I would guess that some “happy pills” are involved!

Buck Bradley reported that he, Mott Robertson, Dave Plageman, and Ware Smith met the new superintendent, Lt. Gen. Furness ’87, at the VMI-Chattanooga football game and were very impressed with him and his family. Gen. Furness noticed Buck’s 1962 cap and remarked that it was the year he was born! Buck said that made him feel ancient but took it as a good omen. I think Buck should have “strained” him for that remark, but I doubt if he would have gotten very far.

Bob Miller reports on his birthday that he is still kicking, just not as hard. A couple of hip replacements have slowed him down some. He and his wife go to Silver Sneakers three times a week, he rides a recumbent elliptical three times a week, and does some slow walking. Keep moving seems to be the formula.

Cal Seybold has been trying to sell his birthday age as “58” without much success. He can’t imagine why?! It might have something to do with having a 57-year-old daughter? Cal and his family are healthy and enjoying short travel trips to places they would like to visit. They are going to visit the World War II Museum in New Orleans in November, so they are keeping busy.

Keith Block, on his birthday, says time sure marches on, and the only constant is change. There are not many VMI folks near him in Greenville, South Carolina, but he has been in touch with a few classmates, mainly by texting. He did see Randy Campbell and his wife a few months ago.

Roger Manack reports that he no longer lives in California and has moved to Dublin, Ohio. He is returning to my roots. It is a really fine community, so he feels lucky to land here.

Tom Henriksen is still writing articles about the current world political situation. Rosser Bobbitt reports that he and Kate are doing well and considering a move into WestminsterCanterbury in Virginia Beach. His new knee (installed December 2024) is doing well. Rosser says he must admit it’s weird being the same age as old people with parts reaching their expiration date. Their son, Max, and family live in Kuwait, where he is in his second year teaching middle

Class Notes

school science. He and Kate visited for 10 days this past spring. A photo of the family on a side trip to Abu Dhabi appeared in the previous issue of the Review.

I recently talked with Mott Robertson, and he and Diane had a nice visit with Nell and Howard Cobb Friday, Nov. 7. Howard is at the Lakewood Rehab facility, dealing with significant pulmonary issues. He was in good spirits and hopefully is making progress. Mott said he took his stethoscope out of retirement and checked out Howard and feels that he is doing pretty well. Hopefully, by the time this appears in print, he will be home and healed.

That’s it for another quarter. By the time this appears in print, it will be a new year, and I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and Christmas and that things are going well in 2026.

In the Spirit, Edmund

1963

William C. Cowardin

It’s been a quiet quarter for ’63. It’s become clear that we’re not taking as many trips or having the far-flung adventures of yesteryear. Age 84 is slowly winking into 85 as time rolls on. We have lost three brothers this quarter.

I have finally bowed to the passage of time and moved to independent living at The Chamberlin on Fort Monroe at Old Point Comfort in Hampton, Virginia. Bob Walton had the same idea before me, and I see him and Mary Landon almost daily. John Traynham ’62 is here, as is Rusty Evans ’65 and his wife, Ann Gordon. Fort Monroe overlooks the entrance to Hampton Roads. The Norfolk Naval Station is within view, and all shipping entering the harbor must pass just offshore at eye level. The fort has been located on what is nearly an island since the 1600s. During the Civil War, it was federal territory guarding the harbor. Jefferson Davis was imprisoned there. Ingalls Road is a charming thoroughfare bordered by crepe myrtles casting shade. Older brick residences built during the Army’s tenure line the avenues. There is a 2-mile seawall and several bathing beaches. Remarkably, the old fort is surrounded by a moat, within which lie barracks, a parade ground, and residences. Lincoln visited in 1865, and the house

he stayed in is preserved. I was told Robert E. Lee was stationed here before the war. The Army left in 2011, leaving it to the state of Virginia and the National Park Service as a national historical monument.

My address is 2 Fenwick Rd., Apt. 107, Fort Monroe, Virginia 23651. Same email and phone number. Billyc41@icloud.com and 757-8698221. Text, email, or call with your current activity, including children, grandchildren, and greats. I have now been presented with a great-grandson and great-granddaughter, 3 weeks old. Prod me, and you can get pictures.

The Tidewater BRs met Oct. 8 at the Hampton Yacht Club. Attending were Bob Waltlon, Ed Patnesky, Bill Bell, Bob Powell, Ed Key, Lee Spessard, Beau Walker, and Fred Lanier. I am told barracks stories were exchanged, and there was no talk of physical ailments. All are healthy and smiling in the attached pic.

The Richmond BRs met Nov. 11 at Kitchen 33.Three wisemen from the west, Reithmiller, Wells, and Moore, traveled to augment the gathering. Although they labeled themselves as the three wisemen from the west, they turned out to be the three wise guys. The lunch was a lot of fun on Veterans Day. Kitchen 33 has been very accommodating of ’63’s invasion every 2 months or so. I was able to get the whole contingent together for a pic, which is attached. It was an especially good time since the gathering was larger than usual.

Randy Williams kept track of preparations for Bunny’s memorial service in Connecticut and relayed information from Bunny’s son, Charlie. The event was streamed to the public.

Pete Brunel was in touch to comment that he

had subscribed to the current VMI newspaper, The Cadet. He also sent a photo Judy Amos published on Facebook of the Amos family at a granddaughter’s wedding: Reed, Judy, John, and Courtney.

Bob Powell said he was preparing to enter the Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury.

The gim report included Johnny Mills, but I’m happy to report he seemed fine at the Richmond gathering. Understand prayers are in order for Kent McCraney

Pat Kelly emailed, confirming Rick Ward’s passing.

Thanks, as always, to class agents emeritus, Mike Curley and Randy Williams, both of whom pass along news as it comes to them.

How’re you doing out to Walt Kleine, Denver Perkins, Norm Skinrood, Frank Allison, Bob Byrd, Hobbs Goodwin, Frank Drake, Gary Eifried, the Holtrys, Si Bunting, Bob Stocks, Eric Fygi, Jud Downs, Bill Wray, George Delk, and all the other brother rats of ’63 who don’t immediately come to mind whom I know and love from afar. Let us know how you are. We share an experience nobody else has. Share how it has affected you.

Everybody knows VMI has a new superintendent, retired U.S. Marine Lt. Gen David Furness ’87. He was a first captain and summa cum laude graduate. He assumed the superintendency Sept. 15, 2025. I will attend a dinner to meet him Nov. 17 in Williamsburg.

Taps: Mike Warring: Joseph Michael “Mike” Warring died in Queenstown, Maryland, Oct. 3, 2025. I received a lovely note from his wife, Elinor, mentioning that he had been battling Parkinson’s and dementia since 2016.

Bunny Reynolds: Howard Irvin “Bunny” Reynolds died Oct. 10, 2025. A memorial service was held Oct. 23, 2025. Bunny’s wife of 57 years, Judy,

Class Notes

survives. Bunny served the class as head of the Tucker Oliver fund and took great pleasure in the backgrounds of the cadets who were beneficiaries.

Rick Ward: Richard Franklin “Rick” Ward died Oct. 15, 2025, in Temple, Texas. Rick served 21 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as lieutenant colonel with three tours in Vietnam. His wife of 63 years, Carole, survives.

Putting together class notes every 3 months has become a labor of love, but it’s always easier when there’s more to talk about. Many thanks to all of you from whom I hear. Please share as often as you can. I’m all ears. Best wishes.

Bill

Another holiday approaches, and I reflect on brother rats lost this year. While a sad time indeed, we can also celebrate that, as a class, we stay so tight.

The following was pulled from an email in August from Bill McVey to Bill Garber: “We’re in Wilmington, North Carolina, with our family this week. Last week, we were at Havre de Grace, Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, showing our daughter, Shelley, and husband Eric, Bill’s roots. We hit every crab deck there and cracked crabs and enjoyed crab dip/spread for 5 nights in a row in Havre de Grace, Chesapeake City on the canal, Waterman’s crab deck in Rock Hall, and the Crab Claw in St. Michael’s in Oxford. We did the exact trip with our precious daughter, Kellie, in 2018, and her son, Coleman, in 2013. Bill and Coleman sailed the Chesapeake on that trip and cracked crabs every day. A hurricane better stay away. We’ve evacuated too many times in the past from Bald Head Island. Health-wise, we’re hanging in. Sending our love to all brother rats and their ladies.”

Bill Garber, in response to Bill McVey’s email: “Thanks for all your news, Millie. Not sure of your schedule, but you all are only about 1:15 away. If you could sneak out for lunch before you return, Marion and I would be happy to drive down. The storm should pass without much fuss, as long as it stays out at sea. So far, so good.”

Ken Dice: “Well, I guess I have missed your cutoff to VMI, but maybe you can put this in your file for next time. We just finished a 10-day cruise to Alaska. Cruises are great. Three meals a day. Someone makes your bed and cleans your room. Activities to keep you busy, or just curl up and read a good book. The weather was great,

and we had great views of the still snow-covered mountains. We did take a whale watching trip that gave us close-up views of several feeding whales. Our trip ended in Vancouver, so we were able to drop down to Portland and spend a few days with our son’s family before the grandkids returned to college, one at Georgetown and the other at Notre Dame. Even though I missed the cutoff, thanks for the reminder of what your schedule is for your submission to VMI.”

Class agent note: VMI needs my Alumni Review class notes on the 15th of February, May, August, and November. I need input from you guys no later than the 10th of those months so I can cut, paste, and edit. Your cooperation is appreciated.

W.J. Kitchen: “Congratulations to you and Sherrel on celebrating your 60th wedding anniversary. It is a great picture of you two and your family in the current Alumni Review. You have a beautiful family that justifiably makes you proud. Also, a great picture of Butch and Joan Nunnally. On July 2, Lauranne and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Something I say that Lauranne hates is that I tell people that we have been married for 96 years, just not to each other.

“Lauranne and I are doing mostly well, certainly fortunate for our lot in life. This year has been a busy one. We took our second trip to Antarctica (mostly different from the first—this time going inside the Antarctic Circle); Brazil/Uruguay; Eastern Europe from Budapest to Bucharest; plus a couple of hiking trips to Arizona. We had three grandchildren graduate from high school in June, a grandson got promoted to high school, and a great-granddaughter got promoted to first grade. All of the graduations were great, and all entailed travel and parties. One grandson has started at Purdue, another will be entering UCSB in a few weeks, and our granddaughter will be starting at a community college.

“We are still trying to stay active with our almost daily cycling, hiking, or kayaking activities. We have a couple of international trips remaining this year. In another week, we leave on a small-ship adventure through the Northwest Passage, following the route of Roald Amundsen (Norwegian explorer who was the first to reach the North Pole), and then, in late October, we are headed to Ethiopia.

“We have decided that 2026 will be our last year for international travels with our VMI travel group you started back in 2006. Separate from the VMI groups, we have three trips for 2026, including Madeira and the Canary Islands in March, Northern Argentina/Chile in late August, and Sri Lanka/Colombo/Candy/Yala in October. We are currently planning on the return from the Argentina trip to stop in Florida and

Class Notes

see as many of our brother rats as possible. We are hoping you will have our room ready for us.

“We are hopeful that someday soon we will be able to host some of our ’64 brother and sister rats.”

Bill McVey: “I just finished reading our latest class notes. I see you’re not getting much help from the BRs, myself included. I’ll try to do better. Having the ‘get it in by’ dates and when to expect to see ‘it’ were very educational. I did enjoy what notes there were; great photo of your family. You and Sherrel rank mighty high on the fittest-looking in the class.

“In the photo of those at Walt’s service, instead of Penny Cummings, it should have been Jenny Cummings Agnor. The Cummings were the first to get a place on the Tappahannock ‘Rivah.’ John Cummings helped John Thornton find a place nearby not long after, and Walt and Karen Sykes found another a mile or so away a couple years later. The three couples were inseparable. Now, only Jenny and Ronnie remain. Since Millie and Thorny were both from Culpeper, and Jenny, John, Millie, and I dated together, I’ve known them all since 1962.”

Bill Mendel, “Just an update. Lila and I are still living in Northwest Florida in the town of Shalimar, where we have enjoyed a great summer. Our two sons visited with their families, thankfully at separate times, and of course, we always appreciate the time with the grandchildren. There are eight of them, so I have to be careful sorting out all the names. I am keeping somewhat busy working part-time on the faculty of the U.S. Special Operations Command schoolhouse, Joint Special Operations University. It is located at MacDill AFB in Tampa, 400 miles from home. I travel there about five times a year, teaching a counterterrorism course we developed for international students. In my August class was Major Teng-Yin Lin ’16. He is a special ops guy from the Republic of China (Taiwan) Army. It is a lot of fun working with foreign students like Major Lin, and it’s hard to consider it as real work. Trust all are happy and well. Regards to all our brother rats.”

W.J. Kitchen, in a follow-up email: “We are doing well and staying busy. This past Sunday, we went to the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar air show, billed as the largest air show in the U.S.A. After both of us living here for more than 25 years, this is the first time we have ventured out to it. It was great, and the 3-day event drew over 500,000 attendees. It also marked the 250th birthday of the Marine Corps. There were aircraft from all of the services, as well as from a number of our allies, plus numerous live demonstrations, including a wonderful Blue Angels show. It had been a while since we’ve seen the Blue Angels perform, and their show was outstanding. I know your nephew flew with them. I wore my VMI shirt and VMI hat, and this is the first time wearing these that I did not get a single comment from anyone. “In mid-September, we returned from an 18day, small-ship adventure through the Northwest Passage. Its history is amazing, and many explorers lost their lives attempting to find the passage. It was a great trip, which we enjoyed. “The passage connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. We did a 4-plus-mile, round-trip hike to the ice field. It is the largest calving glacier in

the Northern Hemisphere, a UNESCO World Heritage site where we observed a small portion of ice produced every day. While on our trip, we encountered a pod of 50-plus narwhals, a first for all, including the expedition team. We also saw over 100 beluga whales swimming together, as well as at a different site, seeing a mother polar bear with two cubs. These were amazing viewing.”

Don Jones, always a wonderful correspondent: “Hope all is well with you and Sherrel. Diana and I are doing well for our age. Things continue to be busy here in Appomattox with local events and activities. EDA and tourism activities, as well as church matters, keep me rather busy. In addition to these, I have been asked to sit on the real estate tax equalization board for the county due to the recent tax reassessment that has occurred. It should be an interesting experience. This is the first reassessment in the county in 6 years.

Class Notes

had a good time. Talking to cadets was interesting and enjoyable. The event is well done. I hope that more BRs will attend next year.”

I very recently received a nice note from Dianne Crush, “Tom passed away Sept. 15. He had a stroke and did not recover. At his funeral, we received a beautiful floral arrangement from his brother rats via Dan DeForrest. I didn’t have Dan’s address, so hope you will pass this thank you to him and Tom’s brother rats.

“I have also been working with the Alumni Association on the NMLA project. They are going to provide a dinner meal for the 2026 cadet NMLA committee, as they wanted to do a Zoom call. I have asked them to invite all remaining 64 members of the committee to the dinner. These are Mike Murphy, King Von Schilling, and, I believe, Warren Budd. I am also asking Tom Davis to be there, as well. I have purchased 15 copies of the ‘Corps Forward’ book edited by Colonel Gibson ’77 to present to the total committee to assist them in their effort. I think you know that this book contains bios on all of the New Market cadets.

“I was really pleased to see that the BOV chose Dave Furness ’87 as the next superintendent. He is the right man for the position at this time. It’s a long story, but I had a minor part in his admission to VMI in 1983. I worked with his father in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, when he was trying to get into VMI. His first attempt failed due to grades and the fact that he had a disastrous first year at Harrisburg Community College. His Dad asked me if I could help. I suggested he write a letter to the dean, Colonel Buchanan ’50B, and ask for an appointment to see him. He got a positive response from the dean, and I called and asked the dean to speak with him. He did, and Dave was admitted to VMI based on that letter he wrote and his interview. Changes have already been implemented, and more are to come, taking VMI back to what it was 5 years ago, with many more improvements, including physical fitness.”

King von Schilling was the one who told me

of the death of Bill Cox. In thanking him for notifying us, here’s his response: “Glad to help out, wish it was something other than a death notice. On a brighter note, I started therapy yesterday to stop this dizziness. I’m optimistic. Hope you and all your clan are well and stay that way.”

Tom Sebrell sent a photo of a regular group lunch he participates in, as well as a photo of him on horseback. I’m not sure how he does that. Very stressful.

Buzz Birzenieks sent a short email from only 2 days ago, “Last Friday, the Institute Society Dinner was held at Marshall Hall. Present from our class were Bill and Kay Welsh, Dick and Mary Dean, and Jane and me. All were well and

“Tom was proud of VMI. He was a project manager at Wiley|Wilson in Lynchburg for 37 years. He retired in 2008 but did consulting for several years. We moved to Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, in October 2024. He loved his three children and five grandchildren so much.

“I always enjoy reading the notes in the Alumni Review. Tom and I were married over 55 years. Good wishes to the class of ’64 and VMI. Again, thank you for the beautiful arrangement. Sincerely, Dianne Crush.” Another class agent note: Dan DeForrest and Bob Warren handle all the details necessary to provide the arrangements. As a class, we provide these for the death of either the BR or the spouse. Bob reminds me that Dan does 90% of the work, but I like knowing Bob is in the wings if Dan’s not available. At present, we have enough remaining class funds for a year or two. But, in the future, I’ll be reaching out for donations.

In response to a question by me, Jeff Crump said he won’t be able to come to Florida for his annual baseball tournament. He has had surgery for cancer of the prostate. He says he’s recovering nicely and hopes to get back on the ball playing circuit.

Finally, thanks to all of you who corresponded.

1965

C. Lou Siegel

Greetings! It’s Nov. 15, and I’m consolidating a bit late. Mary Price has a tough schedule to meet. I am appreciative for all that she does to keep things together for us. Thank you, Mary.

Here are two Veterans Day notes: From Johnny Mac Marshall, seconded by Liam Murphy:

“Good morning. On this special day, we remember all of the veterans among us, past and present, who have served our country honorably in peace and in war. Those who have gone before us we remember and cherish fondly, and for those who are still with us, we wrap our spirits around them. God bless them all, and God bless America!” Oorah!

Conrad Hall and a few of our brother rats attended the Institute Society Dinner Nov. 7, and he passes this message on: “Lou, a late entry for the Review. Last Friday in Marshall Hall—see the picture. Wish that you and Greg could have been there. A beautiful parade Saturday morning, Corps looked fantastic.”

Bob Palmer’s wife, Mary, has sent a heartfelt note: “So sorry if this is a repeat, but Bob Palmer died July 16. You (all) have done such a great job keeping my Bob in the loop. He missed you guys and spoke of you often. God bless you all.”

Johnny Mac Marshall: “If summer wasn’t busy enough, autumn started with a bang ... that continues. I was sent on several cases in East Texas, some of which were (surprisingly) bitter divorce and child custody disputes. What made them ‘out of the ordinary’ is that some of them involved non-English-speaking spouses, which only increased the hostility. Of course, from my perspective, that makes them ‘interesting?’ As usual, good lawyers made me look wise and judicious. Later in October, Jamie, Victoria, and I went to Walt Disney World for our annual ‘family vacation.’) It was perfect weather before the hurricane season and after the suicide at the hotel (not our hotel, of course). As usual, it was excellent food and ambiance, and we didn’t want to leave. Jamie had to get back to her work, though, so. ... Also, I know that I speak for the entire class in thanking you, Lou, for all the hard work you have done over the years to cheer us on, and also thanks to Joanie for keeping you on the straight and narrow for us. We wish all of the BRs a happy Thanksgiving and blessed Christmas!

“In October, thanks to Charlie Sachs ’79, I was privileged to participate in the Cadet–Alumni Career Networking Forum at VMI. This was an opportunity for cadets in all classes to meet alumni from various career backgrounds to get a ‘feel’for what might be available after graduation if the military should not be in their future. Obviously, I was put on the panel for the law [and was the oldest person there], but at least the cadets saw what the future could look like. I had the good fortune to have my younger daughter, Victoria J.M. Smith, with me. As a former Army captain with Iraq service and a registered nurse with ER and burn unit experience, she was on the

Class Notes

panel for healthcare. Overall, it was a lot of fun, a happy memory of Moody Hall. We look forward to the next one.”

Dave Kiger: “Lou, I just finished writing you a long narrative, and the ^&*# thing got lost in cyberspace. So, I’m trying again. My back swing is still bad, as well as my golf game. I do like to play golf with my wife, even though she beats me most of the time. I still can cut my toenails because I do stretching exercises every morning for about half an hour, including push-ups and squats, and work out with light dumbbells. I only take simvastatin and vitamin D. Lynda and I try to walk 2 miles a day and play pickleball about three times a week. Enclosed is a picture of my daughter, her husband, and grandchildren. I’m very proud of my daughter because she was just ordained as a deacon in the Methodist Church, which requires a lot of training, just as much as a minister would do. She preaches probably once every 2 months and has children’s sermons every Sunday. One granddaughter is an event planner at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville; grandson just got his cybersecurity license, but he is still looking for a job; and one grandchild is a senior at Virginia Tech. And—I haven’t fallen now in a year. The last time I fell, I hit my head and lost my memory for about 2 hours, but I’m fine. I did that playing pickleball.”

Mike Sexton: “Hey, Lou—Got your note. This past weekend, I went to the VMI-Citadel football game. Did well in the first half but faded in the second. Saw brother Larry Umberger there, met the new superintendent, class of ’87—first impression very positive. Was a great World Series ... Was pulling for the Blue Jays, but you’ve got to give the Dodgers credit. My days on the golf course are over, but sure enjoyed my time on the links ... Something about two hip replacements ... you’ve got me on the pills. I’m six and six. As far

Class Notes

as reading goes, being one of Doc Carroll’s boys, I still enjoy reading medical books (Mayo Clinic and Bottom Line), and also a good mystery once in a while. All for now. Stay warm!”

Curtis White: “Karl (Zeller) and I were able to get together in Draper, Utah, for a nice evening of cocktails and supper. Our wives were with us, Jill and Mary, and it turns out they have a lot in common from both growing up in Utah. Best wishes to you all. 65, 65, 65!!”

Jack Wilkerson: “Greetings, pray for you often in hopes you are stronger. ... Below is a picture that I previously sent, but not sure you received it. ... The picture was taken on the porch of the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island, Michigan, as Brenda and I toured through Michigan in our camper, celebrating our 60th wedding anniversary! A great place to visit in upper Michigan! Blessings.” (The picture was too small, but they look great.) And the finale, Bill Ryan: “All—we are headed to Florida.”

hassles with the house and yard and more time to enjoy our family, friends, and travel.” So they took an ocean liner from Florida to Barcelona, Spain—and he says the trip was made “all the more enjoyable as we were joined by your sister and Tom.” Randy also notes that aging has “brought about more aches and pains with the accompanying doctor’s appointments. So it’s a good thing retirement gives one time to attend to them!” In the “small world category,” Woody and Lori Sadler were on a Great Lakes cruise and ran into Jim and Susan Whitehurst. Randolph and Priscilla Williams, Doug and Arona Richard, Parky and Mary Fran Parkman, Paul and Joanne Robblee, and Duane and Linda Williams enjoyed a couple of quiet and relaxing days at Wintergreen Resort as a warm-up for our 60th Reunion.

In October 2025, Rick Kiernan was honored by the Army Public Affairs Association and selected to receive the Joe Galloway Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes a lifetime of sustained support to the Army public affairs/ visual information community. Rick, a career Army PAO with more than 26 years of awardwinning service, is also a three-time recipient of the Maj. Gen. Keith L. Ware Award for Excellence in Journalism. Congratulations, Rick! Al and Gail Carr hosted Jim and Kathleen Syzmanski and their 135-pound mastiff, Bella, for a visit to Lexington this past October. They, along with Bob and Natalie Odom, Paula and Joanne Robblee, and Cliff Martin had a pleasant evening at Devils Backbone for craft beer and dinner. Cliff informed us that he is expecting the arrival of his second and third great-grandchildren, a boy and a girl. Bob, our youngest class member, and I, the oldest, continue to “serve as bookends in any such gathering.” Al’s comment: “We all appeared to be sentient, and so far as I can tell, no one spilled food or drink on themselves or others, which is about as high an accomplishment as we can expect, given our ages.” (Yes, Al, I had to look up the definition of “sentient”—laughing!)

the Uptons’ son, Michael ’87 (VMI ’87), and his wife, Cynthia, for a few days in Santa Fe. Not bad for four 81-year-olds, right?? Stay tuned for next year!”

Rob Ritchie and Dave Pinkus were “on the road again” to Colorado recently. Once again, they had some pretty good adventures, but since I received no casualty reports ... all’s well that ends well! They are everywhere! Rich Hines was in a Publix at the end of October and sees a tall guy with a VMI hat, so naturally he goes over to meet him ... and, it turns out he is Dave “Mongo” Montgomery ’78, Ron Carter’s ’78 roommate and VMI’s center on its great ’77/’78 teams. Seems like a great guy—even showed me he was wearing

Randy Earnest writes that he and his wife, Gibby, sold their house last April and moved to a condo in Old Town, Alexandria. “No more

Jim and Sandra Smith completed a 17-day, 3,100-mile “Southwest road trip,” along with Jim and Judy Upton (their special travel buddies), through five states: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. “They visited nine national parks, four state parks, four historic monuments, and the Hoover Dam. They watched hundreds of hot air balloons inflating for lift-off at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival ... until high winds prevented launching that day! Other trip highlights were riding the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, the Grand Canyon Railroad, and the Old Town Santa Fe Trolley. They were joined by

a VMI basketball T-shirt under his top. Needless to say, I thanked him for all he did and the glory days of VMI basketball!” Thanks, Rich ... good story.

In early November 2025, Chuck Johnson ran/participated in the 2025 Marine Corps Marathon. Congratulations, Chuck! Quite an accomplishment!

Jim Smith advised that every 90 days or so, a group of brother rats and wives try to get together for dinner. Recently, they gathered in Ashland, Virginia, where the Smiths live. Joining Jim and Sandra were Herb and Nancy Chittum, John McEwen, Delores Lee, Doma Browder (Jamie), and Sandy Smith (Guthrie). Mike and Gloria Talley, Jim and Judy Upton, and Clark Reifsnider attended the memorial service for Charlie Schmaus. They were joined by Bill Blair ’64, as well as many players from the Classes of ’76 and ’77 championship teams. Mike, Jim, Bill, and many others gave meaningful, often funny, comments about Charlie. It was a wonderful

tribute, and the underlying theme was Charlie’s impact on so many people.

Reyn Young recently finished a long trip to Italy. In his words: “It was wonderful, but I did come home! Hit all the places Virginia and I had missed on prior trips ... and a big break to heal after the five surgeries. Here are the basics: Had a car and driver, as you can’t rent a car in Italy once you pass 80 years old. Had a guide as well for most of the touring around. First month: Sicily, Pisa, and Lucca. (Bypassed Rome and the Jubilee ... way over touristed).

Second month: Apartment in Florence with day trips to Perugia, Assisi, Siena, Monteriggioni, San Gimignano, Volterra, Bologna, and the hills surrounding Florence. The final week was pure rest ... just terrific!”

Finally, Jerry Homiller’s granddaughter will be spending the next 4 years in Lexington. At W&L! They are still in Midlothian and have been since 1989. Their general health remains good, and their energy and mobility are still OK. They are fortunate that both sons and their families live within a few miles, so they are able to see them frequently. “For the grandkids, it is either for chauffeur services, e.g., marching band, lacrosse, volleyball, and swim team meets, or when they just drop by for a visit. After 52 years of wedded bliss, we finally took our first major non-domestic vacation trip last fall to England and France. We enjoyed that trip so much that we signed up for a trip package to Portugal and Spain next spring, a few weeks after our 60th Reunion. We are looking forward to both trips.” Thank you, Jerry. Enjoy! Thanks to all of you for your kind words and support.

Your next photos and inputs will be due to me by mid-February of 2026, and I will email you to remind you of that.

Take care, enjoy your families and fellow brother rats, and I look forward to seeing you this April at VMI for our 60th Reunion.

All My Best to Each of You,

Nick

1967

Lonnie Jan Abernathy

Today is Oct. 23, and I just received an email from a rat girl saying it is almost time to change uniforms from whites to woolies. She is a Southern girl where weather swings are usually more subtle, but today, her company was marching on the Parade Ground, (she is a USMC candidate, and you know, Marines have changed the name of our beloved Parade Ground), and the heavy frost (the first she has seen?) made everything slippery. That, and it messed up her shoes. I did check the weather in Rockbridge, and the temperature was in the 60s later in the day. It will be a while before the uniform changes to wool. In our day, rats did not have white ducks until spring, and we started in wool. Only Band Company rats were obligated to borrow ducks for parades to look as if they

were normal. Oh, and I suspect the Marines will have a few more surprises for her in the future. If you have any thoughts or fond memories about uniforms in our day, please send them in, and I will share them with everyone. I remember collarettes, wool allergies, and all manner of trying to stay warm. Overcoats were the worst! I add that one of the nicest things about following cadets for years is the often contacts with them as adults. One of this issue’s photos is Joan and myself with Kelly Sullivan ’01 from the first class of female graduates. Many of you will remember that Joan and I mentored her through all 4 years at VMI, and she has since become a spokeswoman for the school on many occasions. She has become one of the most successful female grads of all years.

It is always sad to recount the BRs who have passed since the last Alumni Review.

Clai Minor and Mike Hall are the latest at this writing. The class was represented with a red, white, and yellow floral tribute for each one.

Wayne Marshall sent one of many memories of Mike Hall. “Half a century-plus since Charlie Company under your command passed in review to the tune of the ‘Washington Post March.’” All the tankers were impressive in the Class of ’67, but I’ll always remember the jut of your jaw in formation and the way that you got things done without all of the theatrics that some of the others seemed to require. All things considered, I think that we’ve had a pretty good string, and after the killing fields of Cambodia, I find it hard to complain about the body-destroying waste of old age. In my heart, I still feel like a 21-year-old graduate taking off to save the world, and I hope that you do, too. When God hits the reset button and sends us on to the next level, I’ll be proud to march with you again, and we’ll give them another ration of #$@%.”

I remind all BRs to read the After Taps section of this Alumni Review for a submission from J.I. Orrison on Mike Hall’s passing. He also attended the service for Mike that included full military honors, including taps, 21-rifle salute, and “Amazing Grace.”

Recently, I received a birthday gift from Joan of the four-volume set of books by Col.William Couper ’904

Class Notes

titled, “One Hundred Years At VMI,” printed in 1939. The set is around 1,400 pages of often minute trivia about the beginning of the school, but it does contain interesting tidbits of among the dull minutiae of the early days in the 1800s of getting the place up and running. I will add a few words along the way and quote Col. Couper’s words. For example, in 1840, there was a discussion of finding athletic distractions for cadets to stop swinging from the chain fence and playing ball “within the yard of the Institute.” Swimming seemed to be a summer-month activity, and cadets were marched to the North River (what we knew as the Nile) Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays to bathe and thus combine sport and cleanliness. A caution was soon added after numerous complaints were cited about “bathing too close to the bridge,” and cadets were to “not further annoy the females near Jordan’s Point.” Sounds normal to me, as cadets seem to have a propensity to be annoying around females. I guess this was the beginning of naked rat swimming at VMI.

I received a short note from Jim Cain saying he was not getting my emails. So this is a reminder to let me know when you change service or just do not hear from me. Jim is back in the ’67 loop now. Taylor Roberts and wife Aimee sent an email saying they live in Bonita Springs, Florida, and Vienna, Virginia. They have a place in both areas, and they are well. John Forsyth: “Our early mornings are turning crisp as the maple trees shed their forest green for scarlet. Snow is flying at the highest elevations, as well. Time for me to get our vehicles serviced and checked over before the rush. Bill and Mikal Hoofnagle had a flight change in Denver Sept. 15 on their way to the islands for a bit of golf. Leslie and I picked them up at their airport hotel and brought them to our Castle Pines place for the afternoon. It was good to see them for a few minutes, since our last get-together was in October 2022. When Bert Burchard shared a photo about the rehab on a Nike missile site, Mike Mears sent this: “I grew up directly across the James River from this site. Years later, I commanded the San Francisco launcher site area, SF

88 (the only other park), and later your sister site in Rockville, Maryland. Bruce Weiner was seeking information to contact Barry Hedquist for the Pinehurst golf event, but I told him Terry Moore and I had been trying to contact him also with no success. The games went on without Barry, and as of this writing, he is still missing. Bruce said, “It’s been a lovely mini reunion. It’s a good thing it’s not about golf, though, since our golf games (with a few exceptions) are pretty bad!

“In the newspaper article and discussions about the removal of the Ezekiel statue, J.I. Orrison shared a sound opinion: “Everyone is entitled to their opinion. He, obviously, feels strongly about his own. Even a casual knowledge of history shows that our Civil War was about a great many more issues than slavery. There is no defense for that institution. But, to vilify the patriotism and dedication of fellow Americans who were Confederate soldiers, based on that one issue, is to denounce many of the concepts of liberty that created our nation.” And later from John Burgess: “I’m glad they are restoring the statue. I think it was a mistake to remove all the monuments that were taken down ... Those men fought for the losing side, but they had sterling integrity and grit along with being gentlemen.” Mike Miley: “Hi Jan. I don’t know if I sent this or not. If not, here goes. Sally and I are enjoying life in Middleton, Wisconsin. We recently downsized from our house on Lake Mendota to a condo also on the lake. We are lucky that our two daughters, who had lived far away, moved here for different reasons. I am 7

or 8 years out from having my pancreas removed due to cancer. My surgeon said I am lucky! That means I am a type I diabetic, but that is a small price to pay. We are otherwise in good health. We are really enjoying ourselves. I don’t do much other than read and walk the dog. We have become used to the cold winters, but the other seasons are nice. I was working in a free clinic, but I stopped when I got cancer. Sally is very busy with volunteering. I hope you are well.” Johnny Watt Vaughan had an observation on the Alumni Review photos that do not meet editor acceptance: “Next time your photos ‘do not meet the editor’s standards’ ask them why the photo on the front cover of the 2025-Issue 3 of the Alumni Review showed a cadet with his pants partially unzipped met the standards?” Fred Smith: “In July, we went to Chattanooga so I could take a Bob Ross painting class. Bob Ross said I had promised not to give up. I’ve been painting Bob Ross pictures since January, but nothing before that. I really enjoyed painting the ocean wave crashing on the beach that is attached. (Sent by email.) August was family time at the beach, Duck, North Carolina, and then we headed off to Newmar in Nappanee, Indiana, for some RV repair work, then on to Maine touring. We did a whale watching tour and saw a whale breaching, but unfortunately didn’t get the picture—just the picture of the whale waving. Oh well, you have to take what you can get. Will keep rolling until the wheels fall off. Stay well, Jan, and carry on. Fred.”

Bob Nablo’s search for info on a map from

Vietnam with a “B Nablo” printed on it sparked a lot of answers from BRs, and some were helpful. He anticipates going back with some friends from the area in the future and wants to visit the area. Randy Heneberger had many questions for Terry Moore’s exhaustive efforts to keep ’67 records accurate and up to date. Terry’s charts are constantly being updated, and helpful observations are welcome. Joan spoke with Carole Green recently. Joan is reaching out to widows and wives regarding the 60th Reunion in order to get them involved with this important milestone. Carole is well and is taking golf lessons now with an old friend. Carol said she definitely wants to be involved with our next reunion, along with other wives who have already volunteered. So far, we only know the reunion will be in the spring 2027. Older classes such as ours are usually during the week instead of on a weekend. Gail Palmer, Ruben Terry’s longtime friend, says she is glad to be on the ’67 email list and read about so many of their friends. Gretchen Fox Stein sent a message: “I just received my Review, which I always enjoy, and I saw your photo with Karl Kanitz and Mike Bagnulo. I am sure you enjoy meeting up with brother rats wherever there’s a gathering. I wanted to ask if you could share email addresses for Lane Kelly and Jimmy Rogers. I had both at one time, but I can’t find them now, and I would like to reach out to them both. Thanks in advance for your help. Gretchen.”

In the past, I have suggested that you are welcome to add a subject or paragraph to our notes.

Jim Phlegar sent a good overall review of the history of the annual golf trip that many BRs participate in at the courses at Pinehurst, North Carolina: Many BRs are aware that members of the Class of ’67 have been making an annual golf trip to the Pinehurst, North Carolina, area since the 1990s. This year was no exception, and posted elsewhere in these class notes is a picture of the 2025 participants. Jim sends the narrative as follows: “As a class, we have entered our eighth decade of life, and many of the prior participants deemed it worthwhile to chronicle the evolution of these outings, and to recognize/ remember those who have participated over the years. The first outing occurred in September 1995 and included Robert Klink, Kip Jones, Bruce Weiner, and George Sanborn. Robert, having practiced medicine earlier in Pinehurst, was given the task of organizing the event. Robert used the services of the Pinecrest Inn for both lodging and arranging the golf courses to be played. Although the scheduling of the first year was a bit different, in subsequent years, arrival in Pinehurst took place on a Wednesday, and

departure was the following Sunday. The first outing was played in early September until it was determined that lodging and golf rates escalated significantly after Sept. 1, so subsequent events were scheduled in August.

Being hardy specimens, we played 18 holes on the day of arrival, 36 holes Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 18 holes on the Sunday of departure. Also, it helps to be somewhat daft to play that many rounds in the August heat. The golf venues included many different local Pinehurst-area courses, but only once did we play a Pinehurst Resort course (No. 7). Over the early years, the size of the group increased from four to eight, and then to 12, but we followed the same playing regimen. In 2011, Robert Klink upgraded our accommodations by virtue of his membership at the Pine Needles Lodge in nearby Southern Pines. Also, we began to play far fewer daily rounds of golf. Around 2013, Tom Gillette organized a spring Pinehurst trip for several years, but the weather at that time of year was problematic, and interest waned. About 2015, we again increased the number of participants as the Pine Needles Lodge allowed us more flexibility in this regard. Robert decided that he had had enough trip organizing, and Kermit Quick became our organizer that year. In 2016, we had some 20 participants, which was our largest group. 2025 was our 30th year, including several years in which there were two outings. We missed 1 year in 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Will there be a 31st? We don’t yet know, but Kermit will gauge the level of interest over the next several months. What we do know is that the experience of this year’s participants, who viewed years of pictures and recalled personal memories to put together this chronology, was deeply satisfying and indicative of the bonds of our BRs. It was never about the golf; it is about the camaraderie. Tubby Wilkinson said many times that this was his favorite annual activity. Below, in alphabetical order, are the names of the BRs who have participated in past years (asterisk denotes deceased): Larry Adams; Mike Bagnulo; Bill Brent; Jim Cain; Ken Chun*; Dave Fink*; William Fleshood; Tom Gillette; John Goode; Jameson (Jamie) Hannah; Barry Hedquist; John Holt; Rick Irby; Kip Jones; Jim Joyner*; Karl Kanitz; Lane Kelly; Robert Klink; Gary Maxwell*; Carter Melton; Ted Mervosh; Jack Mundy*; Dave Neel; Jim Phlegar; Kermit Quick; George Sanborn; Mike Schlosser*; Joe Stafford; Ruben Terry*; John Vaughn; Jack Vest; Bob Ward; Bruce Weiner; Dave (Tubby) Wilkinson*; and Robert (Tex) Young.” Looking forward to hearing more reports and getting more future photos to share of these stalwarts. Please

Class Notes

contact Kermit Quick for any details about any future golf outing plans at Pinehurst.

Neil Schlussel: “Just returned (Aug. 20) from a river cruise on the Columbia and Snake Rivers along the Washington/Oregon border. Great trip, fantastic scenery, and interesting towns along the way. Went from Clarkston, Washington, to Astoria, Oregon, and ended in Portland, Oregon. Had a lecturer on board who gave three talks on Lewis and Clark (one on the trip going out that we all knew about but with more details), another on their return trip (never learned about this in school), and a third on what happened to the principals of the trip after they returned to civilization. A highlight of the trip was a visit to Mount St. Helens and its visitor center. Went through eight dams along the cruise (all about a 100-foot drop) and different designs, including one designed as a guillotine (very interesting), not the door type most of us know about. The fish ladders were very interesting—had never seen these before. My son and family returned to Virginia in July, where he is the associate director for the Directorate for Resource Integration, deputy chief of staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. (not bad for a

Class of 1967: Attending the class’ 31st annual golf outing at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina, in September 2025 are (from left) Ted Mervosh, Karl Kanitz, Joe Stafford, Mr. Kirk (golf bag manager), Mike Bagnulo, Tom Gillette, Jim Cain, Jim Phlegar, George Sanborn, Kermit Quick, (kneeling) Kip Jones, and Bruce Weiner.

force protection (cop) guy). It is great to have him and his children back living near me (1.5 miles away). I am as recovered as I will be from my back surgery in 2024. The only restriction I have is to try and not to lift anything more than about 50 pounds, and I have a hard time bending and picking up things off the floor. Pick-up sticks work great, and I have them in all levels of my house. I am back to biking and/or walking on a daily basis. Picture attached of my friend (Shelli Ross) and me at Mount St. Helens overlook.” Neil.

My notes jump around quite a lot. The story from Neil missed my deadline, so it will be sent by email, also with a great photo. I hope your submission has been added to these notes or sent separately by email so as not to be 6 months old before the class can read about your happenings.

Thanks to you all and your wives for sending in information, along with photos and memories to share. If anything you send does not appear in these notes, I will try to send it by email to the class. The notes for all classes have a size restriction and only a maximum of five photos for each issue. Spring will almost have arrived when you receive this issue. Your BRs want to hear from you. If you are not receiving frequent emails with current class news and wish to do so, please let me know.

In the Spirit, Jan

1968

Tom Hickey

John Hart (Staunton, Virginia): “I got a new coffee cup from my wife last March on my birthday. It said ‘80, really 18 with 62 years of experience.’ I taught my 30th edition of the Wastewater Operators Short Course this August at Virginia Tech. I am going for 31 in 2026.

“In July, I went on a church mission trip to Washington County, Virginia. Our crew of youths built a 32’ ramp, plus a 5’ square platform, and then an 8’ ramp. With our son now working for the VMI Alumni Association, that means we get to see our grandson play lacrosse for Rockbridge County HS. That has been great.”

Betty Laine (River Forest, Illinois), widow of Herb Laine: “I’m doing well but still have moments when I think I hear Herbert in the other room, coming in the door, think I need to remember to tell him something, etc. Am sure it will be a long time (if ever) for that to stop. My

family is taking good care of me, and I do ‘grandmother’ duties often. We took our annual trip to the Outer Banks last month. A friend and I were out to lunch one day and, when leaving, ran into Betty and Roddy Delk! What a nice surprise. Please continue to send me the VMI news. I enjoy keeping up with the brother rats.”

Gil Piddington (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina): “Life has been good for Tracey Ann and me. We live on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, from late September until late May and in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, from June into September. We are fortunate to have lots of active friends and visitors and pickleball and golf in both places. One of our Hilton Head friends is a former VMI commandant and brother rat of our new superintendent, of whom he speaks most highly. Like mostly everyone our age, we have some health issues, but so far they aren’t slowing us down. We recently returned from our seventh European river cruise. The first six were on Viking boats in Western Europe, and the most recent was a wine cruise with AMA Waterways on the eastern Danube from Budapest to Bucharest, visiting Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania. All these Balkan countries were under communist control for 45 years, and Romania borders Ukraine. I’m glad to be back in America.”

Class Notes

Later, Gil added, “Earlier this year, Tracey and I went on a ski trip to Telluride, Colorado, for the first time. We’ve skied all over the Northeast, Colorado, Utah, and Europe, but never Telluride. After six tendon tears and a great loss of muscle strength, I no longer ski, but Tracey continues to ski very well. Telluride is a beautiful mountain and a fun town, though somewhat hard to get to. In June, we came north from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and went on our annual trip with a big group of friends to Cape May, New Jersey. If you have seen the movie ‘A Complete Unknown’ about Bob Dylan, the scenes toward the end when Bob goes electric at the Newport Folk Festival were not filmed in Newport, Rhode Island, but rather in Cape May. The VMI-Navy game was a disappointment, but we had a great time with Joe and Joan Smith and George Sebren. At the tailgate, I met the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine ’90. He was born in the year we graduated, and that made me feel pretty old for a few seconds. We left Annapolis

and stopped in Salisbury, Maryland, to spend some time with Clay and Donna Thompson. They are well and in very good spirits. The VMIBucknell game was a good one, and we saw it with Bucknell friends. I think the VMI side of the stadium had more fans than the Bucknell side. Very strange and sad. There were very few Bucknell students at the game. So, after a summer of labs, scans, and doctor visits, we are heading back to Hilton Head for lots of pickleball, golf, beach, and restaurants. On our way down, we stopped to see John Crim’s widow, Cindy, and she is doing well. We recalled all the rat parade events she and John hosted, giving us a wonderful opportunity to spend invaluable time with John and Cindy and our brother rats. We are looking forward to meeting some brother rats at The Citadel game in Charleston, South Carolina!” Harvey Flinn (Alexandria, Kentucky): “Kathy and I went to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, today. It is really impressive. In the Southeast Asia section, they had a picture of a Huey helicopter. I thought of Al Orgain ’65 when we heard a story of when he was flying his helicopter to rescue people and was firing his machine gun while piloting the helicopter. He earned his first of two Distinguished Flying Crosses for his efforts in rescuing an infantry unit pinned down by Viet Cong fire in a rice paddy near Tân An March 25, 1967. When the unit marked its position by turning on a flashlight, the Viet Cong opened fire on the helicopter Orgain was piloting, he recalled in a 1992 Richmond Times-Dispatch interview. By the light of flares, he attacked VC positions until he spent his rockets and machine gun ammunition, and the enemy gave up. I remember him jumping down from the fourth stoop on Monday morning onto the piles of laundry bags when we were rats. Visiting the WPAFB Air Museum is something I would recommend to anyone and all.”

Tom Boyd (Alexandria, Virginia): “My family—Carol and our kids (Brooke, Tyler, and Fleming, plus grandsons Warner (4) and Pearson (2))— all celebrated my birthday a few days early with some golf at CCV in Richmond, Virginia, followed by a delightful dinner at an Italian restaurant on River Road. Tyler has a business dinner here in Alexandria, Virginia, on my actual birthday and will stop by beforehand to share a drink with me. I’m still practicing law, but the chairman of my firm (whom I have known since he was

an associate at my former firm) has very kindly enabled me to come into the office once a week and work from home so that I can care for Carol, who has Parkinson’s. She’s a real champion! It’s an insidious disease, as Augie knows firsthand via his sister, and she handles it far better than I ever could. I’m very proud of her for her perseverance. We really divide our time between my work, our family home in Gloucester, Virginia, and our kids and grandkids in Richmond. It’s also great to see and hear from our BRs, and we look forward to seeing you and Bryan Barton, Walt Jeffress, Skip Roberts, and David Gibbons at VMI.”

Ned Harris (Phoenix, Arizona): “Your email found us in Cordoba, Spain, while on a selfguided tour of the Napoleonic War battlefields, plus some other places. One of my sisters, Eleanor, is our informal guide. She was born in Spain in 1953 while Dad was assigned to the embassy and taking part in the negotiations which led to Spain joining NATO. Dad was a fluent Spanish speaker and had taught the language at West Point. She later married a Spaniard and lived for 37 years in Barcelona, so she’s fluent too. I used to be 70 years ago but have forgotten virtually all. Spain has a fascinating history, and we’re having lots of fun. Regards to you and yours and to our Institute, which made all of this possible.”

Paul Quillen (Cartersville, Georgia): “Family is doing great: Five kids, 16 grandkids, and 6.9 great-grandkids. Had lunch with Lew Yeouze the other day in Marietta, Georgia. Great food and conversation. It’s nice to be able to have a 2.5-hour lunch.”

Slick Wilkinson (Longview, Texas): “As we age, I think our activity slows down some. Lonely here in East Texas. I talked to Tommy Boyd and Carol 2 weeks ago. Our conversation centered around our kids and, more importantly, grandchildren. We also talked about our new VMI superintendent. He sounds like he has the right stuff. Strange, we are now entering our 80th year of life!”

Phil Lanier (Lakeway, Texas): “Becky and I spent a couple of weeks in the Lexington area enjoying panoramic views of the Blue Ridge. While having lunch one day at Hot Springs, Virginia, in walks Roddy Delk and his wife. We had a nice, but short, visit. We were given a great tour of the area by Irwin McCumber ’65 and his wife, Linda.”

Paul Hebert (Steamboat Springs, Colorado): “Mayling had a book presentation and signing in VMI’s Nichols Engineering Building auditorium Friday, Sept. 12, organized by Colonel Gibson ’77, VMI Museum director. We gave a signed copy of her book to Lieutenant General Furness ’87’s assistant just prior to his arrival. I met him

Class Notes

the following Saturday in Richmond at the VMI alumni tent event prior to the VMI-Richmond football game, and he said he had already read the book and gave a strong positive comment about the book and its contribution to literature on VMI.”

Wayne Burton (St. Marys, Georgia): “Sylvia and I plan to be at the Mercer and The Citadel games, along with George Buzzard and Lew Yeouze and wives.” Later, Wayne wrote, “We went to The Citadel game. Had lunch prior to the game with George, Lew, Frank Pinizzotto, Bob Schmalzriedt, Howie Chapman, Gil Piddington, and wives. Good alumni turnout for the events and game. Lieutenant General David Furness was on the football field the whole game. Very impressive.”

John VanLandingham (Eugene, Oregon): “We left Sept. 28 for a 16-day trip to Japan. Met our son and daughter-in-law for a 5-day trek on the Nakasendo Trail on the Kiso Road, the route the samurai took into Edo (now called Tokyo), where the emperor required their families to live. We stayed each night at a ryokan (Japanese resort with futons and hot spring, sexually segregated baths, and traditional robes and meals). Some hard days of hiking. Then our son and DIL left to visit her family in India. We stayed in Tokyo a couple of days with Martha’s Japanese ‘sister’—a sort of exchange student who lived with Martha’s family in Michigan for 5 years and is truly a member of the family. Flew with Mihoko to one of the southern islands, Yakushima, where we did a long, difficult hike to see thousand-year-old cedar trees. Swam in the Pacific Ocean 2 days. Then traveled by ferry to the next island north, Kagoshima, where we had a hot sand ‘bath’ and learned about the Meiji revolution. Now heading to Narita Airport outside of Tokyo to fly home via SFO. Totally, blissfully out of touch with work and the world. We are moving toward retirement, slowly. Martha already retired, but as the former chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, she keeps her hand in. I’m still working as a legal aid lawyer but reducing my formerly crazy hours. Spending lots of time with my brothers, a niece got married in Durham, North Carolina, last September—after which we visited with Lewis and Mary Pelham White. With Martha’s family’s cottage on Lake Michigan north of Muskegon, we visited our 2.5-year-old grandson and his mom (our daughter, Cassady) and dad in Brooklyn, and went on family trips to Whidbey Island near Seattle and in Central Oregon. Next trip will be to Tucson, Arizona, for Thanksgiving. And visiting our son and DIL in Seattle, Washington. Have not seen too many BRs. During my Durham trip, I did get to drop in and surprise Paul Hebert when his wife, Mayling Simpson, gave a talk to the Richmond VMI club on her book about our class. And had lunch with George Squires’ widow, Kitty Sue, and George’s sister, Donna, and her husband, Richard. Hope to get to Virginia more when I finally retire next year.”

Bob Schmalzriedt (Wilmington, North Carolina): “This has been a fun year of domestic travel to see family and friends. First, I flew to Phoenix, Arizona, and drove north to visit Jimmy Burg in Prescott, Arizona, at his senior living and care facility, which he praised highly. He’s pleased to be there, enjoying both neighbors and staff daily. ‘There’s plenty to do’ and ‘many to tend to’ with his friendly personality and all his years of professional counseling experience with veterans and

others. Jim is disciplined to 200 crunches every morning and avid reading as his passion. It was an afternoon delight to be with him ... sharing BBQ and cheesecake, talking over new and old stories, and family. He spoke highly of BRs Jack Falzone and Ned Harris visiting him this year, too. Before flying home, I drove to Tucson and spent a few pleasurable days with my two grandsons living there. An Arizona casino slot machine granted me $1,300 before I flew home! The next month, I visited Glenwood Springs, Colorado, to my nephew’s place and kayaked down the Roaring Fork River, plus enjoyed its hot springs bathing. A delightful time in the Rocky Mountains. I sure love our western lands. Two weeks ago, my partner, Karen, and I had an absolutely beautiful week in Dorado, Puerto Rico. The U.S.’s only rainforest national park was closed with the federal government shutdown, unfortunately. But the weather was great, the water warm, and there were historical sites to visit. We’ll complete this month with 3 days at Hilton Head, South Carolina, followed by the VMI-The Citadel football game in Charleston, South Carolina. Hopefully, the team will pull off a big win this year. Hope some other ’68ers will be there, too.”

Walt Jeffress (Fairfax, Virginia): “At the SAS Championship in Cary, North Carolina, I received additional recognition for completing 100 PGA Tour Champions Pro-Ams over the last 20 years. I received a certificate of achievement signed by Miller Brady, the president of the Champions Tour, Oct. 9, 2025, at the evening awards dinner. I began my Pro-Am journey at the SAS Championship in 2005. After playing twice last week at the SAS Championship, I now have played 102 PGA Tour Champions Pro-Am events. I also have played one regular PGA Tour event. The primary reason for my participation in all these events was the many outstanding charitable causes supported by these excellent tournaments. Of course, I could not have accomplished this goal without the full support and encouragement of my wife, Suellen.”

Dick Rankin (Honolulu, Hawaii): “I was out to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Denver with my daughter and son and family. Cindy and Mike Grassi ’83 saw my VMI shirt and came over to say rah Virginia Mil!”

Later, Dick wrote that he met Colton Curry ’19 at the Church of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona.

Byron Nettrour (Fairfax, Virginia): “It has been a pretty quiet couple of years. Didn’t have the family reunion this year due to all of the current chaos in the country. Continuously working the honey-do list that never seems to get

Class Notes

any shorter. The biggest news for the Nettrour family is that the oldest grandson graduated from Kamehameha High School and started at University of Hawaii at Manoa. The two older kids have really never left Hawaii after we were stationed there, and the youngest one is working in Virginia, where we ended up after retirement. We have done a few small trips within Virginia, many interesting places to see, besides the big tourist attractions. Health is doing well as I pass the 79-year mark. Looking forward to the mini reunion in February.”

Skip Roberts (Virginia Beach, Virginia): “I made it into my 80th year still in good health with the same wife of 57 years, two great daughters and sons-in-law, and four grandsons. It continues to be a great ride. We stay busy in Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay. It includes taking a lot of time with board activities and giving some hour-long lectures on various topics, ranging from book reviews like on Erik Larson’s ‘Demon of Unrest’ this coming December, foreign policy and economic issues covering industrial policy, North Korea, and soon tariffs under Trump next spring. They take a lot of work but are interesting. I’m down to about two to three clients, including the VMI Alumni Agencies, but still enough to keep me busy and engaged. So far, my law firm is letting me hang around. I need it to maintain my computer! Kay and I continue to spend about a month in the summer in the Tetons of Idaho and Wyoming, where our eldest daughter, her husband, and youngest grandson live. Creigh Kelly and Renee spent a few days with us last summer, which was a real treat. In February and March, we joined my roommate, Pete Farmer, and his wife, Patti, on a 2-week Viking trip in the Mediterranean, starting in Athens and ending up in Rome, where they lived on her retirement for about a year. It was a fantastic trip. In October, we joined them in Staunton, Virginia, for the wedding of their youngest son, Kyle Farmer ’13, Special Forces. In early November, Kay and I are taking a 16-day London, Paris, Normandy World War II river cruise. We’re looking forward to it. We’re doing well, still practicing law, and beginning to travel some with Pete Farmer and his wife. I speak with Gordon Van Hoose from time to time. He’s moved into a senior living place near Shreveport, Louisiana.”

Dee Biggs (Acton, Massachusetts): “We are doing fine. We are off to Salt Lake City this week to visit with our oldest granddaughter, who is a senior at Westminster College, playing DII soccer and majoring in nursing. She is the captain of the team this season and was a preseason all-conference selection. Our next-oldest

granddaughter is a sophomore at the University of Idaho and is majoring in architecture. Our youngest granddaughter lives in Portland, Oregon, and is a junior in high school and wants to major in nursing when she attends college. Our youngest son has two little boys, 3 and 18 months; they are doing great and are full of energy. They live in Hingham, Massachusetts, which is about an hour away from where we live in the western suburbs of Boston. I am playing lots of golf and enjoying the fall leaves in New England. We stopped in Cazenovia, New York, and visited with Bill and Gail Bouck this summer and had a very nice time, as this is an annual tradition to visit Bill and Gail at their summer home in Upstate New York. My wife, Linda, is always busy doing things for the grandchildren or other people and is doing terrific and looks great.”

Creigh Kelley (Highlands Ranch, Colorado): “Thought you would like to see Krita Kritakara and Gee, along with Renee and me, at his beautiful home (see photo). I’m wearing a Denver Broncos shirt (wore my VMI shirt twice during our Bangkok visit) since I have a gig with them in September as the announcer at the start line of the Broncos 7K. Krita is a quiet success story within our class ranks, and I am very proud and humbled to be his brother rat. As I said to Bucky Miller, it reminds me of our Rat Bible, with a fun twist: Visiting Krita is like Natural Bridge— ‘Worth a visit by every brother rat’!”

Steve Wilson (Williamsburg, Virginia): “Enjoyed my 79th birthday. We arrived in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 21 and will remain until the end of April 2026. While here, I am playing a lot of bridge in The Club at the Strand with a group (couples bridge) that Linda has organized and runs. I also enjoy participating in Wednesday BR Zoom meetings hosted by Bill Bragg. I attended the Southwest Florida – Fort Myers Chapter Founders Day breakfast Nov. 8 with Buck Miller. We have not done much traveling because I suffer from painful osteoarthritis in the lumbar area of my back and cannot stand or walk for any extended length of time. As a result, we canceled our plans to attend the Institute Society Dinner this year. We will also be unable to attend the Nov. 17 dinner with the superintendent at the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the class mini reunion being planned for Feb. 13–15, 2026, in Lexington, Virginia. The ‘golden years’ should be renamed the ‘pyrite years’!?”

Will Davis, son of Groovy Davis: “I am still living in South Florida. Excited to have dinner with Dixon McElwee down here in a few weeks. Looking forward to making a trip to Lexington in 2026 for a game.”

Walter Judd

Greetings, Brother Rats, and Friends of the VMI Class of 1969,

It is mid-November, and the weather has turned cooler and wetter. We report this period the passing of two BRs and a famous VMI athlete whom we got to see play our rat year. We also talk about many gatherings of BRs in places across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Please take advantage of other coming gatherings, as they are fun and keep us together as the brothers we are.

Bob Flint wrote Aug. 16: “Today, Aug. 16, is our 56th wedding anniversary. Our son, Andy, is running our construction business and developing the subdivision we built for our retirement home 2 years ago. His oldest son graduated from Georgia Tech with a bachelor’s in aerospace and computer engineering, spent the summer interning with the Space Force, and is now back at Georgia Tech starting his master’s and Ph.D. Second son starts Virginia Tech on the 19th and plans to major in mechanical engineering. Third son is in his senior year in high school. Our daughter, Emily, is an artist. She and Stuart have three daughters: Oldest is starting fifth grade, second is starting first grade in a great public school, and youngest is starting preschool. This has been a great year for my vegetable garden and Polly’s flowers. Need any squash?”

I found Don Nelson in a Richmond nursing home and, after a very short time, received his obit from his family. “Donald Francis Nelson passed peacefully from this life Sept. 20, 2025. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 2, 1947, he lived in Queens for most of his childhood and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1965. While a proud cadet in the VMI Class of 1969, Don met and fell in love with William & Mary student Lois Johnson. The two married in 1970, and after Don’s service in the U.S. Army, they eventually settled in Richmond, where he enjoyed a long career at American Filtrona. Don was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Madeline, and his lifelong love, Lois. He is survived by his brother, Robert (Susan), and sons, Chris (Kelli) and Mike (Joan). Also left to cherish the memory of his generosity, gentleness, and good humor are the six grandchildren on whom he doted, Sarah, Molly, Rachel, Mary Kate, William, and Lily Beth; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Class Notes

The family is grateful for the kind care shown to Don over the last many years at Hermitage Richmond and the support of his church family at Redeemer Lutheran. Don was a powerful witness to the light and love of Jesus Christ in the world, and we thank him for the faith and trust he handed on to his family, particularly in evidence during Lois’s and his own long illnesses. The family will receive visitors at Woody’s Funeral Home on Huguenot Road Sunday, Sept. 28, from 4–8 p.m. A memorial service will be celebrated at Woody’s at 10 a.m. Sept. 29, with burial to follow alongside his beloved Lois at Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Redeemer Lutheran Church, 9400 Redbridge Rd., N. Chesterfield, VA 23235.”

From Mike Santoro Sept. 28: “I went to Don Nelson’s visitation at Woody Funeral Home today. Pulled into the parking lot at the exact time Bruce Gregory arrived. We had nice chats with both of Don’s sons, Chris and Mike; one of his daughtersin-law (Joan); and Don’s brother, Rob. In talking to Joan, we learned that Don started experiencing mental impairment not too long after his wife died—starting around 2015. Maybe that is why you have had difficulty finding him these past few years. As we now know, he was in the Hermitage (in Northside Richmond) all those years.”

Matriculation Day memorial 60 years later: On Sept. 9, Mike Santoro, Bunny Paulette, Don Bogard, Dick Camp, Charlie Bryan, Bruce Gregory, Spunky Butler, Thornton Newlon, George Budd, and Walt all met at a restaurant in West End Richmond for lunch and laughter. George recently moved to Cedarfield, the community where Charlie has been for several years, and was invited to join the fun. After the meal, Bunny asked the group an insightful question: “Who was a positive influence on you in later life among the faculty at VMI when we were students?” Several guys had various answers, from no one to some pointed faculty members in CE or economics.

Bruce Gregory accepted my request for info about VMI football games, as he attends many of them. Bruce and Bruce Noel joined V.J. Petrella and Tim Rahm at the Navy game Aug. 30. The next week, against Ferrum in Lexington, Bruce saw John Sebrell. The next week was an away game at Bucknell, and I heard no reports of BRs attending. The following week, VMI played a memorable game in Richmond against the University of Richmond. Bruce saw Bunny Paulette, Bruce Noel, and Richie Daub in the game, interrupted by a fast-moving rainstorm for several hours. After getting drenched in the first moments of the storm, most headed home to watch on TV. The next game was in Lexington against UTC, and Bruce reported

seeing Bruce and Gail Noel, John Sebrell, and Jim and Ruth Chapman. Again, I heard from no one at the away East Tennessee State game. Our team played well enough to keep the scores close, but lost all but the Ferrum game.

Bruce sent a report after the Oct. 18 game against Samford: “Another frustrating loss, but another beautiful day in Lexington. Good ’69 turnout: Ronnie Wall, Dave Prugh, and Chuck Becker

John Sebrell and Bruce Noel were accompanied by their wives.” We missed a field goal try with only a few seconds on the clock that would have won the game.

My friend and fellow military service retiree Jim Woods died in April, but the news took a while to reach me. “James ‘Jim’ Gleason Woods Sr., age 78, beloved husband, dad, and papa, passed away peacefully Aug. 11, 2025, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was born April 16, 1947, in Louisville, Kentucky, the second of three children born to the late William Woods Sr. and Joyce Gleason. Jim proudly graduated from Virginia Military Institute, Class of 1969. That same year, he married the love of his life, Marilyn Woods, whom he met on a blind date at a VMI football game. He always said she was the prettiest girl in her cute, fluffy white hat. Their love story and devotion to one another spanned 55 years, and together, they raised two children, James and Emily. Jim served in Vietnam and dedicated 20 years honorably serving his country in the U.S. Army, retiring with the rank of major. Following his military career, he and his family made their home in Colorado Springs. He later worked for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and, in the final years of his career, at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City. In retirement, Jim embraced his passions for bird hunting, fly fishing, shooting, and driving his Shelby Cobra, affectionately known as the Blue Mistress. His many interests included an extensive gun collection, military history, World War II airplane enthusiast, and being an avid reader on all subjects related to his hobbies. He enjoyed country music, his Shelby rides through Garden of the Gods, and picnics with his beloved Marilyn. Most of all, he treasured time spent with his family, whether sharing laughs, giving Cobra rides to his children and grandchildren, or simply enjoying each other’s company. Known for his sense of humor and infectious laugh, Jim brought joy to everyone around him. He is preceded in death by his loving parents, William and Joyce Woods, and his brother, William “Bill” Woods Jr. Jim’s legacy of love and devotion lives on through his wife, Marilyn Woods (his Mar Sue); children, James Woods (Leslie) of Humble, Texas,

and Emily Gordon (Mike) of Aspen, Colorado; precious grandchildren, Katelynn and Jacob Woods; Hunter and Cade Gordon; his sister, Bonnie Beth Newman (Ken); and his niece, Dana Woods-Allen. Each will forever hold his memory close. A funeral service with full military honors will be held Oct. 16, 2025, at 1 p.m. at Pikes Peak National Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado, 10545 Drennan Rd., Colorado Springs, CO, 80925, where Jim will be laid to rest peacefully. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warriors’ Project or Tunnel to Towers Foundation.”

On Wednesday, Sept. 24, Mike Santoro stood tall and ran this year’s version of the Two Bellies Invitational golf outing. I had to take care of family business that day and missed the fun. Winners for the ’69 teams were John Sebrell, Bunny Paulette, Bob Heely, and Nick Psimas

Others playing included defending champs Bob Flowers, Lee Swats, Mike Santoro, and Doug Marks, plus Tom Morris, Larry Seekford, Glenn White, Ken Fleming, David Reid, and Bob Waldo. A team of ’70 BRs and two more of ’72 enjoyed the action at the Petersburg Golf and Country Club. Spunky Butler came for lunch and helped Mike with the money matters. Gary Mackey and Drew Brantley met Heely, Psimas, Marks, Reid, and Flowers at the Virginia Diner in Wakefield for supper later. Bob Heely sent these words from the winning team: “Bunny led with his booming drives, and Heely and Psimas maintained their consistency. The real story was John “Chip” Sebrell, who chipped in two birdies from off the green and made several other long putts.” Members of the Class of ’72 formed two teams: Jimbo VanLandingham, Lindley Vaughan, Coby Fitzhugh, and William Irby, as well as Wade Houston, Chris Foster, Rick Minor, and Bob Stransky. Four class of ’70 members formed a team: Herb Braun, Bobby Brown, Bill Huffman, and Paul Dickinson

Class Notes

2026. In a letter soon after the last announcement, we received word that Cadet Nana Utsey ’29, a football quarterback from Richmond, Virginia, had been selected to benefit from our class scholarship. We try to meet and support our named scholarship winners at banquets held during the spring semester. Mike Santoro, Bob Waldo, and others have joined me in attending those events regularly as your representatives. If you would be interested in being our class rep sometime, please advise me.

After two attempts earlier in the summer (one called off due to rain and another by extreme heat), four BRs got together to play golf Oct. 2 in Williamsburg. Jim Chapman invited Tom Morris, Mike Santoro, and Walt Judd to play at the Ford’s Colony Blue Heron Golf Course. The weather cooperated, and we got to play. Mike beat Jim in a close match while Tom and I cheered on the winners.

Richie Daub again was our only class rep to the annual VMI football team reunion in September. He sent a photo of himself wearing a football helmet appropriately set up for a current player and his red jacket with a prominent “1969” showing on the chest.

Tom Morris submitted his photo of a double rainbow over the VMI barracks to photo awards at virginialiving.com. He took it on July 18, 2021, and showed the Parade Ground in the foreground and a dark, stormy sky behind barracks. We will find out later how it fared in the competition. I certainly thought it was interesting and worthy.

From Mike Santoro Oct. 5: “As many of you are aware, the Virginia War Memorial’s newest exhibit is entitled, “Virginia’s MIA: The Search Continues.” It opened on National POW/MIA day this past September. Information about our Brother Rat Jack Kennedy is featured in the exhibit in the form of a touchscreen with four oral histories from Paul Curs, Don Mercer, Bob Flowers, and Lee Swats available to pull up and listen to. On the night before the exhibit officially opened, the Virginia War Memorial Foundation hosted a Leadership in America event, which included a preview of the exhibit. Brother Rats Joe Lynch, Bob Flowers, Bruce Gregory, Bunny Paulette, and I were at the event. I am attaching a picture of the five of us standing in front of the touchscreen. On the next day, at the official opening of the exhibit, I was asked to participate in the ribboncutting. I joined members of several MIA families (including the family of Robert D. Ramsey ’45, who was

Here is the status of our class academic and athletic scholarships. We received a report dated September 2025 showing the Class of 1969 Memorial Scholarship had a market value of slightly over $250,000. That amount supports, for Fiscal Year 2026, the spendable amount of $9,126 for use by selected cadet(s). In a followon report dated October 2025, our 1969 Athletic Scholarship had a market value of $233,309. That allows us to spend $8,711 for a deserving cadet in

shot down in Korea), the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, and the Commissioner of Veterans Services for the Commonwealth for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. I hope we can plan an event for BRs to see this exhibit—perhaps sometime over the winter.”

On the day before Yorktown Day, Oct. 19, the 249th anniversary of the day the American colonists won their independence from England, I received a text from Webb Hatch telling me Charlie Schmaus ’66 had died Oct. 10 at age 81. As Webb and the obit went on to say, “Charlie may have been the last three-sport athlete at VMI as he played varsity basketball, baseball, and football during his cadetship. After graduation, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in the fourth round of the 1966 NBA draft. He served in the USAF and then returned to VMI for 6 years as head basketball coach, in which he most famously led the 1976–77 team to a 26-4 season, which included a Southern Conference regular season and tournament championship, as well as a trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.” He was in the VMI Hall of Fame as a player and coach. On March 17, 1977, at the University of Maryland Cole Field House, I witnessed history. VMI played the University of Kentucky (with its Twin Towers), and then the University of North Carolina played Notre Dame. Ron Carter ’78 was super for VMI, but a UK star had his best day ever, and VMI lost in the Sweet Sixteen. Phil Ford was the UNC leader that year and was spectacular. What fun! Later, Nov. 5, Webb sent a photo of the former VMI basketball players who attended the memorial service for Charlie. Eleven players and two coaches were shown at the event.

Founders Day was celebrated Nov. 7 in 2025 with a parade and a super dinner in the Marshall Hall Center for Leadership and Ethics. A new wrinkle from 2024 was repeated this time as a big tent was erected in the courtyard behind Smith Hall for an after-dinner party. Complete with a live band and a host of the younger donors, the party was going strong when my wife and I looked in. In what had been a stately dinner for the older donors in years past, the new look Institute Society Dinner has changed from black tie to business attire to honor the less formal younger grads. My wife and I still enjoy going and saw one of our younger friends last year having a blast. We joined Mike and Martha Santoro at one table, Bob and Lush Heely with Bob and Ruth Waldo nearby, and Lou and Tanya Sidney with Gary Braswell and Fred and Claudia Downey on the other side. Richie Daub was seated with some others down the line. John DuBose had to

Class Notes

back out close to the time of the event.

Gary Mackey just called to celebrate BR John Stann as the largest contributor of family members to VMI in recent years. John’s grandson is a 1st Class cadet with great rank and responsibility in the present Corps. We both agreed John’s name and legacy are firmly established with at least five sons and grandkids to attend the ‘toot.’

My closing message this period is to tell you to get out and see your college buds while you still can! I have enjoyed seeing many BRs this year at golf outings, a New Market luncheon, banquets in Williamsburg and Lexington, a reception in Richmond, and several lunch gatherings in Richmond and Williamsburg. It never ceases to amaze me how well we get along when we do gather. Time does not play a big role at these outings; friendship does. Make a point to see some of your oldest friends at your earliest convenience. The effort is worth it!

And honor those same friends with a monetary gift to the cadets at some point. We have many funds to choose from, so get on the bandwagon and make a gift in memory or in honor of a close bud.

Yours in the Spirit!

Walt

1970

Steve Talley

Hello, Brother Rats, Family, and Friends of the VMI Class of 1970,

On Halloween, our neighborhood in Staunton hosted over 3,000 trick-or-treaters, parents, and friends. Sorcerers, witches, goblins, warlocks, pixies, elves, vampires, werewolves, Trump and Biden impersonators, little boys dressed as fire trucks, and a few cute little princesses combed the neighborhood on the prowl for candy, much to the delight of Staunton’s dentist community. We deserted, retiring to the Anchor, our condominium on Wilton Creek, a tributary of the Piankatank River near Deltaville, Virginia. It’s 7 a.m. here Nov. 1. The morning sun is dancing on the still water, like tiny fairies. A few guys in small boats are plying the waters on the other side of the creek, looking for redfish. A neighbor in Staunton reported to me that the Halloween crowd was “shoulder to shoulder, New Orleans Mardi Gras Bourbon Street dense.”

It is my sad duty to report that since my last set

of notes, we have lost two more brother rats, Tom Ferguson (Thomas Glen) and John “Snake” Hill (John Rutledge). Tom passed away Aug. 16 of this year, in Edmond, Oklahoma, where he lived with his wife, Susan, for 53 years. In December 2024, doctors diagnosed him with Hodgkin lymphoma and started a series of chemotherapeutic treatments. Tom reported to BR Bill Davis in April 2025 that PET scans showed no evidence of the cancer. I called Tom soon after that and caught up with him at the cancer center in Edmond, where he was undergoing his latest infusion. He was upbeat and hopeful about his chances of winning his battle. Later, the doctors added immunotherapy. The combined treatments caused him to develop pneumonitis and some minor heart issues, but doctors discharged him in June. On Aug. 16, while helping Susan carry in groceries, he began to have chest pains and collapsed. He died in her arms. Funeral services were at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church in Edmond, where he is interred. BR Russ Marshall sent our customary red, white, and yellow flower arrangement to the funeral. There are no brother rats that live close to Edmond, so I called Jeff Williams ’93, the Oklahoma chapter president, to help me gather a few VMI alums to attend Tom’s funeral. “It is my opinion that VMI should have a presence at every alumnus’ funeral/memorial service,” he said. Jeff drove the 2 hours from Barnsdall, Oklahoma, to Edmond to attend. Not only that, but he also contacted the VMI Commandant’s Office to request that VMI fly a U.S. flag over the barracks in honor of Tom and his life of service, which VMI did, and which Susan will eventually receive, along with an authenticated certificate signed by the VMI cadet detail overseeing the flag’s display. It’s never too late to send condolences to a grieving spouse. Send them to Susan at 5816 Country Club Dr., Edmond, OK 73025-2741.

John “Snake” Hill died July 2 of this year. Who among us could ever forget why he was called Snake? I made attempts to contact family members through the Restland Funeral Home in Dallas, which handled the services, but to no avail. I discovered that he was married at the time of his death to Durango Correa Maria Christina (Marie Mary, for short), with whom he lived in Medellin, Colombia. During their time together, John would return to Texas and live there for a while to attend to business. He died tragically in DeBerry, Texas, on his last trip to the States. Maria is working on getting a visa to come to America to go to John’s grave in the Restland Cemetery, Dallas, Texas, where he is buried beside his mother. Maria wants to say a proper goodbye to her deceased husband, whom I have come to know she loved dearly. Send

condolences to Maria at Cra. 71a #25a31, Belén, San Bernardo, Medellín (Antioquia).

I learned from BR Dick Knight of the loss of Larry (John Lawrence) Halula, who died Sept. 11, 2022. Larry came from Springfield, Virginia, where he graduated from Springfield High School in 1966 (formerly known as Robert E. Lee High School). He came to VMI to play football, a sport at which he excelled in high school, earning allstate status. I can attest to Larry’s prowess on the football field, having played with him on the rat team. Larry was the 43rd new cadet to sign the Matriculation Book. I was behind him in line, the 44th person to sign Sept. 8, 1966. What a day that was. Larry left in our first year. Sadly, I was unable to find any of his family; thus, for now, the circumstances of his passing remain a mystery.

Turning to brother rats who are alive, first up is Diehl Jones. In July, the United Daughters of the Confederacy awarded him their National Defense Medal for his service in the Army. Diehl is the third generation in his family to receive the UDC medal; his grandfather received it for his service in World War I and World War II, and his father received it for his service in World War II. The National Defense Medal is presented to veterans who are lineal blood descendants of Confederate military personnel.

Class Notes

One such Jones descendant was Andrew William Betts, commissioned into the 31st N.C. Regiment, Company A, known as the Greene County Riflemen, Oct. 4, 1861. Captain Betts fought in the Battle of Roanoke Island, was captured, and paroled Feb. 21, 1862. He died at home April 16, 1862, of disease. Diehl tells me there were very likely other Jones Confederate descendants.

Bob (Fuzzy) Patrick was featured in the current MOAA Magazine—a production of the Military Officers Association of America, “a nonprofit organization for commissioned officers and warrant officers of the U.S. uniformed services, their families, and survivors.” Bob is an MOAA life member who served for 12 years as director of

the Library of Congress Veterans History Project and worked on the World War II Memorial project. He knows firsthand the importance of capturing and preserving veterans’ stories, particularly for their families. In his work on these projects, he encouraged veterans to tell their stories and submitted his own, which spans 28 years of service. “This isn’t about the grand and glorious things you see on movie screens, or books are written about; it’s everyone’s story about their experience, and everything from the cockpit to the mess hall, from the foxhole to the post office, everyone’s story is important,” said Bob in a recent edition of the MOAA Mag.

Gordon Williams reported that he attended the VMI Keydet/Naval Academy football game in Annapolis, Maryland, with Ted Zillmer, Bob Houghton, and Don Larson, high school buddies from Park Ridge, Illinois, where he grew up. The game did not turn out too well for the Keydets. “We rented a full house for the weekend and had a blast. Mike Carruth also joined us for the game.” Gordon gave his buddies VMI hats to wear so that everyone would know which team they were rooting for. “The game wasn’t the greatest, but we had a great time in Annapolis and took a guided tour of the Academy’s campus.” Campus ... campus? Shouldn’t that be a post? Gordon brought his friends to Lexington for a football game 2 years ago, and they play golf together twice a year. Gordon has known these individuals for approximately 63 years. That’s what you call friend loyalty. Take a look at the picture of them together. I wonder which one is going to fly that plane behind them? Speaking of the VMI footballers, this just in. Of course, by the time you read this, you will have known it for a while. The Keydets traveled to South Carolina to play The Citadel for bragging rights and possession of the Silver Shako. At one point, near the end of the fourth quarter, the Keydets had a 21-0 lead; however, the Bulldogs came roaring back late in the game and secured a 35-24 victory. The Silver Shako stays in Charleston for the time being. Don Crawford reported in to give the lowdown on his and Lois’ movements lately. They spent July and August in the United States and volunteered to cook at Opequon Quaker Camp in West Virginia, where three of their grandkids were campers and one serves as a counselor. Opequon is “a residential camp designed to unleash young campers’ creative spirit. By exposing campers to many different art forms in a fun and physical way, Opequon strives

to highlight the connections between creation, nature, self-expression, and spirituality,” an educational experience obviously modeled on our rat year at VMI. “It had to be the hottest time we have spent since we moved to Costa Rica,” Don says. I knew he was going to get around to torturing us about how good life is in Costa Rica. After camp, they traveled to Wisconsin to visit family and take two other grandkids on daily adventures. They also met with Shorehaven Lake Front Towers retirement community in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, where they plan to relocate sometime next year. The average February high temperature there is 32 degrees Fahrenheit. I guess life in Costa Rica is just too ^&*% hard. Shorehaven is on the shores of Lac La Belle. The word Oconomowoc derives from the Potawatomi language, spoken by Native Americans of the Great Lakes region. Those Native Americans and the French sure do know how to name things. The next stop for Don and Lois was in New Jersey, where they visited family. Before returning to Costa Rica, they spent a few days in the boring town of Harrisonburg, Virginia, attending to doctors and dentists, where the average February temperature is 46 degrees Fahrenheit, not much better than Oconomowoc. These intrepid two are living well in the best years of their lives. Don, being the kind-hearted guy he is, says, “I assume this issue will appear during the cold winter months. Just remember, Costa Rica is just a plane ride away. I want to welcome the brother rats to visit.”

In its seventh year now, 38 members of the 1970 VMI family, including brother rats and spouses, gathered at the Outer Banks in North Carolina in late October. They spent a week together, sharing meals and telling stories that were often repeated through the years, embellished by alcohol and imperfect memories, but never dull and always cherished. However, I suspect a few of the ladies rolled their eyes at their retelling for the 100th time. Aside from reunions, I know of no larger 1970 brother rat gathering. Jim Mawyer and his wife, Judy, plan and execute this annual affair, and it just gets better every year. Jim and Judy will celebrate 50 years of marital bliss in December (ask Judy about that), which has given them time to figure out who the boss is (ask Judy about that, too). Jim rents an OBX cottage that could double as a spaceship, complete with 28 bedrooms, an elevator, a mini mess hall, 35 TVs, a big-screen theater, game rooms, a swimming pool, a hot tub, and an exalted high chair where Jim sits and commands the operation (or thinks he does). Somehow, they pull off scrumptious evening dinners together, and everyone pitches in to help clean up afterwards (well, except for a few

Class Notes

intransigent ne’er-do-wells). Thus far, there have been no major food fights. A highlight of this year’s activities was a seafood boil led by the master himself, William Wallace Chiswell, assisted by Tommy Cooke and Mike Snead, with a few other individuals offering moral support, which meant they made fun of Chis, Tommy, and Mike, offered unwanted advice, and generally got in the way.

“Chis” spent a lot of time on fishing boats through the years and knows how to cook fish. “If there ever was an amorous fellow, it has to be William Walley himself.” (quoted from the Bomb 1970). Many attendees costumed up on Halloween night. See the group picture. I did not caption it, figuring you would recognize most. Notable efforts included Steve Craddock, wielding a sword on his way to battle in the crusades, June Bailey doing an excellent impersonation of Stix Chandler’s ever-present handlebar moustache, and Julie and Carl Strock coming as Gomez and Morticia of the Addams family fame. But the hands-down winner was Dave Schmidt’s rendition of either a scuba diver or a duck—I’m not sure which. His coup de grace, however, is hidden behind Don McLean’s glowing face and consisted, I’m told, of a pair of “Whitie tighties.” Wrap your mind around that. Jim Mawyer confined Brother Rat Dave to quarters, fearing that if he wandered into the streets, he would be arrested immediately for indecent exposure. You gotta admire Dave’s verve. I imagine anybody that Dave commanded in the Marine Corps would probably see that picture and say, “That’s our guy!” Everybody else gets an honorable mention. Local Nags Head authorities have informed me that, to date, during this year’s 1970 BR invasion, they received no complaints and made no arrests. Astonishing!

On Nov. 7, to kick off the annual Founders

Day weekend celebration, a bunch of 1970 BRs and spouses attended the annual Institute Society Dinner, in its 51st year. Tom and Janet Zarges, Kent and Judith Schlussel, Mike Iwanik and Vickie Gullet, Bill and Marilyn Huffman, Ralph and Marsha Costen, Lew and Judy Reynolds, Carl and Julie Strock, and Taz and Katherine Taylor were there to be honored, along with many other VMI grads from different classes who have generously supported VMI through the years. Many other 1970 BRs, not in attendance at this year’s dinner, are in this dignified and respected group. Speakers included Meade King ’85, VMI Foundation chief operating officer, John P. Williams ’88, VMI Foundation president, and Lt. Gen. David J. Furness ’87, superintendent. The “legacy builders” who attended this affair are the best of us. They keep the Institute’s doors open. My hat is off to all of you. I mention another BR legacy builder later in these notes. Wait for it. After the dinner party, the Institute Brass ensemble performed the “VMI Spirit” and the “Doxology.”

There was also an “after-party” featuring a live band. Alligator dancing was not allowed.

In September, Dick Cheatham and Patti toured the Oregon coast, visiting Salishan and Lincoln City before heading back home to Richmond. They visited family and friends and attended the Azure Standard Harvest Festival in Eastern Oregon, a family-owned company “dedicated to providing affordable organic, natural, and nonGMO groceries, health, household, and garden products.” These days, Dick is busy portraying Richard Henry Lee, according to Dick, “arguably America’s pivotal yet virtually unknown Founding Father.” Dick informed me that Lee was a strong advocate for the concept of the citizen soldier/ militia. Lee, a delegate from Virginia, gave the resolution for American independence June 7, 1776. He “proposed that the colonies should be declared free and independent states.” This is the guy our BR Cheatham is portraying these days. John Adams seconded Lee’s motion, and the Second Continental Congress adopted it July 2, 1776. Dick reminded me that 2026 is the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. He is going to be a busy bee then, educating people about our history in his unique way. Recently, Dick participated in a staff ride on the New Market Battlefield, conducted by the National Guard Bureau. Dick talks with Bob Hawthorne frequently and occasionally with Ed Andrews over the phone, and recently with Bob Hart in Florida. He says that Bob and Judy are doing well but rarely get up to Virginia.

I received a note from Jerry Nickelsburg, who retired from UCLA June 30 and moved to an

Class Notes

undisclosed location on Puget Sound, one of the more magnificent places on earth. His retirement period lasted 30 days before he returned to work, consulting part-time at UCLA and giving speaking engagements. Jerry has had a very successful career as a professional economist. Armed with a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, he joined the UCLA Anderson School of Management and the UCLA Anderson Forecast in 2006 and has been there ever since. He specializes in monetary economics and econometrics (whatever the heck that is). I stayed as far away from the economics department as possible during our time at VMI. His list of accomplishments and research activities is impressive, including more than 100 scholarly and popular articles on various economic topics, as well as two books. He is often cited in the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Reuters. An impressive career indeed. Maybe it’s time for him to take a break and do something normal, like fishing.

Jon Vordermark chimed in to tell me he is leaving his beloved Taos, New Mexico, because, well, it ain’t what it used to be, according to Jon. He lived in Taos for 13 years, during which he built a successful second career as a landscape painter, after an equally successful career as a researcher, pediatric surgeon, and neurologist. The New Mexico governor shut down the state during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing the closure of restaurants and businesses in Taos, many of which have not reopened. Jon says art buyers have abandoned Taos, galleries have closed, and the art market there is deflated. He reports that the city government has not risen to the challenge of attracting new businesses and is pursuing a “no change” policy, which stifles growth. A Starbucks

came to town, but its building was burned down twice before the owners hired a 24-hour guard to prevent further arson. “Now insurance companies do not want to insure new undertakings, fearing that those businesses may be burned, as well.” The only major retailers there now are Tractor Supply, Harbor Freight, and Walmart. Well, heck, Jon, that ought to be enough for any VMI grad? So it’s off to Prescott, Arizona, for BR Vordermark, for a new start, “a lovely city and most importantly for me, within striking distance of parks and scenery such as the Grand Canyon and parks in Southern Utah, scenery that is my favorite subject matter. Thus, I begin a new chapter.” Google John to see some of his art. He is very good at his craft. Good luck to you, sir, and keep us posted.

Finally, a few notes. If you have not done so, take a look at the previous Review (2025-Issue 4 Volume 102, No. 3). Beside the usual brilliantly written class notes by yours truly, there is an article written by the talented Mary Price, VMI development writer, entitled “Protect the Legacy,” about our very own brother rat, Dave Miller, who has worked tirelessly through the years to do just that. It will make you proud. Thank you, Dave, for your service to our alma mater.

On Nov. 11 was Veterans Day. I put American flags on the graves of my father, World War II vet, Kenneth; his father, Chester, World War I vet; and his son, Earl, World War II vet; my uncle, (for whom I am named), killed in action on D-day; and Emily’s father, field surgeon, McKelden, World War II vet; and another uncle, Melvin, World War II vet. About 85-90% of our class served in the armed forces. I suspect many of you were doing the same thing as I was on Veterans Day. I salute you and all veterans.

You might remember that in my last set of notes, we reminisced about what the first days of our matriculation were like. Phil Jornlin recalled that he thought one of our fellow matriculants was named “Guess” and that he remembers “hearing his name echo in the main barracks when upperclassmen would yell at him on the stoops, inquiring as to what his name was.” However, our matriculation list shows no incoming rat by that name. Along comes David Nuckols to shed some light on that. He reports that Benjamin Harley Guess ’68, or his ghost, must have been a part of Phil’s story. He stayed at VMI for 2 years. David’s older brother told David about Harley to warn him about the traps one can fall into while in the Rat Line. “It didn’t help. The first hour in the Rat Line at VMI, a cadre sergeant stopped me and asked for my name. I said, ‘Nuckols, sir.’ He then asked if I was related to Tom Nuckols ’68. With a smile on my face, I said, ‘Yes, sir, he is my brother.’ The cadre sergeant said, ‘I can’t stand your brother, drop down and give me 20 pushups.’ Those were the days!”

And on that note, as Warren used to say, “in the spirit,” we are VMI. Cherish the bonds.

1971

I knew it couldn’t last, but I regretfully inform the class that we have lost another brother rat from ’71. John Ebeling passed away Oct. 31 of this year. John died and was buried in New Jersey. There was no obituary, and little is known other than the fact that he was cremated and then interred. John served for 9 years in the Army and then worked for Korn Ferry Inc. in New Jersey for the rest of his career. On the gim, Bob Pickral and Wayne Hepler both have been through a lot with their recent health issues, but both seem to be improving at this time. Please keep them in your thoughts.

Before I get any further into our notes, a mea culpa on my part is in order. In an earlier edition of the AR, I noted that we had had six BRs matriculate from Portsmouth high schools, who all graduated on time. I noted three from Churchland (Otwell, Loizzi, and Banister) and three from Woodrow Wilson (Heely, Turner, and Whitley). I soon heard from Mike Strickland that I had overlooked him, Mike Guffey, and John Guthrie, all proud graduates of Churchland High. This

Class Notes

brings the total to nine BRs who graduated from Portsmouth’s high schools who matriculated and graduated from VMI, and all on time at that! Quite an accomplishment.

I got a very nice note from Rich Padgett. Rich stayed with us a bit over a year before finishing his undergraduate studies at Roanoke College. He then obtained his law degree from Samford University and practiced law for over 40 years before enjoying his retirement.

Herb Whitley, Van Jolissaint, and Rick Littleton continued their tour of Virginia biking quests with another ride on the Chessie Trail here from Lexington to Buena Vista and return. The path was a bit rough in areas due to some recent improvements, but the trio finished in fine form before coming into town, where I joined them for lunch. All three look hale and healthy and seem to be keeping themselves very fit and busy.

Herb Whitley, as you can see from the picture provided, recently went with his wife, Patsy, on an African adventure to South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, to include Victoria Falls. Along the way, they visited Robbin Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, then on to a safari park where they observed all the “big five” game species (lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and hippos), followed by a riverboat cruise where there were added hippos and crocs. As you might imagine, Herb called the trip “exhausting,” but a wonderful experience. Van Jolissaint is helping his grandson in the art of learning and practice for shooting clays competition. His grandson has a good instructor, as Van just won third place in the Ruffed Grouse Society Sporting Clays Tournament. Rick Littleton continues on his quest for flyfishing glory. On an eventful trip in the

Rockies, he related great tales of times when he cast all day with no nibbles to other times of pulling fish out of the streams with absolute ease. I related my all-day experience in South Park, Colorado, costing several hundred dollars, where, after about 6–7 hours of trying, I landed a 4” whopper caught on a back cast. Moby Dick, you’re safe! Rick is looking forward to taking his grandson on an upcoming trip to the Upper Potomac River to fish for large and smallmouth bass.

VMI opened its home football season with a big crowd, nice weather, and most importantly, a victory! The Class of ’71 was well represented by Lanny and Terry Sue Gault, Ned and Anne Mikula, Mike Strickler, Dave Kennedy, Ken and Marie Coleman, Jerry Acuff and his son, Ryan ’22, and Jane and me. E.J. Patrick and Scott and Connie Miller joined for games later in the year. Jane and I had joined the Gaults and Mikulas the night before at the Keydet Club kickoff festivities at Outpost 1839, a VMI-owned party/celebration venue just south of Buena Vista. This is very similar to McKethan Park, but with inside and outside facilities for eating and meeting. This was the first time I had attended an event there and was very pleasantly surprised with the facilities and the setting. Another alumni group I was happy to see at the football game were four of the five BRs who lived in Room 156 our rat year, my dyke’s room. My dyke, Charlie Bishop ’68, and his roommates, “Doc” Hyatt ’68, Dick Rankin ’68, and Mike Smythers ’68, all appeared to be doing well, with Bishop and Rankin looking as if they could suit up and play if needed. The only missing roommate of 156, Billy Martin ’68, is living in New Mexico. Seeing these fellows from the Class of ’68 was only the start of a strange set of occurrences that shows just how small the world is, or how one can find an association with the Institute in the strangest places. It started with a visit to the VMI Museum just to “look around” and see if there was anything new to see. There, I saw that Dr. Mayling Simpson, a cultural anthropologist and wife of Dr. Paul Herbert ’68, had written a book, “Lives Guided by Honor: How VMI Shaped the Class of 1968.” I won’t give away the gist of the book except to say that the title describes it in a nutshell. It is a very entertaining and informative book. There is a lot of VMI history and stories that I had never heard or read. I strongly recommend it. I took the book to read on the way to a recent visit to Monterey, California, where the world seemed to shrink. Jane and I were in a shop in Carmel when I struck up a conversation with the owner, who turned out to be from West Virginia and said he graduated from WVU in 1971. When I announced that I had graduated from VMI in 1971,

Class Notes

a woman standing behind me said, “ My brotherin-law, Tom Boyd, graduated in ’68.’ The next day, Jane and I were hiking down the coast at Big Sur when we came upon a couple, and Jane struck up a conversation. She quickly found out that they were from Cincinnati, where my son lives. When they mentioned a club where they were members, Jane asked if they knew Worth and Dana Roberts? It turns out that not only did she know them, but she had been Dana and their daughter Katie’s tennis instructor.

It took me a while to digest these random interactions with an association with VMI, but I was startled again after I attended the Medical Society of Virginia annual meeting in Norfolk, where Dr. Mark Townsend ’96 was installed as president of the organization. The practice for the installation took place in the Paul D. Fraim Center for Excellence in the Hilton Convention Center. On the way home, Jane and I were eating lunch when I noted the fellow sitting next to us had a rather large college ring. I asked him if he went to VMI. “No,” he said, “I went to The Citadel. I had visited VMI in the middle of the winter, and it seemed very dismal. My visit to The Citadel included beach activities, which sold me.” With that, a woman talking on her phone behind him piped up while waving a VMI miniature on her finger, “My son gave me this at Ring Figure. He graduated, and now his daughter is a rat.” It turns out the VMI family is inescapable!!

The travel exploits of our BRs have not seemed to have slowed down since hitting the threequarters of a century mark. The Gaults are still on the move. Their latest foray included a trip to California and Lake Tahoe. When I asked Lannie when cruise ships started making a stop in Truckee, his response was ... A big smile, then laughter. I wait in anticipation of the next stop. As you can see from the pictures, Bill Berkness has joined our “cruisers,” as evidenced by his photo on the fjords in Norway as he visits his ancestral home.

We have all heard of and know many of the VMI “5-year men,” who took a little extra time between matriculation and graduation. In Glenn Cox, we may have one, and perhaps the only, 10year man. “When I dropped out of VMI during my junior year in 1969, I had strangely accumulated 2 years, 2 months, and 22 days. I did not know that at the time. Things were fine until I got drafted 6 months later. ‘Life is what happens when you’re making other plans,’ as per John Lennon’s song. I joined the Air Force instead and, due to the “Palace Chase” program, was able to get off active duty and join the Virginia Air National Guard in December 1972. I worked a few odd jobs and realized I needed to return to college, so

I began my investigation of where to go. I soon realized that it would take me 3 years to complete my degree by changing colleges, so I started to investigate the process of returning to VMI. As I perused the idea for a few months, I realized I had uniforms, my hay, etc. I went to Lexington for a visit and soon realized I had several brother rats that were working at the school. How convenient. To make this long story shorter, I applied and was accepted with the provision that I go to summer school before my return. That summer, I worked with Pete Van Hooser, who at the time was out of the Marines and working in the PE department. Part of his job was to train 30 Iranian students to get them ready for the Rat Line. I was delighted to help with that. It was great to spend time with Pete. I asked him once what he was going to do over the weekend, and he matter-of-factly replied, “I think I’ll go for a 20-mile run.” No, he was not joking. When the year began, I was determined to go back into Echo Company, so the first day back, I went into the PX and sat down at the table with the Echo Company commander, Dave Fielder ’76. I said, ‘Hi, I’m Glenn Cox, Class of ’71, and I want to go back into Echo Company.’ He laughed and said, ‘Sure.’ Of course, my explanation followed, and he was amazed. Of course, many funny episodes occurred, like going to the first football game in uniform and running into my brother rats. I caught a ‘ration’ for that, but how many times has that happened? The funniest episode of my first year back was when I walked a permit through to Colonel Buchanan ’50B, the commandant at that time. I walked in, saluted, gave him the permit, he signed it right away, I saluted and left. As I was walking down the stoop, I heard him roaring, laughing, ‘Ha ha, a permit to go to your 5th Reunion! Ha ha.’ I had never heard him laugh, so I thought it was great. Some of our BRs [who] worked at the school were TAC officers. My exroommate, Tom Fitzgerald, was a godsend to me during my tenure. It was great to be able to go visit him in the Tactical Officers’ Quarters when he was on.

“My 1st Class year, I became the first regimental S-5 lieutenant. This position was created due to the work I had done developing a New Cadet Recruiting Program the summer before. A program that I believe is still around today.” What a story! This football season has been trying at times, but ’71 has provided consistent support at the games. Mike Strickler, Buddy Bryan, Jerry Acuff and son, Ryan ’22, Spring and Sam Kirby, Anne and Ned Mikula, Ken and Marie Coleman, Lanny and Terry Sue Gault, and Scott Miller with son Miller Tatum ’28 were all in attendance at the hard-fought Samford game. Joining the group

for this game was E.J. Patrick for his annual pilgrimage back for a ball game and a visit. E.J. is one of those folks who never seems to age and is doing very well.

Also visiting Lexington this fall have been Skull and B.J. Turner and Jim and Nancy Neikirk Skull and B.J. were here to meet a couple from Kansas who had worked with them doing rescue and clean-up work after the latest hurricane that was so devastating to Western North Carolina, Asheville in particular. After Lexington, they took their friends to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford and then on to Appomattox and the McLean House. Skull and B.J. are staying active and don’t appear to have aged at all. Jim and Nancy also dropped by for a visit while in Lexington. Both look great and are doing well. We had a lovely visit with them while they were here with their son and grandson (see picture). After Lexington, they were on to Monticello and other historic locations in Virginia.

Jim and Alis Sefick stopped and spent the night in Lexington as they “snowbirded” to spend the winter on the west coast of Florida. Both looked well and are doing the same. They were especially looking forward to catching up with all our BRs and families in the Tampa-Naples area over the “cold season.”

The Founders Day Convocation this year honored Gene Williams ’74, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for his service to VMI. Gene has served on the Keydet Club Board of Directors, the VMI Board of Visitors, and is the founder and executive director of the College Orientation Workshop program at VMI, a program which for the last 40 years has successfully run in the summer on VMI’s post with the goal to “transform the lives of promising, male, minority, and high-risk high school students.” Gene dyked in our room as a rat under the tutelage of his dyke, Paul Fraim. He gave a very deeply felt talk, which outlined how much VMI has meant to him through his life journey and what it means to be able to give back to the Institute. Later that evening, Jane and I joined Carol and Buddy Bryan, Donna and Dave Honeywell, Jim Gearhart and his fiancée, Nancy Humphreys, and Martha and Dave Kennedy at the Institute Society Dinner. We heard a presentation by the superintendent, Lt. Gen. Furness ’87. This was the second time I heard him speak and was very impressed both times. He has a firm sense of his goals for the future and for the success of VMI

Class Notes

and presents them in a very forthright and clear manner. If he comes to your local chapter of the VMI Alumni Associaiton, I encourage you to go and listen to his presentation. I think you will also be impressed.

The next day, ’71 was represented at the football game against Wofford. Although the outcome of the game was disappointing, BRs Mike Strickler; Jerry Acuff and his son, Ryan ’22; Martha and Dave Kennedy; Ned Mikula; T.S. and Lanny Gault; Marie and Ken Coleman; Maureen and Bob Lockridge; and Rudy Glass were in attendance. After graduation from VMI, Rudy worked as a bridge engineer at VDOT while attending William & Mary to get an MBA. He then started a 39-year career with Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, where he still lives now. He did a lot of international travel with his position, which continues now, including some English friends he has visited each year for about a month over

the past 40 years! Rudy does see Kirk Murray and Worth Roberts in Cincinnati between his frequent travels. Rudy tries to get back to at least one football game a year while visiting with his brother, Rocky Glass ’76

As we approach our 55th Reunion next spring, we have assembled a Reunion Committee to help in scheduling the festivities. I hope that as many of you as possible will be able to make the event. We aren’t getting any younger, and although we have been very fortunate this year in the health of the class, we are now all past our “three score and ten.” Thank you all for your reports and news you send. I apologize for leaving anyone out with whom I have corresponded. See you in April 2026!

Zeke

1972

Greetings, all—

These notes cover mid-August through Founders Day and Ring Figure-eve. The fall colors have peaked in Lexington, and the year is flying by with end-of-semester exams, December graduation, and commissioning right around the corner. There’s a palpable sense of energy on campus and especially among the Corps. Lt. Gen. Furness ’87 is off to a fantastic start and is deeply committed to the Aristotelian-inspired concept of “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” After listening to his presentation at the Institute Society dinner, several of us 70-somethings felt ready to “re-up.”

For any of you who have the opportunity, I urge you to engage with cadets, staff, and faculty whenever and wherever you can. These young men and women are honorable, civil, motivated, energized, and genuinely interested in interacting with alumni. Without sounding too maudlin or overly dramatic, our country’s in great shape with these young leaders in its future. And one more thing to share, again, if you haven’t seen it: Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce “Ranking Return On Investment (ROI) of 4,500 U.S. Colleges and Universities” is an outstanding resource that defines and ranks ROI/present value in terms of

cost of tuition versus debt at graduation versus expected earnings over 40 post-graduation years for public and private colleges and universities. Very enlightening—

OK, now to our news: August’s “memories of matriculation” prompted a couple of great responses. First, Drew Turner said, “One of my memories was of J.B. Ashcraft (rest his soul), who lost his name tag the first day. He had to wear one of those paper name tags that said “Hello, my name is J.B. Ashcraft.” He suddenly became like a flaming Tesla to a heat-seeking missile cadre. I think he may have done more pushups that day than anyone.” I remember him looking totally shell-shocked—until Christmas. And Eric Hammersen shared this: “I came to VMI from El Paso, Texas. The heat didn’t bother me (it routinely got to well over 100 in the summer out in West Texas), but the humidity was brutal. I recall once during cadre, while we rats were standing in formation in front of Old Barracks (wearing low quarters, green fatigue trousers, white shortsleeve shirt with black necktie tucked between the second and third buttons, and green baseball cap), noticing that sweat was dripping down my arms to my hands, through the white gloves, and onto the bricks. At least we were not yet wearing the grey wool, high-collar blouse, and grey wool covers. The cadre were, and when I came back our 3rd Class year as a cadre corporal and 2nd Class year as a cadre sergeant, I went through multiple grey blouses every day because they got soaked with sweat after a few hours. I ended up buying a few extra ‘used’ blouses from the uniform shop.” And Cam Fine summed it up best, saying, “I remember the fear and anxiety, not so much the heat.” It’s amazing how that level of shock and awe stays with us for over 50 years.

The week after the last set of notes was submitted, George Kosovic herded the cats for an informal matriculation anniversary lunch celebration at Macado’s in Lexington. Attendees include George and Rhea, Phil Clayton and Ava Tucker, J.R. and Cindy Bell, Wade and Florence Houston, John and Joan Sayres, Tom Moncure, Chip and Beth Woodall, Lee and Becky Harrison, Powell Hughes, George and Mary Jane Williams, Rich Wilson (in town from the Seattle suburbs), Sterling Spencer, Jerry and Lee Higgins, Bob Patrick, Chris and Betsy Foster, Bob Stransky, and Marie and I. Shared memorabilia include a copy of the Matriculation Book and Tom Moncure’s cadre sergeant-ordered “first-night-postcard to your parents.” Great fun, and the time flew by!

Bob Patrick shared the photo and news from his recent visit with Jim and Pat Yolda in Colchester, Vermont. They are doing well while working

Class Notes

playing baseball and soccer with them. I’m doing well, and Phil and I get to fish often. We had our 75th birthday party Sept. 9—crab feast!” You are a saint, BR, and I’m glad to see our higher powers are rewarding you!

Chris Arey wrote saying, “I’ve attached a pic of me at the end of the Cleveland Way (North Yorkshire, Northern England), a 109-mile trail in Yorkshire which I hiked in September. The scenery, weather, and ale were delightful. As an aside, in our over-55 community, it so happened that my neighbor across the street has a daughter who lives nearby, and—who knew— the daughter’s daughter entered VMI this fall ... a most unusual choice according to her mom. I’ve chatted the mom up a couple of times—she and her husband, a former Marine, are quite taken with the Institute.” Quite the Renaissance man and recruiter you are, BR.

through Jim’s issues resulting from a progressing service-related disability. Bob said Jim clearly and fondly remembers his BRs and time at VMI. Please keep Jim and Pat in your thoughts, BRs. Bill Smith says, “I’m still the primary caregiver for Pat, who has been in hospice 8 years at home. Becky Channel is still helping me, and she said to say hello to everyone. She is really a huge help. Good news: My daughter, Kathryn, delivered a baby boy Sept. 1, 2025, and my oldest daughter, Michelle, is going to deliver a girl Oct. 30, 2025. There are three grandsons under 6, but I’m still

John Fick checked in, saying that he and Chris and Betsy Foster were guests of the new superintendent for the Oct. 18 football game (Samford). They enjoyed lunch with the superintendent at his quarters and sitting in the supe’s box at the football game. Friends in high places, BR.

Ted Bremer’s news is that there’s “No news from Marietta, Georgia. All is well here.” A man of few words ...

Roger Lodi said that he and Randy “recently returned from a safari tour in Tanzania. Eleven days in the wild was a remarkable experience. The animals are amazing sights in their native habitat. They are so accustomed to the tour vehicles that we felt invisible. Lions and cheetahs actually used tour vehicles as concealment to approach prey! Elephants seem even more massive in large family groups. Following our time in Tanzania, we visited the island of Zanzibar for some beach time. It is an adventure worth considering.” Brave souls, BR. Bob Bailey reported in, saying that he, “Grace and Mike and Libby Kennedy enjoyed an October cruise on the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. Highlights were the Grand Ole Opry, Muscle Shoals Music Studios, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, and the history of the southern region—and visited the Shiloh National Military Park.” Definitely a bucket list item, BR— glad you enjoyed it!

Barry Bartley shared this, “For a third time, four of the residents of rooms 337 and 237 and our wives, Ed and Cindy Murphy, Bob and Glenda MacMeccan, Baxter and Elaine West, and yours truly, Barry and Margaret Bartley, gathered at Cacapon State Park and Resort in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, over the last weekend in October. Our purpose was simply to recall and

remember (and possibly regret) our years at the Institute and our 53 years since graduation. We had a great time together, most importantly reflecting that given our advancing ages, our 5-year reunions at VMI are not often enough to strengthen our friendships. And we tend to remember less and less with each passing year.” Wait ... what??? Rob Murray reported, “We are hanging in there like loose teeth! Enjoyed an Old Corps luncheon coordinated by John Young ’75 at Trio restaurant near Charlotte, North Carolina, on the 21st, which just happened to be our 46th anniversary! Nothing is too good for my bride! Lol!” Who says romance is dead?

Bob Stransky sent along the photo of our stalwart team at the Class of ’69’s annual Two Bellies Golf Tournament in Petersburg. Wade Houston embellished with “the intrepid yet aged group of golfers from our class that once more rose to the challenge thrown down by the Class of ’69 in their annual Two Bellies Golf Tournament. We actually put out two foursomes, and we competed against and amongst ourselves. The winning team was composed of Jimbo VanLandingham, Lindley Vaughan, Bill Irby, and Coby Fitzhugh The second team was composed of Chris Foster (not pictured), Rick Minor, Bob Stransky, and me. Great time, great weather, and it brought back many fond memories, and we are looking forward to next year.” I’m sorry I had to miss this at the last minute.

Phil Smith said, “In these crazy times, I thought I would share some good news with you. I am retired now, and we took a 10-day trip to Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City in September. We had a great time. In June, Barbara and I had a chance to go to Lexington to watch my grandson, Oliver, play a baseball game on VMI’s Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium. He is a left-handed pitcher like me and pitched the entire game and won. I had a photo with him on the mound and told him the last time I pitched in a baseball game was at VMI as a rat in 1969. Great memories. During this trip, we had a chance to visit and have dinner with Phil and Ava Clayton. Also, Barbara and I went to VMI last Friday, Oct. 24, to watch a parade. My niece’s son, Carter, is a 3rd Class cadet, a civil engineering major, and is in the color guard. The weather was perfect, and we had a chance to enjoy watching him in the parade that afternoon. Afterwards, we all had an enjoyable evening and dinner at the Gin Hotel.” Thanks, BR, and for those who haven’t been back to Lex-Vegas in the last few years, the Gin is the modernized, formerly Robert E. Lee Hotel on Main Street.

Bob Benson chimed in, “I had the chance to spend a weekend at VMI with my grandkids. We

Class Notes

were lucky in that it was a reunion weekend, so we were able to go into the barracks. Jan and I are well and will soon go on a Viking River Cruise in Portugal. We are healthy, so we enjoy chances to travel over the past few years. We recently returned from a trip to Italy, visiting Rome, Florence, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast.” We don’t sit still well.

Lou Welker says, “Ellen and I recently had the pleasure of meeting Lieutenant General Furness at the Nov. 5, 2025, Metro D.C. Region luncheon. BR Bill Collier and his wife, Pam, joined us at General Furness’ table, so we heard a lot of ‘VMI

war stories.’ General Furness was the keynote speaker, and we are really excited about his plans and vision for VMI going forward. He was the right choice for superintendent. We are still making our trek from Maryland down and back on Interstate 81 every month or so to Lexington to check on the family farm. With all the traffic in the D.C. area, it seems like the trip gets longer and longer, and Interstate 81 has turned into the Daytona Speedway!” You’re right, BR—that trip gets longer every year.

OK, that’s it for now, gang. But there’s just one more thing; our illustrious throng is rapidly becoming less immune to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. While we’re often loath to admit or even acknowledge tough times, there are more and more of our family who could use spiritual, emotional, and/or physical support from time to time. Please keep that in mind in your contemplative and prayerful moments.

Thank you, all—rah Virginia Mil!

Larry

1973

Mike

Hello Brother Rats, I hope that this note finds you all doing well and

having a very nice winter—lots of fun skiing, sledding, sitting by the fire, and enjoying life. As I write these notes in mid-November, I am at my brother Steve’s ’77 cabin in Patrick County, Virginia, on a big hilltop surrounded by woods and lots of wildlife! This place is off the grid—and great! My brother, Jim ’71, and Rick, Davidson College ’78, and my brother-in-law, Jeff Tewksbury, Emory & Henry University ’82, are also coming in for a weekend oyster roast. Looking forward to having a great time together. Pat and Steve’s wife, Mauri, are here to keep us straight!

Before I get into the latest news, in case you didn’t see my message last fall, our BR Timothy Hughey passed away Aug. 23, 2025, the day before his 74th birthday. Tim fought a courageous battle with cancer for the past couple of years. I had a call from his wife, Kerri, a week after his passing in response to a birthday card I had sent him. “Pudge” and I were really close at VMI; both of us were bio majors suffering through the pains of embryo and genetics and countless labs. Kerri and Tim lived in Greensboro, North Carolina, for a while after he got out of the Air Force, and I was living in Greensboro, as well. We often got together to play tennis or go to the gym. At the time, he was flying for Piedmont Airlines. After Piedmont became U.S. Air, they moved to Virginia Beach, and later he flew for American Airlines until he retired. Tim was a great guy, and I know he is sorely missed by all his friends and family. Please keep Kerri and all his family in your thoughts and prayers.

The summer seemed to come and go quickly this year. Unfortunately, I was hampered in my activities due to the pain in my hip, causing mobility issues; I mentioned in my last notes about our annual beach trip, which was a respite from an otherwise quiet summer. My hip replacement surgery in September went extremely well, and I feel like I’m now back to 99%. Absolutely amazing recovery! Over Halloween, we went to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and spent some time with my son, Derek, and his family trick-or-treating with the kids. Last weekend, we were in Lexington for the Institute Society Dinner and Founders Day. This weekend, we are at Steve’s cabin in the mountains, and next weekend we are heading to Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. My sons and their families will be there; Pat is getting in her Blowing Rock Christmas shopping, and we will attend the Appalachian University football game

Saturday. And then Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We had a nice group at the Institute Society Dinner: Doug and Beth Basham, Klaus and Laura Worrell, Larry and Debbie Mays, Ken and Sherri Kalisky, Joe and Paula Wyatt, Dr. Mac Bowman, and Scott McCarthy. It was a lovely evening, and we all had a great time catching up.

One of the neat things about being class agent is hearing from everyone, especially about their travels. I mentioned that Mike and Susan Smith had been overseas last spring; after coming home, Mike had knee replacement surgery. Following his recovery, they went out West to Arizona traveling and posted several pictures of their adventures in Northern Arizona. Apparently, they just missed George Tisdale and Stuart Seaton, who were in the area at the same time.

Rick Gribling said he was getting ready for rotator cuff surgery in October and began planning for his spring trip. He is headed back to Spain for the Portugal Santiago de Compostela and his second Camino Walk. The walk is a pilgrimage on a network of routes through Europe that lead to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Northwestern Spain. Good luck, Rick! Hope you have a great time.

Milt Salter said he attended The Citadel football game with an old Army buddy of his who is a 1973 The Citadel graduate. They had a lot of fun getting together. Joe Cini and his wife, Mary Jo, attended the Mercer University football game.

Their daughter, Whitney, is a Mercer graduate, and they try to get together for that game.

I have previously mentioned that Ken Kalisky and Michael Burke were nominated to be on the board of directors for the Alumni Association. They got together last September for their first board meeting. During their visit to Lexington, they were able to attend Roland Tiso’s lecture on leadership presented at the Marshall Library. Ken and Mike have both been busy with VMI activities. Ken is going to be a team leader for the association to help in recruiting for the Institute. Mike is the regional director for the St. Louis area and has been attending various chapter functions and helping with college fairs in the area. Mike said he is seeing a growing interest in both parents and young people in a VMI-type education and hopes to expand on those activities to include a regional STEM-focused event. Jim Chalkley is also a director for the Florida region.

Mike said that since he and Mary had both retired, they have begun to travel some. Their most recent trip was to Lake Michigan, and one of their favorite places was the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. They had not been to that area before and said it was a beautiful place to visit.

Pete Walters continues to work on completing the construction of his SkyReach BushCat two-seat sport aircraft. After 4 years of this “hobby,” Pete said he now has the instruments operational and has attached the lower cowling with the radiators and hopes to start the engine soon! He is dreaming of doing some serious aerial sightseeing once his “bird” gets FAA blessing to fly. Pete reminded me that he and Karen had been to England and Poland last year to visit his dad’s 1944 airfield. Last fall, they went to Athens and took a Greek island cruise to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, Pete also reported that in the past year, his older sister had passed away, and in October, his twin brother, William, who attended Pennsylvania Military College, also passed away. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Pete. Sorry for your losses.

I have been following Ralph Littrell’s travels on Facebook. He is back on the NASCAR races tour and was recently in Las Vegas and Phoenix. Neil Carlson went to Florida to attend his sister’s surprise 80th birthday party and had an opportunity to have lunch with his dyke, Glenn Kuntz ’70, who had just moved from Utah to The Villages in Florida. Neil said they had a great lunch and solved all the Institute’s problems “Old Corps style!” Mac and Melanie Kirkpatrick are camping out West and most recently were in Death Valley.

Roland and Judie Tiso are enjoying their granddaughters. Their daughter, Allie, who lives

Class Notes

in Pittsburgh, delivered their latest granddaughter in July, so they have been going up for visits on a regular basis. Ro said he had submitted the manuscript for his second book, “Soldiering in Hard Times,” to the publisher and hopes it gets approved for publication. The book includes several VMI “adventures” and comments from BRs. Look forward to seeing it, Ro! Since the publication of his last book, Ro has been the guest speaker at several events across the country, including at VMI. He hopes to get back to VMI again soon. He told me he was recently selected by Congressman Vern Buchanan’s office to receive the Congressional Veteran Commendation and has been asked to serve as the honored speaker for the Marine Corps League of Riverview, Florida, USMC birthday ball.

Speaking of grandkids, I had a note from Dean Smith, who said he had a new grandchild born in August. He said that he probably had set a new record for our class: All eight of his children are married; they now have 29 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. (Trumps our five children, 12 grandkids, and one great-grandchild.) Any takers out there who can top Dean?

I had a follow-up note from Tom Jennings, hoping I was mending well and recovering from hip replacement surgery. He reiterated that growing old was *&^% and that we should have

gotten the extended warranty! Tom has been battling cancer for a couple of years and taking radiation treatments on a regular basis, in addition to hormone treatments. He is hopeful that his last treatments are this month and he will get back to normal, although he is probably going to need hernia surgery soon. Tom said he is keeping his fingers and toes crossed and hopes there are no delays. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Tom!

I recently had a phone call from R.B. Newman Bob said he retired from his defense contracting business in February and has been enjoying his time playing golf and having fun with grandkids. He was thinking about another consulting job in October, but that was put on hold with the government shutdown, so he’s not making any commitments at this time. He said he and Becky were doing well. I also had a note from Jim Harvey asking me to tell everyone hello and saying that he was doing well.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday and is enjoying a great new year! Hopefully, we will get some snow in the High Point, North Carolina, area this winter, and of course at the ranch in Pulaski. I want to say thank you to everyone who supported VMI this past year, whether financially or on a board or committee. Our class continues to have a great impact on the Institute, and it is very much appreciated. Our class memorial scholarship fund is now valued at about $210,000 and should provide approximately $4,500 in scholarships this year. As you make contributions to VMI, please consider adding to our class ’73 fund.

Keep your cards and letters rolling and be safe out there!

In the Bonds, Mike

1974

Snookie Parker

Greetings, Brother Rats, Family, and Friends of the Class of 1974!

I trust this missive will find you in good spirits. I received a postcard from Mike Fisher. Mike and Sarah were visiting the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Virginia. If I read the postcard correctly, we were both in the Bristol, Virginia, area about the same time. I was there to watch the Reds play the Braves in NASCAR’s

Bristol Motor Speedway ... which was delayed a day due to torrential rains. The museum would have been a good option given the weather. Appreciate the note, Mike.

In early September, Hall Brody texted a picture of him and Rob Crow ’88 in Montana. Hall was on one of his annual volunteer gigs at The Wild Adventure in Big Sky Country, which is a unique weeklong men’s flyfishing adventure— rough, wild, and totally authentic. Rob happened to be one of the participants ... for those who love the sport and the magnificent locations.

Mick Ernzen sent his apologies for not doing better over the years and letting me know what is happening now and then ... and promised to do better. I mentioned he was not alone in that regard. He talked about getting together more often at Lake Gaston. Our places are only about a mile or two from each other by the way the crow flies. Mick expressed interest in the Richmond gatherings for breakfast—he would really like to try and make those—closer than Virginia Beach. Mick has been trying to make the Central North Carolina – Raleigh breakfasts, but life keeps getting in the way. I’m sure I’ll run into Mick soon ... at the lake, in Richmond, or in Raleigh. Mick noted the number of BRs we seem to be losing lately and added all the more reason to take advantage of BR gatherings when we can ... maybe a Gaston Lake mini reunion. Now I like the lake mini reunion idea. I think we have 8-10 bedrooms between the two of us. Let’s talk about it!

Tim Bosse took a fall and would be curtailing most activities for a while ... t’was a serious fall onto a stone patio Aug. 11. After a series of medical miscues, including a code, Tim was transferred to Emory. Tim got out of acute care in September ... transitioned to his home and “nurse Pat.” Words from Tim, “As I was laying on the patio, unable to move, and my cell phone out of reach, it started to rain, and all I thought was ‘really.’” Tim should be on the mend by the time you are reading these notes.

Class Notes

Class of 1974:

Robert “Kid” Fulks writes Aug. 28—Scotty Lowell and his wife, Tish, stopped by for a visit on their way from California to Florida. They are relocating to The Villages after losing their home in January to the fires around Los Angeles. A former P3 Orion naval aviator, Scotty accepted an invite to Kid’s local shooting range—Texas Gun Club. Scotty and Tish got familiar with several firearms. Kid was calling on all BRs in The Villages to extend a welcome to some new neighbors. Scotty and Tish were warmly welcomed in Florida at The Villages by BRs Al Vicory, Steve “Hambone” Ham, and Ted Telle. A golf outing was arranged not long after Scotty’s arrival with Scotty and the aforementioned BRs as a foursome. They played a ninehole executive course and, believe it or not, Ted had a hole-in-one on No. 4!!! Just over 100 yards. Yes—certified. He had three BR witnesses. I thought for sure Ted would break the bank buying hole-in-one rounds of drinks at the 19th hole. Turns out, Scotty is not a drinking man, Al had a church meeting to get to after lunch, and Hambone passed on the alcohol. Ted had one beer. A sad commentary, however, “luck times two” for Ted: 1) hole-in-one and 2) only had to buy one beer in celebration. As they say, I’d rather be lucky than good! How about it, Ted!

Unable to attend BR Tom Dick’s funeral Aug. 26 in Winchester, Virginia. T.J. Wilson and I were able to attend Tom’s visitation and to speak directly with his brother, John Dick ’69, and wife, Patricia (Trish). While in line, we saw BRs Mel Clark and Henry Moncure ... along with Rocky Yost ’72 and Doug Nichols ’72. There was a very large number of attendees for Tom’s visitation. Arnie Leonard reported a very large number of attendees for the service. Tom’s daughter provided remembrances which highlighted Tom’s unique character and activities, his prominent role in the community, and the affection for him of those who knew him well. Ten BRs attended Tom’s funeral service: Arnie

Leonard, Charley Banning, Frank Richardson, Henry Moncure, Paul Van Doren, Gus Elliott, Mark Levine, Jon Mounts, Jeff Huckabee, and Bert Graham I spoke with Tom’s wife, Patrica (Trish), at Tom’s visitation—she was appreciative of VMI and his brother rats taking the time to honor Tom. She was very appreciative of the Alumni Association and especially touched by a photograph of Tom sent by the Alumni Association. So touched, she asked if it was possible to get three additional photographs for Tom’s children. After a short phone call, the Alumni Association responded immediately to accommodate this request. Brother Rat Tom Dick—may he rest in peace, and continued prayers for his family and friends.

Small world—Marla and I were attending the Society of Stranders Fall Migration week-long celebration in North Myrtle Beach—the shag dance capital of the world. These week-long celebrations are best described as Mardi Gras for seniors. The fun Monday afternoon concerts Sept. 15: Gary Lowder and Smokin’ Hot Band, East Carolina Party Band with Jackie Gore, and the Swingin’ Medallions. Side note: A blast from the past—the Virginia Beach band, Bill Deal and the Rondels (or what is left of the original band), routinely get invited to play at SOS. I was wearing my VMI ’74 50th Reunion cap and alumni rugby jersey. We happen to sit next to Libby Gatewood, who is married to Herndon Gatewood ’76 A long conversation followed. As we wandered around the streets of North Myrtle Beach, the parents of Katherine “Katie” Kondas ’14 saw the cap and stopped us for a short conversation. ’Tis a small world.

Class Notes

Hendersonville’s Hedrick-Rhodes VFW Post 5206, Henderson County, North Carolina. Years of hitting dead ends each time he tried to find out what happened to his brother’s body after his death on Guadalcanal in 1942 had finally worn down his youngest brother, Marvin Rhodes.

Not too long after Marvin gave up on locating his brother’s remains, leaders at Hendersonville’s Hedrick-Rhodes VFW Post 5206 decided to take on an effort to locate the 13 soldiers from Henderson County who were missing in action during World War II. Luther Rhodes was the first MIA they decided to try to locate. According to Bob, the circumstances and location of Luther Rhodes’s death gave him hope that the remains could be

found. Unlike some MIAs who were lost at sea during Navy battles or died in plane crashes in remote mountains, quite a bit was known about Luther’s death on the battlefield. Bob said, “I woke up one day in June and said to myself, ‘I’m going to find Luther.’” After looking over the records the younger brother had accumulated over the years, Bob realized that the information contained important clues. Luther’s body was initially identified and buried on Guadalcanal. The bodies buried on Guadalcanal were eventually moved to other locations, with “knowns” sent home and “unknowns” shipped to military facilities in the Philippines and Hawaii. Bob, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, knew from his previous work with the military resolving gravestone errors at Arlington National Cemetery, that sometimes records do not match headstones at military cemeteries, leaving questions about the identity of bodies. Bob had a hunch that the body of Luther Rhodes was mistakenly deemed to be an “unknown” when the bodies of Marines were moved from the cemetery on Guadalcanal. Bob thought that if the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency looked among the remains of soldiers from Guadalcanal held in Hawaii and the Philippines, they would find Luther Rhodes. Johnson just needed to convince the DPAA to prioritize the search. Bob got his chance a short time later when, over the summer, he met Kye Laughter, the regional director for U.S. Senator Ted Budd. Bob had a whole packet on the research done on Luther. Kye

Rich and Ann Forbes were in Inverness, Scotland, for a wedding. Ann in a dress—looked stunning, and Rich in a kilt—hope he was not going ‘commando.’ On Oct. 4, Rich sent an alert text to any BRs attending the UTC game in Lexington. His grandson, Madden Daly, from Mount Juliet, Tennessee, was there for his official football visit. Hope the visit went well. VMI needs the talent.

It is Nov. 11, and it seems appropriate that I am recording this portion of our class notes. The story: After 83 years, the remains of Luther Leru “Dusty” Rhodes, an October 1942 Marine casualty at Guadalcanal, are coming home—in large part due to the effort of BR Robert “Bob” Johnson, a retired U.S. Army major and commander at

looked over the material and said, “I know Luther. He’s my great uncle.” Shortly after Bob’s meeting with Laughter, Budd’s office opened an official inquiry under the DPAA into the remains of Luther Rhodes on behalf of the VFW. “After decades of uncertainty, the Rhodes family will finally be able to welcome Luther home and honor his sacrifice on American soil.” The story is a bit more involved than this summary indicates. More details can be found at hendersonvillelightning.com/ news/15511-luther.html and the Oct. 25 edition of Military Officer Magazine, a publication of the Military Officers Association of America. Kudos to Bob Johnson for a job well done. One MIA located, 12 more to go!

Received a short SITREP from Lane Toomey regarding a Wilmington, North Carolina, luncheon to hear the new supe speak. Lane reports that the Class of ’74 was the largest contingent. Attendees: Lane and Karin Toomey, Andy and Pat Young, and Arnie and Maria Leonard. Unfortunately, there are no pics of our BRs at the event. Initial impression of the new supe—very positive and promising.

Paul Van Doren reports his AML remains in remission, although one of the two original gene mutations remains. Paul reports his liver is stable despite all the chemo and adult living thrown at it. Henceforth, he is supposed to follow all the healthy eating habits lest it goes into decline. The day after having the gastro doc issue those instructions, his local oncologist, fully aware of these new instructions, told Paul to go home and have a steak and a glass of red wine since his red blood components were so low. I suspect Rose and Paul were happy to comply.

On Nov. 6, Pat and Sue Flynn took a trip from Hops Hill to have lunch with Bill Haught at some “famous” BBQ place in Hopewell. Side note: I could be wrong, but as a quasi-BBQ connoisseur, I’m guessing the “famous” BBQ place in Hopewell is either K&L’s or Saucy’s since Mission is in Colonial Heights and LePough specializes in Carolina mustard sauce. I understand they had a great time talking and reminiscing about old times. After lunch, they went back to Bill’s house and continued reminiscing. Bill produced a photo taken of him, Roland Lazenby, Rod Beard, and Jeff Huckabee that had been taken when they were all at the beach back in the late ’70s or early ’80s. There were three of four “moons” visible in that photo. Not certain who the modest one was. Likely Laz—he is so shy and unassuming—not!

In honor of his lifetime of service to the Institute, Gene Williams was the recipient of the VMI Foundation Distinguished Service Award during this year’s Institute’s Founders Day celebration

Class Notes

in November. As many BRs are aware, Gene is the founder and executive director of the College Orientation Workshop, Inc., a 4-week educational enrichment program—now in its 40th year—dedicated to transforming the lives of male minority and at-risk high school students. Gene has served on the VMI Board of Visitors, Keydet Club Board of Governors, and the VMI Foundation Board of Trustees. A good number of BRs were present to witness the parade in his honor.

List of attendees—Pat Flynn, Mike Cole, Kent Wheeless, Melvin Clark, T.J. Wilson, Donnie Ross, Terrell Williams, Marvin Watts, Dan Barr, Frank Richardson, Al Rasper, Roland Lazenby, Tom Puskas, and Craig Carlock ... Russ Harlow, Red Undercoffer, and John McLaren. Gene’s daughter took a picture of the BRs on the steps of Preston Library and recorded a video of an Old Yell for Gene and his upcoming birthday. Donnie Ross noted it was a great event for Gene and the Class of ’74 in Lexington. Donnie’s quote, “We all felt very proud to be Gene Williams’ brother rat! What a fine gentleman he is!” And Roland Lazenby said, “The Class of ’74 was heard from today.” In addition, Craig Carlock ran into Julie Etter, Wayne Newman’s daughter, on the steps of Preston Library. It just so happened that Julie was there for the parade Friday and the game Saturday. How fortuitous!

Pat and Sue Flynn hosted a Wofford versus VMI post-game Hops Hill gathering. Mike Cole spent Thursday and Friday nights at Hops Hill, but had to leave Saturday morning before the game to get back to Carlisle. Attendees at Hops Hill after the game were Craig, Cathy, and Joe Carlock; Tom Puskas; Bill Shumate; Mark Prentiss; Russ and Mary Stuart Harlow; Phil Clayton ’72 and his wife, Ava, and six locals (non-VMI friends).

Just before submitting the class notes, I received a phone call from Pistol Pete Shelley, who was reporting a small world story. Their family dentist for the last 40-plus years had just retired. His wife, Susan, had a dental issue this morning and was treated by the replacement dentist. As they met, Susan said, “I know you, watched you grow up, and in fact was at your wedding.” The dentist—Dr. Olivia A. Smith (aka our daughter, Olivia). Small world. Pete did mention a recent gathering of the Outer Banks Lunch Bunch. Lane and Karin Toomey were spending some OBX time at the Sanderling Hotel, which provided a good excuse for an “Outer Banks Lunch Bunch” outing: Dave Stormont, Phil Parker, Pete Shelley, and Lane Toomey gathered for lunch, likely at the Blue Point in Duck, North Carolina. I wonder if they took time to consume one of the famous Duck Donuts for dessert. Pete did mention seeing Mick

Ernzen, Al Tashima ’71, and Roger Rosenfield ’47 at the latest Raleigh senior alumni breakfast. I understand Roger, 99 years young, is the only surviving member of his class. That discussion sparked the question: Who is the youngest member of the Class of 1974? The oldest member? Rumor has it that Ron Stelmasczyk is the youngest and Don Kilcullen is the eldest. I’ll have to do a little research to confirm. Thanks for the call, Pete! That is all for this set of class notes. Like I am quick to say every chance I get—we, as BRs, are getting longer in the tooth ... so I encourage you to travel while you still can … and can enjoy the adventure. And by chance, if you have an opportunity to contact and/or visit a brother rat, by all means, take it! It may be your last chance—you never know! That is all for now! In the bonds, Snookie. Class contacts: snookieparker1974@earthlink. net and Charley Banning cbanning@cox.net. Send me a note. Yada, yada, yada, and yaba daba dooooo!

In the Bonds, Snookie

1975

Thomas Mason

Brothers, Sisters, and Innocent Bystanders, Those first few years after graduation and active duty tours, we could physically undertake many activities and challenges. Fit and brimming with confidence and esprit, friends helped each other moving from apartments to their first house, built decks, and gathered socially on other home projects. The girlfriends and first wives (as it were), hobnobbed over boxed wine and organized/arranged the décor of the new home. That was back in the 1900s.

Now, physically, some (or many) of us can do few of those heavy moving and home repair projects, relying upon YouTube videos and our wallets to take us through the tasks, step-by-step. No heavy lifting, no climbing on ladders, grab bars in showers/baths, keep floors clear of clutter, wear sturdy shoes, three points of contact on all stairways, and gloves and goggles whenever possible. On another note: I happened to be at a restaurant in Lexington on a reunion weekend for those fresh alumni and alumnae attending their 5th, 15th, and 25th class gatherings and overhearing bright, animated conversation and laughter from a most youthful group. Few of these young alums have

experienced what cards life will deal out: The loss of a spouse, or child, or parent, or classmate, or been fired from a job, or experienced divorce, or a serious health concern, or debilitating illness.

This is a long-overdue “thank you” to a friend who relayed this above observation to the much-admired Chris Manno ’77, who many years ago illustrated this above scenario and included a pithy caption like only he is able. Unfortunately, that drawing has long since been lost to the great shredder of life and returned to the earth as compost. The point of all this ... all of a sudden, I’m feeling old.

Mid-August until mid-November ... Well, let’s get to it ...

Bernie Cobb and Jerry DeWaters flew out west to meet Guy Conte Sept. 28–Oct. 5 for 7 straight days of golf in the Seattle and Tacoma areas of Washington state. This snippet might have been more interesting had the three amigos taken up the offer to participate in a tandem sky diving jump at the local airport on which Guy and Mary’s home sits.

Lovely weather greeted the Pond House group for their Friday, Sept. 5, to Sunday, Sept. 7, weekend. Golf was played at the old Ingleside Inn golf course in Staunton, Virginia. The quartet of Fleming, Vanderberry, Nunn, and Morgan were bested by the Way, Chapin, Tucker, and Mason group. The winning foursome was generously rewarded (a sleeve of VMI logo balls). That Friday evening, most of the group attended the VMI Keydet Club kickoff evening at the Outpost 1839 in Buena Vista. Saturday morning, the entire group regathered for the football game versus Ferrum College, which was followed by a celebratory dinner at the Devil’s Backbone Brewery and restaurant.

Class Notes

Class of 1975: Attending Bob and Jan O’Connor’s low country boil in Beaufort, South Carolina, Oct. 31, 2025, are (front row, from left) Steve Chapin, Mike Fleenor, Jay Jones, John Young, Bob, Rick Hening, Sandy Morgan, Al Morgan, (second row) Dave Schuyler, Gibby Houser, Glenn Garland, Sandy Taylor, Rob Taylor, Frank Cole, Niki McGrew, (third row) Suzanne Hening, Guy Conte, Jan, Jim McCriskin, Tana Schuyler, John Greene, Joan Greene, Karen Houser, Sherry Chapin, Mary Conte, Phil Brzozowski ’76, Randy Frank, and Brenda Young.

Class of 1975: Attending a barbecue social before the VMI versus University of Richmond football game Sept. 19, 2025, are (front row, from left) Doug Harvey, Vic Arthur, Garland Isaacs, Art Nunn (second row) Tom Mason, Oliver Way, Rob Taylor, Ben Vanderberry, Dennis Lewin (third row) Billy Hunter, Nat Hamner, Chip Louthan, (fourth row) Terrell Williams ’74, Glenn Furr, Bobby Hunter, Steve Chapin, Glenn Garland, and Al Morgan.

Two weeks later, in Richmond, Rob and Sandy Taylor and Oliver and Bonnie Way hosted a BBQ social in preparation for the football game with the University of Richmond. This gala was attended by Glenn Garland, Dennis Lewin, Glenn Furr, Doug Harvey, Vic Arthur, Nat and Nancy Hamner, Billy and Lee Hunter, Bobby and

Dee Dee Hunter, Mike and Sloane Hunter, Chip and Katherine Louthan, Steve and Sherry Chapin, Ben and Anne Vanderberry, Judy Baur, Al and Sandy Morgan, Garland Isaacs (and daughter Hannah), Terrell and Sarah Williams ’74, and your notary. The Keydet Club put on a nice pregame social outside of the UR stadium Saturday,

Sept. 20; everyone enthusiastically entered the stadium, and a sudden torrential and lengthy thunderstorm drenched all and caused a 3-and-ahalf-hour delay; the game finally resumed but wasn’t completed until 8:28 p.m. Saturday night.

I learn something new about my classmates each time a group gets together. On Oct. 4, while enjoying the Keydet Club pregame luncheon with Glenn Furr and Dennis “Popeye” Lewin, I learned that Popeye had turned down the gracious invitation from Glenn to spend the weekend at his home, instead opting to stay at the Holiday Inn Express (the ambassador suite, I’m told) and feeding $37.75 worth of quarters into one of the last remaining Magic Fingers Vibrating Beds in America! Popeye was always one to blaze his own trail, and the novelty of this bygone era in hotel amenities was just too good to pass up.

While Steve Chapin kept an eagle eye on the VMI basketball team, the football program, and the reconstruction of the Lexington Golf & Country Club, Sherry Chapin lived out the dream of teaching the VMI 2nd Class cadet members the waltz in preparation for their Nov. 21 Ring Figure ball. Steve Chapin and Stewart and Mary Ann Fleming assisted. I (bring up the music) could have danced all night …

Rich and Beth Mines endured the football game at Mercer Oct. 25, then packed and flew to Las Vegas to meet up with John and Michelle Plunkett for a couple of days and take in an Eagles concert before continuing on to Pomona, California, to witness their niece become an ordained minister. They enjoyed some time at the Yosemite National Park and San Francisco before returning home. I’m sure Rich got in a run somewhere along the way!

Sam and Robin Moultrie traveled to Lexington for the second time in 2025 to attend the award ceremony for Gene Williams ’74 receiving the Distinguished Service Award Nov. 7. The dedication was followed by a luncheon at the Superintendent’s Quarters, a convocation, and a parade; Nov. 8 found the Moultries in the superintendent’s box

Class Notes

for the jousting on majestic steeds, sword fights by gallant knights, the sloshing of mead, and average food (eaten with hands).

A group photo of the 31 BRs who attended the Keydet Club pregame social prior to The Citadel game Nov. 1 is included in these notes. Unfortunately, missing from the photo were Stewart Fleming, Lowrie Tucker, Jim McCriskin, and John Greene. That quartet was taking a walking tour of The Citadel post while the pictures were snapped.

Dan and Laura Schultz, John and Cathy Maples, and Jay Newcomer enjoyed the fantastic cuisine of Charleston, took a harbor tour out to Fort Sumter, visited the South Carolina Aquarium, took a walking tour of historic Charleston, viewed The Citadel corps of cadets’ Friday afternoon dress parade, and attended the Saturday football game as guests of The Citadel superintendent. Whew, I’m exhausted just recording the activities of this energetic quintet!

for the football game.

Many of you are good-natured chaps, some of you within our ranks, beloved; few are both. One of us, whose company I find having both of these attributes, is Mike Hunter. Just about any meeting with Mike results in a humorous, memorable, usually self-deprecating story. In September, I discovered that Mike generally forgets more than one article of clothing, toiletry, or other important bit of kit each time he travels. There’s now a rumor afoot that Mike has acquired rental lockers (like many truck drivers have) to store shirts, trousers, hunting gear, formal wear, toiletries, and other accessories at various Bu-cees’, Love’s, and Pilot travel plazas all over the eastern United States.

The annual great pheasant hunt trip to Aberdeen, South Dakota, occurred from Oct. 24–27. This year’s trip was limited to Rob Taylor, Al Morgan, and Tom Gillette ’67. Prior attendees Mike Hunter and Steve Chapin passed on the trip this year. Dr. Billy Hunter had to bow out, as well, as he was in Paris, France, with Lee helping solve the big crown jewelry theft from the Louvre.

As you can see from our class photos displayed in this issue, they are centered around the many of us who made a long weekend centered around The Citadel/VMI football game. Eleven BRs played golf on Friday morning at Charleston National Golf Club. Then, on the eve of the big game, many attended the Low Country boil hosted by Bob and Jan O’Connor in beautiful Beaufort, South Carolina. Guest diners and socialites were Rick and Suzanne Hening, Guy and Mary Conte, Jim McCriskin, John and Joan Greene, Dave and Tana Schuyler, Mike Fleenor and Niki McGrew, Jay Jones, Jerry DeWaters, Rob and Sandy Taylor,

Steve and Sherry Chapin, Frank Cole, Al and Sandy Morgan, John and Brenda Young, Phil Brzozowski ’76, Randy Frank, and Gibson and Karen Houser

A party of 14 led by Oliver and Bonnie Way alit on the Isle of Palms for 4 nights over the Halloween/ The Citadel weekend (Oct. 29–Nov. 2). Art and Judy Nunn, Ben and Anne Vanderberry, Stew and Mary Ann Fleming, Kimo and Shelley (Holt) Wong, Lowrie and Kathy Tucker, Mrs. Thomas S.(Judy) Baur, and I dined well, laughed heartily and participated in pillow fights, jumping on beds, made blanket tents, told ghost stories, made hot chocolate and s’mores, etc. It was somewhat akin to the bygone days when we were all young and raising kiddos and taking them to Medieval Times

In a sidebar with Jay Newcomer, I know he misses his horseback/trail-riding adventures out to New Mexico. It’s been 5 years since he’s gotten to make that mind-cleansing trip he treasures so.

Mike Fariss continues racking up the bicycling mileage in and around Little River, South Carolina. Mike remains in good health and sends glad tidings to all.

Dan and Sandy Brooks visited Nantucket Island in late August to eat lobster every day, then jetted down to St. Lucia, in the Lesser Antilles islands, for a snorkeling trip with one of the grandchildren, and were, ahem, forced to sample the island rum. Additionally, an early November trip to Kentucky (bourbon this time) culminated with SRC at the home of Jon Mounts ’74 in

Class Notes

Washington, Pennsylvania.

Dave Jensen saluted with an “all right” from Charlottesville. Regrettably, Dave got knocked down with the flu just prior to the reunion and thought it prudent to bow out and not take a chance on exporting his novel bug to the class at large.

Art Sigsbury traveled to Arizona and Nevada for a week in October. When queried as to the purpose of trip, a brief reply was—cousins in Arizona, two friends in Nevada. End of discussion.

In June, John and Brenda Young took a weeklong road trip visiting Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont. The stop in Watertown, New York, saw John’s son (Lt. Col. John L.Young IV) take command of the 10th Mountain Division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion at Fort Drum, New York. Then on to Burlington, Vermont, to sample the sights and tastes of the Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, and the scenic village of Stowe, and a near-collision with a black bear. The return trip south included an unrewarded attempt to connect with Bill Witherow in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and then speeding south on I-81 and saluting Stonewall Jackson at the Museum of the Civil War in New Market, and an Old Yell when passing Lexington as their trip concluded at their home in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Sosthenes Behn and Glenn Garland may be some kind of fraternal twins with regard to adventure hiking. This past summer, Mr. Behn completed the Hadrian’s Wall hike in Northern England (as Glenn did in 2023), and he plans to walk all of Southern England and parts of Scotland in 2026.

Harley Myler checked in with the observation of the over-abundance of vehicles with “VT” stickers in his area of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Greg Stultz remains “all right” in Stow, Ohio! And from outside Cincinnati, Ken Gerard sent his “all right” memo. Our Ohioans are brief with news!

Rick and Suzanne Hening were in Charleston in early November for The Citadel weekend. Rick has spent much of his free time this fall attending high school football games and is hopeful one of the local (greater Raleigh, North Carolina) teams will reach the North Carolina state finals. Rick and Suzanne got to a 50th high school reunion in Commerce, Texas, and a family reunion in Midlothian, Virginia. Rick has 2026 mapped out for baseball season, leading the Central North Carolina – Raleigh Chapter, and attending various spring events at VMI and elsewhere.

An animated, upbeat greeting from Felix Wolkowitz arrived just in the nick o’. He’s still on a high from the reunion, playing with the many grandchildren, and has plans to travel to Lexington this coming summer to make the rounds and visit several (unnamed) classmates! Good on ya, Felix! Al Hansen retired from active ministry after 43 years in the Anglican Church. The service of recognition was held at All Saints Anglican Church in Peachtree City, Georgia, Oct. 26. Gibson and Karen Houser joined Al and Teresa for the celebration of retirement.

Paul Bernard, Vic Arthur, and Rich MacFarland will travel to Lexington Nov. 22 for the 2025 final football game against WCU. I plan to meet them there, if fate permits.

May I please receive an “all right” notification from E.E. Spain, R.W. Deslongchamps, M. Thompson, H. Barksdale, or any Lineback? I know you all read this: It’s like trying to avoid looking at a train wreck—you can’t turn away!

As these notes close in mid-November, I wish to remark I’ve been twice impressed with our new superintendent, Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87. Hearing him speak with ardor, command, and direction about the Corps and alumni is at once captivating and exciting. Movement is already afoot addressing branding VMI nationally, increasing the Corps of Cadets census to a consistent 1,800plus, closing financial voids, and adequately funding facilities.

My north star of guidance over these 5-plus years as scribe has been to make our notes somewhat relatable, somewhat welcoming, and somewhat fun as I attempt to daub colorful pastels on the grand mural that is the VMI Class of ’75.

Humbly and devotedly, I remain,

Never above you, never below you, always beside you ...

Your Friend, BR, and Dedicated Swiss Army Knife, Thomas A. Mason

1976

William Bhatta

On Nov. 13, during VMI’s Day of Giving, the Class of 1994 edged out the Class of 1976 in the final stretch. The younger class finished with 81 donors to our 72. That means next year, Moe’s jersey will bear the digits of ’94, a sight none of us will enjoy. Ugh, it stings! J.R. Mott is trying to ease my pain by sending me a red T-shirt with “’76” emblazoned across it. While that may not erase the loss, I’m grateful to the brother rats who stepped up with donations of $19.76 in honor of our class. That spirit is what keeps us strong. Fortunately, brighter news lies ahead—our class notes!

This past spring/summer, Bill Danzeisen ended his third year working as an usher for the Philadelphia Phillies (spring training) and their Florida State League team (Clearwater Threshers). Bill said, “100 degree days in mid-summer aren’t easy. I am scheduled to have my second knee replaced Dec. 15 and am praying that I will be ready to work again for 2026 spring training.”

Several BRs gathered for the VMI versus University of Richmond football game Sept. 20. The festivities began the night before. Michelle and I met Jim and Susan Mallon, along with Evan and Margaret Haberman, at a restaurant out in Goochland County for supper. Game day kicked

off with lunch at the VMI Alumni Agencies pregame tent, where we joined Maury and Libby Gatewood Spirits were high—VMI scored on its first possession—until the first quarter, when Mother Nature had other plans. A sudden downpour dumped buckets of rain on the crowd, sending us scrambling for shelter under the stands. The only ones with enough foresight to dodge the deluge? Our wives, of course. It’s like they had special powers to anticipate the storm coming from across the campus! The game didn’t resume for another 5 hours because of the severe weather, and when it finally did, the scoreboard read VMI 14-Richmond 38.

Class Notes

On Sept. 9, Jim Mallon met Keith Poertner for lunch in Williamsburg, Virginia. Jim said, “Keith and I socialized (partied) with Richard Mathews, Bill Meier, Jack Christy, and others. However, Keith and I haven’t seen each other since graduating.” Keith has worked in a variety of positions at the Department of Defense, General Electric, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Jim said, “With a little longer hair, [Keith would] be a dead ringer for Mark Twain.”

In late September, Dexter Gilliam and I received a last-minute request to help procure specialized clothing and equipment for VMI’s Army ROTC Ranger Challenge team, selected to compete in the prestigious Cambrian Patrol in Wales. For context: “Exercise Cambrian Patrol is an annual international military exercise organized by the British Army. Participating units must cover a grueling 40-mile (65 km) course in under 48 hours, navigating the rugged Cambrian Mountains and swamplands of mid-Wales while executing a series of complex military maneuvers and patrols.” This year, VMI and the 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division were the only U.S. teams among 110 international competitors. Thanks to the swift generosity of 19 brother rats, we raised $4,300 to support the team’s gear and logistical needs. The final bill came to $2,300, leaving a surplus of $2,000. In the spirit of continued support for cadet excellence, I donated the remaining funds to an AFROTC account designated to assist future VMI cadet participation in the Cambrian Patrol. BTW: This year’s team placed third in the competition.

Al and Ruth Anne McCarthy had a great trip this past September to Ireland and Scotland. Al said, “Took the Queen Mary 2 from New York to England, where we hooked up with our oldest son at the Churchill War Museum, which was

wonderful. Son had just completed the Highland Way Trail solo in Scotland, so we took him out for real food. The rest of the month was spent touring Scotland and Ireland. Beautiful views, castles, museums, and most importantly, the pubs and people. Sean’s bar in Athlone, Ireland, was a favorite and is the oldest existing pub in the world—900 A.D.”

I reached out to everyone in October to help identify brother rats who are sons of alumni. Thanks to your responses, I’ve made solid headway. Out of the 32 brother rats listed in VMI’s documentation as sons of alumni, I’m confident I’ve confirmed 26. That leaves just six more to track down! Many of you responded quickly with names, class years, and even anecdotes that added some color to the effort. A few names surfaced without full details, or the connection was uncertain. I’m working with the VMI Archives to verify those, so we don’t miss anyone. So, if you know a brother rat whose father was an alum, let me know. Even a hunch helps. Here are highlights from your feedback: Tony Young shared, “My uncle, a World War II soldier, took me to see the movie ‘Patton.’ He had served in Africa and said, ‘What about VMI? It was good enough for Patton.’ I flew up to Lexington in May and was impressed. That sold me.” Greg Hedley wrote: “My dad was born and raised in New York City but worked for a VMI graduate early in life and had great respect for the man. My dad suggested I consider VMI since I was interested in engineering and serving in the Army. I applied

for early admission and never considered any other school after being accepted.” Grigg Mullen carries a legacy that reaches back to Wesley Peyton Grigg, Class of 1863. Bruce Crawford, Dyke Davies, Randy Esser, Bob Gleason, and Kavie Thrift had fathers in the Class of ’45. Charlie Archer, Rick Biram, Jim Delisio, and Jim Puckette had fathers in the Class of ’52. And Ray Ramos had two brothers who also attended VMI.

Class Notes

Bob Gleason won the National Association of State Procurement Officials’ annual service recognition award in October. (FYI, Bob is the director of purchasing for Broward County in Florida.) Bob said, “It was quite an evening ... with all the states and most of the territories in attendance, several hundred attendees for the NASPO Annual Conference. I had an odd email a few days prior telling me what table to sit at for the final night. A big clue, so I was able to deduce it in real time, but still surreal. Some color commentary, and after all of the awards, this was the evening’s capstone award, with a few minutes of video commentaries from people around the country, and a beautiful one from my wife, Suzie.”

Michelle and I had the privilege of attending the Institute Society Dinner at Marshall Hall Nov. 7. Other Class of 1976 attendees were Dyke and Bobbi Davies, Dexter and Sevanne Gilliam, Evan and Margaret Haberman, Charlie and Betsy Keen, and Ray and Margaret Ramos. We sat in the back corner of the room. I made a snide remark about our location, and Dyke reminded me that it is good to sit in the back of the room because older alumni and classes sit in front of us! We had an empty seat between Dexter and me. The waiters kept putting food at the empty location, so we would “lean to the right” to compete for the extra food. The following day, Michelle and I were invited to attend a pre-football game lunch at the Superintendent’s Quarters, followed by watching the game from the Ferebee Lounge at the top of Foster Stadium. Ooh la la—it’s quite a facility! Ray and Margaret Ramos also joined us there. At the game, I was able to see and briefly talk to John Strock, Evan Haberman, Dexter Gilliam, Dyke Davies, Henry Foresman, Jim Brown, and Rocky Glass (with his family).

Ted and Melanie Mouras recently returned from a safari to Namibia and Botswana. Ted said, “Visited three camps in the former and one in the latter. Namibia is relatively undeveloped and unknown by Americans (didn’t see a single one)

and beautiful. The Okavango Delta in Botswana is full of wildlife. Even got to visit with a Botswanan major that I sponsored when he attended school at Ft. Huachuca.”

Ron LaGrone is temporarily back in the U.S. for October. He is doing well. He was in the Richmond area visiting his sons. Unfortunately, our schedules were out of whack, and we were unable to coordinate a date and time to link up and see one another before he returns to Estonia. Ron was able to visit Greg and Julia Speaker in Asheville, North Carolina, on his way back to Alabama.

Marshall Coyle checked in. He said, “Life’s good here in Colorado. I’ve joined a local high school FIRST Robotics club as a mentor. The club sponsors two FIRST Tech Challenge teams and one FIRST Robotics Challenge team. It’s been really rewarding working with such motivated students and seeing their creativity in action. Colonel Joe and Colonel Joyce Blandino (ME faculty) recently invited me to spend a weekend with them in Lexington. We went to the VMI-Chattanooga football game as guests of our new 16th superintendent, Lieutenant General Furness ’87. He took

me into his library to show me an original oil painting of General Patton—quite something to see. It was a memorable day all around: The parade, pregame lunch at the Superintendent’s Quarters, and watching the game from the Ferebee Lounge. The only thing that could’ve made it better was a win! Still, it was a good, hard-fought game, and we were never out of it.” After the football game, Marshall had dinner with Jake Berberich’s brother’s family at their cabin near Goshen Pass.

Mark and Bernadette Sculley are doing well, enjoying the four seasons in the beautiful West. They welcomed Christian back home after he spent 14 years in Germany finishing his degree and working for the Army in Stuttgart. He’s now employed by the University of Utah, while Daniel manages an outlet store and will again be a ski lift operator at Solitude Mountain Resort close by. Mark stated, “[I] continue to plug into the Class of ’76 monthly Zoom prayer meetings led by Ray Brooks and joined by so many BRs—too many names to mention.” The forum has been an excellent boost to our bonds of brotherhood, and Mark hopes many more of you will join in. On VMI Founders Day, there was a special Zoom session that included 64 people from about 10 classes to commemorate the day, celebrate Veterans Day, and share prayers for friends and families. The standing VMI chaplain who joined in provided a sermon that underscored our shared values.”

The first notes of 2026 are completed! I am looking forward to seeing everyone in 2 months at the 50th Reunion!

1977

Steve Kelly

Greetings, Super ’77!

It is late October as I write these notes. Fall is finally here, along with beautiful leaf color changes and cooler temperatures. It’s been a busy couple of months for Mauri and me. We traveled to New York City to keep grandkids for a week in August (I am getting better at figuring out the subway). We were fortunate to go to the beach sans hurricane when it was not terribly crowded. The first part of September, our awesome class

held its ’77 Memorial Golf Tournament and mini reunion. It is always great to see brother rats come back for these events. Kerry Mullen and his crew rented a B&B in the county and provided cookouts and cool beverages for BRs who stopped by on several nights. It was a little cold for the pool, but a great time was still had by all who attended. Rich Humenuck sponsored his writers club meeting at Devils Backbone, and it sounds like they were able to solve both writing and the world’s problems. There were too many brother rats to list at the mini, but Rob Brown, Kim Rose, and Bob Hartzell were among those in attendance. It was good to see them back at VMI. Thanks to Steve Neas, Steve Billingsley, Kerry Mullins, Tommy Cole, and Mike Parish for helping put together this event. Mike, Steve B., and I were lined up at 5 a.m. in order to secure parking spots on the Parade Ground. Thanks also to the ladies who prepared numerous delicious side dishes that greatly enhanced the tailgate food options!

The Class of ’77 Memorial Golf Tournament overall winning team was Joe Santelli, Steve Billingsley, and Ed Anderson. The individual winner of the coveted “Green Jacket” was Paul Ferrell. Congratulations to the winners! Mark your calendars for Sept 12, 2026, the date of the next mini reunion. The ’77 Memorial Golf Tournament will be played that Friday, Sept. 11, with a practice round Thursday, Sept. 10, at a location to be determined. Summer camp will happen again next year, most likely starting the week before the golf tournament. The camp crew is looking to expand activity options with a possible guided flyfishing trip, hike on the Appalachian Trail, and maybe a whitewater rafting trip. This is all still in the planning stages, so stay tuned for details. I am sure it will be quite the adventure!

Turning to other brother rat news, I received a note from Mike Brown. For the past 3 years,

Class Notes

six brother rats and spouses—Mike and Dee Brown, Jim and Lynn Bradshaw, Steve and Kay Bryant, Wes Naff, Newby and Becky Mauck, and John and Debbie Cutright—have gotten together for a weekend. This year, they gathered in Northern Virginia Aug. 8–10. Mike said it was another amazing weekend as they all rolled back into their years at VMI. Will Bynum wrote that he and Ned Stepanovich ’78 met for lunch at the end of July at Holly Ridge, North Carolina. Mike Davis sent an update at the end of May. Mike and Debbie Davis moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, 3 years ago in September. After Tim Snyder’s celebration of life service, Mike and the Haste twins, Gary and Jerry, decided to regularly meet for dinner. They made good on this promise to each other at the end of July. Mike and Debbie Davis, Jerry and Marilyn Haste, and Gary and Liz Haste went out to dinner at a seafood restaurant in Norfolk, Virginia. Received a note from Mike Meise. He and his wife, Peggy, visited Hilton Head in October and had the opportunity to stay with Bland and Jane Massie. These two

couples had dinner with Bill and Tina Wanovich ’87 one night while they were there. Mike and Peggy live in Roanoke and force themselves to rough it at their cabin on Smith Mountain Lake in the summer (it’s the one with the big VMI ’77 flag) or at their son’s cottage on the Eastern Shore. Mike and Peggy do a fair amount of traveling and cruising and are enjoying life! I think it is great that brother rats are getting together to visit and socialize outside of VMI. We all know that time passes too quickly. Please continue to send me notes and pictures, and I will try to get them into the next Alumni Review. I may not always have room for the pictures, but I will try to at least get your notes in if I receive them before my deadline.

In other news, Kimber Latsha, Mark Bryant, and Steve Neas will be present for the Class of 2027 Ring Figure. We look forward to hearing a report on how Ring Figure went for our Pass in Review class. Kimber Latsha and Steve Neas and

a few other BRs are also working to start a monthly Zoom prayer call similar to what the Class of ’75 does. Joe Molina has volunteered to be in charge of the team consisting of himself, Mark Waldrop, Rich Howell, Oscar “Chip” Davis, and Chris Perry. This team will do a Zoom call (probably once a month) with interested brother rats who want to share prayer concerns and blessings with the group. If you want to participate, please email Joe Molina at chapsmo@gmail. com. Stay tuned for additional information on this opportunity to pray for and stay connected with our brother rats. A shout-out for Steve Neas is due here—he has been in charge of the ’77 prayer emails for 15 years now and has done a great job! Thanks, Steve!

Class Notes

VMI. Steve took advantage of his trip up from Georgia to attend to a family obligation in Lynchburg, and Dwight visited his sons while he was up from Florida.

What’s going on with our 50th Reunion? As of this writing, we do not have the official date, but we expect it will be in April 2027. Preliminary planning is happening now with the Giving, Event Planning, Communication, Swag, and Memorial Service Committees. Bland Massie is heading up the Giving Committee, Rich Howell is heading up the Event Planning Committee, and Mike Davis is heading up the Communications Committee. The Swag Comittee is headed up by Steve Billingsley and Mike Parish and is putting together the memorial service for our deceased brother rats and widows. Thanks to these brother rats for stepping up to help. Most of the detailed planning/calling will occur closer to April 2026, a year out from our official reunion date. There will be many opportunities to serve as we plan our 50th Reunion, so please be receptive to helping when you get the call. Start clearing your calendars for April 2027! It would really be great if all of our physically able brother rats could attend this once-in-a-lifetime event. Please also consider a gift to VMI in the process. Our Class of ’77 Scholarship directly benefits a cadet with demonstrated financial need.

The next set of class notes is due in January. I look forward to updated news and pictures from our brother rats. If you are reading this and are not receiving emails from me, please take the time to send me your updated email—even if you have done it recently. The information will be helpful to get notes out to the class. I hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. Stay safe out there!

Tick

1978

Greetings, Brother Rats and Friends of the Class of ’78,

As I compile these notes, fall has made its presence known even down here in Florida frost and lows in the upper 30s, brrrr! As you read these notes, I trust all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. May all have a warm and safe remainder of the winter, and remember to stay in touch with your BRs. Time now for the latest news from around the class.

Jim Simons, “Ken Blythe, Steve Thompson, and Dwight Weirich visited me at my home in Rockbridge County. We had a wonderful time catching up and reminiscing about our time at

On Saturday, Sept. 6, we attended the alumni weekend dress parade and football game against Ferrum. While Ken and Dwight attended to other duties later in the week, Steve and I visited the VMI Museum, where Keith Gibson ’77, VMI Museum System executive director, provided an absolutely outstanding ad hoc presentation on the steel printing plates that were used to print our diplomas, now on display in the museum. I would encourage those that haven’t visited the VMI Museum in many years to do so. The VMI Museum is no longer the “alumni attic” that it was in our day; rather, it is now a first-rate institution, one that rivals those of larger colleges and universities. Plans are underway for the museum to move to a new building in the years ahead, hopefully in time for Keith to put his mark on the new facility. Our gathering evolved into a ‘cast and blast’ event as we fished the Maury River and christened my newly constructed backyard trap range.

At the end of the week, we traveled to the Tidewater, where we met Alumni Pier Fishing Club XO, Tim Berkhimer, for dinner.

The following morning, we joined the other members of the Alumni Pier Fishing Club on the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier for an absolutely magnificent day of saltwater fishing. The former denizens of Room 141 were joined by Chuck Shank and club members Phil Saunders Sr. ’81, Phil Saunders Jr. ’07, Daniel Hennelly ’07, and our newest member, Laura Fenske ’25, who enjoyed the distinction of catching the largest fish of the day.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to promote the two unofficial VMI alumni clubs that I manage. First is the Alumni Pier Fishing Club. The club gathers twice annually, in the spring and fall, on the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier for a day of fishing and later, for dinner at Ocean Eddie’s Seafood Restaurant. It’s a great opportunity to reconnect with our classmates, as well as alumni from other classes. No angling skill is required.

Second is the Alumni Trap Shooting Club. The club assembles three times a year at the McKissick Farm for an informal trap shoot, thanks to the generosity of Mark McKissick and his family. The club is open to all, regardless of their level of firearms experience. Participants need not own their own shotguns; those with firearms are happy to

share. A simple BBQ follows the shoot. I would encourage anyone interested in participating in these clubs to contact me at jerseyrefugee@yahoo.com.

In October, the McKissick Farm trap shooters assembled for an informal afternoon trap shoot at Amelia Court House. The ’78 crew included Ken Blythe, Bill Robertson, Mark McKissick, and myself. Also participating were Mike Meads ’94, Sarah Lemon ’17, and Grant Andrews ’24, and our host, Mark’s brother, Tim McKissick.”

Blaine Vorgang: “Wendy and I still remain in an ‘all right’ status for your email stick check. This has been a dry fall, and the Indian summer is starting to fade, and the leaves on the trees, once all sorts of colors, have begun to fall. Still, it remains mild. Nov. 10 is coming up quickly, the 250th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as Nov. 11, VMI Founders Day, 186 years, and of course, Veterans Day. I can still remember being gun captain for Matthew in my 3rd through 1st Class years. Of course, that was when we were allowed to fire them, a one-quarter charge, creating a lot of smoke and noise on the Parade Ground. Mike McCarthy was in charge of the Cadet Battery firing detail. Kind of makes you think about the Civil War ... and what both sides faced when artillery opened up on advancing infantry.”

John Tucker: “All right in Columbus, Ohio.”

Bil Greg: “Room 142 had a weekend mini reunion with wives here in Springfield back in September. Bil Greg, Ken Lafferty, Tom Shaw, Gary Snyder, and Jim Reynolds—everyone is all right! Some pics attached. Carrie and I can now call ourselves grandparents! Our son and his wife had a daughter (Georgia Greg), and we are thrilled! VMI Class of 2046, maybe?

Gary Snyder: “All right from Alexandria, Kentucky; Burke, Virginia; Hilton Head, South Carolina; Robbinsville, New Jersey; and Floresville, Texas. The 142 crew, Snid and Melissa, Big and Carrie, J.R., Landshark, and Sue LAF and Robin, and Scratch and Pam all got together at Bil Greg’s home in Burke, Virginia, for a mini reunion in September. Cigars, Elmer T. Lee, and some fine Irish whiskey were sacrificed. Carrie went above and beyond, and of course, darts were played, but badly. Cadet life was relived, the stories became more exaggerated, and we all laughed so hard it hurt. The Gregs have joined the grandparent club, so we are all united. All of the crew are well and still kicking. J.R., Tom, and I took a drive over to Udvar

Class Notes

Hazy Saturday to see some aircraft and one of the F-4s on hand Tom had flown. Sadly, no F-111s, but lots of great airplanes, including Enola Gay. We’ve reunited at Tom’s ranch in Texas, on a cruise, and in Burke. Need to start planning our next. Anyway, that’s the update for now.”

Tom Sliwoski: “All right in Williamsburg.”

Dave Mecredy: “It has been a busy fall here on the farm in Belle Plaine, Minnesota. We have a small apple orchard and a commercial-sized cider press that we employ at the end of September and again at the end of October. We invite a dozen friends and family to help prepare and press apples. When it is all done, we send everyone home with a couple gallons of cider. This year, we produced 66 gallons with over 30 bushels of apples. The cider is the best. Susan and I are members of a band that was scheduled to perform in early October at a classic car roll in Henderson, Minnesota. I am on guitar, banjo, and lead vocals; Susan is on violin and backing vocals. Unfortunately, this was an outdoor gig, and the weather did not allow. Maybe next year. May you all be blessed above measure in the coming holiday season.”

Ed Little: “All good in Herndon. The last 3 months have been busy. Many church activities: Handbell festival, choir, and general support. We took a fantastic cruise from New Jersey up the coast to Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy. November began with an alumni luncheon at the Army Navy Club in Washington, D.C. Lieutenant General Furness ’87, superintendent, spoke about his vision for the Institute. It was a very informative conversation describing many aspects of the Institute’s mission. I attended a special Zoom meeting prayer on Veterans Day at the invitation of our dykes ’75; we were joined by class members of ’74 and ’76.”

Bob Longwell: “Loving Florida and retirement. Haven’t run the block for a while.”

Terry McKnight: “I hope all is well. The VMI Alumni Agencies’ capital campaign is right around the corner. Why does Moe wear ’84? That class gave the most last year. Maybe you can send a note out to get ’78 at the top. We can get Rick Wolffe back in the outfit.”

Rick Wetherill: “All right—merry Christmas!”

Steve Powers: “All OK in New Hampshire! Driving BMWs now in addition to my La-Z-Boy. Working part-time as a porter at our local BMW dealership. Enjoying watching our grandson blossom into a smart and respectful second grader. Donna is now

retired and enjoying watercolor painting and being a loving and doting Grandmama.”

Tim Berkhimer: “All right, sir!”

Chip Schelhorn: “All is well in Jupiter, Florida. Just turned 70 and took my family to Italy for a nice vacation. Went to Grand Cayman and Colorado. Going skiing in March to Vail and Beaver Creek. Still working and taking it day by day. Can’t believe it’s already November and next month is Christmas. Then 1-1-26. Time is flying by.”

Bob Fricke: “All is well in Colorado, thanks!”

Bob Wright: “All up all duty here in Plano, Texas. Jo and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in June. A nice time was had by all. I’m getting ready to have major back surgery the first week of December. If any BRs are in Plano or Dallas, hit me up.”

Nelson Curtis: “All right from Williamsburg.”

Bruce Kay: “Still figuring out my new ‘normal.’ Was able to do some traveling this summer, including a cruise from Italy to Greece and a visit to my daughter in Sweden.”

Steve Craig: “All quiet on the south central front.”

Vagel Keller: “All right! We are in the middle of a month-long sojourn in Sicily, after a few days’ stopover in Rome, and having a great time!”

Rob Traver: “All is good! Just trying to figure out what 50% means in work!”

Pete Manoso: “All OK in Newport News, Virginia. Daughter Sarah blessed us with our first grandson, Landon James Amante, Nov. 10, 2025. Landon is our fourth grandchild and joins our three granddaughters, Caroline, Lily, and Margaret. We hope to move to Richmond, Virginia, within the year to be closer to them. Bill Robertson has already picked out a spot where we can take our grandsons fishing. Looking forward to the multiclass Zoom prayer meeting Nov. 11, 2025. Thanks again to Jay, Tom, Ken, Bill, Dave, Ron, Bob, and our other BRs who make them possible. Hope to see you there.”

Mark Lowe: “All right here! With the Christmas season right around the corner, my wife and I are getting ready to head back over to Germany for our grandson’s first Christmas, and he is now mobile! Coupled with our granddaughter in Kita, nursery school, and picking up German, this should be a fun trip. Fortunately, we have been keeping up on our German lessons. Would hate to be outsmarted by a soon-to-be 3-year-old and a 6-month-old. Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas!”

Cliff Seibel: “Greetings from the far north. Winter is here, been in negative numbers for a few days now. Plowed the driveway once. Settling for the long haul. Best to all of our BRs; have a great holiday season.”

Class Notes

Mark Lambert: “All right here in St. Charles. Denise and I were in Germany in September and got a chance to get to Oktoberfest in Munich! Great beer, great food, and really a lot of fun. Looking forward to the holiday season with all my kids, spouses, dogs, and grandson visiting!”

Leland Horn: “All is well here so far. Working through some medical tests leading up to a couple of necessary surgeries, service-related, so back to arm-wrestling the VA early next year.”

Mike McCarthy: “All right from El Paso! Getting settled into being retired. Over the past 8 weeks, I have been working on fixing all the deferred maintenance on my body. All is going well—my timeline is being extended to space out the interval between events. I should have everything wrapped up by Christmas.”

Rob Parker: “ I finished my 5 years in Saudi Arabia with Bechtel; back in JFK en route to the South Carolina Low Country. Happy to be home.

Got my VMI garb working for me!”

Paul Campbell: “All right!”

Ken Blyth: “I’ve had ‘hay down and all duty’ since Oct. 1, as I’m on furlough with the shutdown. So, I took the time to move my son from Florida to Wisconsin. Missing so many of you on our monthly Zoom calls, third Tuesday at 2030. Zoom on in! Keep your eyes open for Jim Simons’ invite and consider joining us for shooting trap. We’ve had a few trips at the McKissick farm in Amelia in 2024. Bring shotgun and shells, give us a shot! Have gun, will travel! Weather permitting, Charcoal Charlie grills burgers and dogs. Come on and gittcha some!”

Harry McClellan: “All right here in Springfield, Virginia. Shari and I are back on home turf after hiking the Swiss Alps and visiting our daughter in Germany last month, and we are blessedly healthy.”

Jim Mackin: “Everything here in OBX is copacetic! Some bad storms this summer, but the impact was mostly south of us. Leaving on Monday for a Nile cruise; Tony and Monica Pileggi will be cruise mates with us.”

Jimmy Leech: “We’re doing well and staying adequately busy. Just heard from Steve Craig, who is now in San Antonio. He had some sad news about our old biology faculty advisor, Dr. Fred Swope. Fred was killed by a distracted driver near his home in Decatur, Alabama, about a month ago. He made a big difference in my life. I have thought of him often and was in touch with him a bit in the last 50 years. I passed the news on to Brion Smith. Brion and Judy are thriving in Keswick, near Charlottesville.”

Tom Tucker: “Doing fine in Warrenton, Virginia. No major changes here.”

Bill McCampbell: “Everything is going good here in Hardeeville, South Carolina. A few trips, a few drinks, a few doctor/surgeon visits, typical norms of retired life. We did get to ride camels beside the pyramids in Egypt!”

Don Hogge: “All OK!”

Chris Stone: “Last time I checked, I still have a pulse, so checking in ‘all right’!”

There was a special multi-class prayer call in November that our ’75 dykes coordinated. Fourteen ’78 BRs participated along with members of ’74, ’76, ’77, and some from ’25. In total, there were 65 alumni in attendance. It was a wonderful gathering.

Thanks to all who checked! Remember to stay in touch with your BRs and to join the monthly class prayer call on Zoom the third Tuesday of the month.

In the Spirit, Tom/EZ Bear

Howard “Chappy” Lucas

Hello BRs! I trust these class notes find you and your family well. As you might recall, the previous edition of class notes was written just prior to matriculation. I wanted to let you know that our class was well represented at matriculation by Bill Hamlin and Anthony Pais, our class representatives to the VMI-VMI Alumni Association Pass in Review program. They were on the stage with VMI and Parents Council leadership, all of whom were introduced to the parents and incoming rats during the matriculation ceremony held in Cameron Hall. The planning for our future engagement with the Rat Mass of 2026+3 continues, as I want to thank Tom Trumps and John Poffenbarger for assisting this effort.

The season of high school 50th reunions continued this past fall with Asa Page, John Brown, Don Starbuck, and Mike Thomas reporting in from their 50th at Virginia Beach’s Cox High School. Asa was overheard saying, “Thank goodness for name tags!” as people had changed considerably over the past 50 years. Although a great time was had by all reunion attendees, invariably, Asa, John, Don, and Mike, along with their wives, turned the event into a mini Class of 1979 reunion.

A total of seven BRs matriculated from Cox High School 50 years ago, with Bill Lamb, Don Wells, and Joe Simas joining Asa Page, John Brown, Don Starbuck, and Mike Thomas in attending VMI. It was interesting to note that all seven graduated!

In late August, I was able to join Phil Southers, Anthony Pais, Tom Manley, Dave Crawford, Pete Underwood, Brian Tollie, and Joe Tudor for a BR breakfast in Mechanicsville, Virginia. It was great catching up with everyone, but this was not just a social event. I was also able to recruit volunteers for upcoming class activities!

Greg Quinn sent in that he joined Dan Sheahan, Randy Pekarik, Bill Albro, and Dean Smith on a diving trip to Key West, Florida, in early September. They were on their annual adventure to

Class Notes

explore the USNS Hoyt S. Vandenberg, which is located at a depth of 110 feet and is the secondlargest artificial reef of its kind.

Richard Toft checked in to report, “Just returned from a road rally with the folks from Gravity Rally.”

Richard’s travels included visiting Nashville and

the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Their visit to Bowling Green included a day at the National Corvette Museum racetrack. They then spent a day at a private airstrip for some drag racing for high-speed runs. This was followed by visiting Knoxville, with their travels ending in Atlanta. Upon his return home, he received good results from an MRI on his prostate. Richard sends “remind the boys to keep up with blood work and checkups!”

I heard from Dan Kornacki in October, who reported, “J.R. Pigg and I decided to hold our first corporate meeting for BR Aviation in Rome! We were both there before leaving on separate cruises! Ciao!”

After 46 years working for the U.S. Air Force, Mike Mendez checked in to report he retired Sept. 30. Mike sent he served on active duty for 22 years, followed by 24 years as a contractor. The last 8 years of his career, he was a U-2 mission planner at Beale AFB, California, leading various teams that planned U-2 missions all over the world. Mike wrote, “Now that we are fully retired, we are planning various road trips to places we haven’t been to or haven’t visited for a while. Our first trip will be to Disneyland in December. We haven’t been there since we took our kids in 1997! Should be fun!” Mike also sent that he and his roommates, Phil Southers, Pete Underwood, and Parke Smith, stay in touch via periodic video calls.

Ben Bauman sent that “family is doing pretty good” and that he and Tracy will be going to the U.S. Virgin Islands

the last half of November for a vacation. Ben wrote that this trip will have “no work or volunteer work” as he looks to pace himself a little better in the future.

I speak to Keith Ranker on a regular basis. In late October, Keith sent the following for notes: “Still recovering from the stroke 2 weeks ago. There have been some undesirable effects, like a quicker temper, sometimes losing my train of thought while speaking to someone, and some issues while walking. Still, I’m blessed. It could have been much worse.” In speaking to Keith more recently, he is continuing with his recovery and is in good spirits. He is also appreciative of all the cards and words of support he has received from BRs. We need to continue to keep Keith and his family in our thoughts and prayers.

Jim LaRose wrote to report that “In October, Kathie and I spent 2 weeks in Australia. This was Kathie’s bucket list vacation. We visited Sydney, Brisbane, and Cairns, where we spent 2 days scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.”

I heard from John Kailey, who checked in to report that he is enjoying his grandson and retirement in general. John sent, “I joined the USCG Auxiliary and even became Boat Crew Qualified. That is not bad for not being able to spell boat 6 months ago!”

Steve “Scag” Scaglione sent that he and Glenn Higgins attended the VMI Alumni Association New York City – Long Island Chapter meeting Nov. 5. This meeting had two special guests, the current VMI regimental commander, Devin Auzenne ’26, and the current VMI 1st Class president, Maximus Ankrah ’26. Scag wrote that they “provided excellent presentations about current events happening at VMI and entertained numerous questions from the attending alumni.”

In early November, I heard from Jim Leavitt, who was in Emory, South Dakota, on a pheasant hunt with Jim Elliott and Meade Spotts. Jim wrote “having a great time” as they were “being tough on God’s creatures for 3 days.”

Bill Albro sent “Happy Founders Day! Autumn has fallen here in South Carolina. We’ve had several visitors in the August through September timeframe. We have played golf, had dinners, and attended concerts multiple times with Reggie and Linda Sadler. We also have had the opportunity to have dinners and play golf with Mike and Kathy Oden, Larry and Ellen Adams, Bill and Ann Bersson, and Tom and Amy Bersson ’80. It has been great fun visiting, catching up, and sharing stories.”

Bill further wrote that “I took a trip to Seattle in mid-August to visit brothers and was able to work in several trips to Virginia to visit with Doug

Class Notes

Mauck. In early October, we met Sam Murphy at Gloucester Point for lunch that turned into 2.5 hours of laughing and swapping stories. Noel Harris was invited but sadly could not work it in that day. I will try to connect with more BRs when I next get back up to Virginia in the spring.”

I heard from Jeff “Peel” McLean, who composed his notes while sitting in a deer stand. Peel wrote, “All is good here in Florida. I spent a week fishing in the Gulf out of Port St. Joe. We had good luck and caught a big 100-pound wahoo. Keydets always slay the wahoos! My son and daughter both live in Jacksonville, along with our three grandsons. Daughter is a nurse, and her husband will be retiring from the Navy as an LDO O3E in February after 20 years.” Peel further wrote that he had lunch with Fred Floyd. They had a great visit catching up, and hope to get together again for a round of golf. During lunch, the guy at the next table saw Peel’s VMI hat and came over to introduce himself as a W&L alumnus who was

a member of the fraternity where Fred and some of our BRs had lived during summer school one summer during our cadetship. Apparently, there was significant entertainment of many townies by our BRs during that summer there at that fraternity! Peel also wrote that he and his brother, Mark McLean ’80, had lunch and a great visit with Steve McKenna while they were in Macon, Georgia.

Congratulations to Frank and Becky Jester on their daughter’s marriage. The wedding was held in October in Washington, D.C., as Frank wrote, “It was great!”

Congratulations to Jeff Goldhardt on the arriving of a new granddaughter Nov. 9! Jeff also wrote that they had closed on their house in Texas and will be back in Virginia by mid-November. It will be great to have Jeff back in Virginia!

Gary Parker checked in and wrote, “Jeff Vordermark and I made it to Canada for the third year. He has been going with a group of Army buddies for years. Fantastic walleye and pike.” Gary also wrote that wife Lesley has started working part-time while he continues to manage his rental property.

I heard from Eric Schwarz, who wrote, “Becky and I recently returned from a 32-day Mediterranean cruise that included a trans-Atlantic crossing. I am sure it isn’t a surprise to anyone, but this retirement thing is pretty cool. Although we have done a lot of trips in recent years, retirement opens up many options. We have traveled a lot already and have many future trips on the calendar. As enjoyable as this recent one was, it is nice to come back home for at least a little while.”

Eric further wrote, “To make up for missing our oldest grandson’s ninth birthday, we went to

Williamsburg with his family on our first Saturday back in the country. It is always cool to hang out with the two boys and the mom and dad.” In closing, Eric wrote, “All is well with us and ours. Hopefully, this is true for all our BRs.”

Craig Myler checked in and sent, “While sailing the British Virgin Islands at the end of October 2025, my wife, Janice, noticed a VMI banner at an establishment located at Cow Wreck Beach, Anegada (that translates to go to the middle of nowhere and then ask if there is someplace a little more secluded). Later that evening, still on Anegada, we just finished having dinner at Potter’s by the Sea when she again noticed a VMI banner. I put my mark on this banner as there were already a few alumni represented. For another descriptor of Anegada, if you search for the best 10 restaurants on the island, there are only seven, and they are all on the beach. For those wondering, we got to Anegada via a 45-foot catamaran.”

Jeff and Linda Minnix reported in from their tailgate at The Citadel football Nov. 1 in Charleston, South Carolina. Joining Jeff and Linda were Jim and Sarah Harrington. While the results of the football game were not what we had hoped for, the food in Charleston is still as good as ever!

Greg Weaver checked in after attending the Founders Day celebrations at VMI, where he ran into Burley Byrd, John and Teresa Colonna, and Ed Johnson.

In early October, Anthony Pais and I met up with John Blake at the VMI versus ETSU football game tailgate in Johnson City, Tennessee. In addition to catching up with John, this trip had two very special purposes. First, Anthony and I had the honor of presenting to John a letter from the VMI Alumni Association recognizing John for his efforts in the establishment of the Henry Johnson Award. Henry Johnson served as equipment manager at VMI for 34 years, with his closest contacts being cadets who participated in sports and the individual team managers. To honor Henry, this award is presented annually to the outstanding cadet manager for an intercollegiate athletic team. The letter to John, in part, states, “You were the trusted and valuable advisor in the establishment of this award. Your service to the Institute and Corps of Cadets hasn’t gone unnoticed. We commend you on your steadfast commitment to improving the advancement of current and future cadets.”

The letter continues, “Thank you for supporting the mission of the Institute to promote the success of its educational and academic purpose. The VMI Alumni Association thanks you for your time and service. Our deepest gratitude and best wishes to you.” The second purpose of our meeting with John was, on behalf of the class, to present to John

Class Notes

a replacement class ring. It was a very special day as we recognized the great work John has done. I want to thank all those BRs that assisted in making this day happen.

I enjoyed being with Ed Johnson, John and Teresa Colonna, Jeff and Linda Minnix, and Charlie Sachs and Jacqueline Purdy at the VMI Foundation’s annual Institute Society Dinner held Nov. 7 in Marshall Hall. One of the highlights of the evening was to hear from our new superintendent, Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87

Our second annual class tailgate was held Nov. 8 for the VMI home football game against Wofford. It was a great day as the weather was perfect, and we doubled the total attendees as compared to last year’s initial tailgate. BRs attending were John Brown, John and Beth Poffenbarger, Phil Andrews, Burley Byrd, Jeff and Linda Minnix, Anthony Pais, Gleb Taran, Tom Manley, Rich and Dawn McGruder, Wilt Holmes, Randy Young, John and Teresa Colonna, Ed Johnson, Dave Jeter, Phil Southers, Dave and Carrie Taylor, Dave and Cynthia Woolwine, and myself. The Doerr family attended, as it was great to have Corinne, daughter, and grandchildren join us. It was a fun day of reconnecting and sharing stories. A very special thank you to Tom Manley, Anthony Pais, John and Beth Poffenbarger, and Rich and Dawn McGruder for all of their great work to make this tailgate the success it was.

Attending VMI’s NROTC USMC’s 250th birthday ball held Nov. 11, 2025, were Tom Manley, Pete Underwood, Anthony Pais, Gleb Taran, John Kailey, Joe Bonsignore, and myself.

I learned that for the past several years, a group of BRs has attended this event to not only celebrate the USMC’s birthday but to also remember those passed USMC BRs and others who had an impact on our USMC BRs during their cadetship. This is accomplished by holding a brief ceremony just before the start of the ball. This year’s ceremony included remembering and honoring our recently passed BR, Doug Doerr. It was a very special event and evening. As one BR reflected, “Great event, great company, great time!”

I want to thank everyone for your continuing support. If you have not done so already, mark your calendars for Saturday, April 25, 2026! We will be hosting our ’76 dykes for DRC that day as they celebrate their 50th Reunion.

Also, please remember to mark your calendars for April 2029 (most likely one of the last two weekends of April) for our 50th Reunion.

As I close these class notes, if there is a BR you have thought about reconnecting with but have not yet done so, take the time to reach out and reconnect today! RVM!

1980

John Gibney Jr.

Hello, Brother Rats!

These notes cover the period from Aug. 15–Nov. 14, 2025, and reflect our 45th Reunion. Apologies to Pete Peterman and Bert Schneider, who communicated during the prior period but were unintentionally omitted. I exchanged email messages with Pete on his birthday. He was considering attending our reunion but did not. Bert sent several text messages during the period, three with attached photos and four with attached videos.

The period began with a call with Tim Hodges discussing the 49th anniversary of our matriculation and plans for golf at our reunion. I also spoke with Rob Quarles about the golf outing. Rob Robinson set up the outing, and Tim and Rob were both critical to its planning and execution. In connection with the anniversary of our matriculation, Tom Bersson, Frank Hilton, and Dwight Pearson sent text messages. I also spoke with Dwight, who said that Joanne fell and broke her hip and would not be joining Dwight at our reunion. He also spoke about cycling with Joe Paustenbaugh in Utah.

Tom “Gunny” Kelly sent an email to several of our BRs with an update on Robby Wheeler. In July, Wheelz had surgery for cancer on his tongue. I spoke with Wheelz in mid-November (see below).

Gary Kessler sent an email regarding registering for a room at the Natural Bridge Hotel for our reunion. Gary was going to room with Steve Kraus but needed his own room as his wife was planning to attend. Dave Gleason sent an email after having lunch with Tom Bersson and Mike Luning. In response, I sent Dave a PDF copy of our Matriculation Book. Please reach out if you’d like a copy. Ed Baker sent a text message the day after Hurricane Erin hit the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Ed and Dianna did not evacuate, and their home was unaffected. I exchanged email with Jerry Koehler regarding registering for the reunion. Jerry attended, but Karoline was not able to accompany him. I spoke with Matthew Keys on his birthday. Matthew is retired and plans to attend our reunion (he did), but only for 1 day, as he has a family commitment. Therefore, Tanya will not be able to attend. I then spoke to Phil Munisteri, who was preparing a video to run throughout our

Class of 1980

45th Reunion

reunion dinners. Phil attended and provided the video. Kathy did not attend as she was visiting their daughter and grandchildren.

Hossein Eshaghi sent an email after reading the class notes. He wrote that he was looking forward to attending our reunion. Paul Burkholder sent an email to confirm that he had registered for the reunion. He had not registered. So, I sent a link. Paul did attend. I exchanged the first of several email messages with Tracy Wilson regarding the English Premier League. Neither my Tottenham team nor Tracy’s Manchester City team is doing as well as expected.

Phil Munisteri sent a text message regarding the video he was preparing to be shown at our reunion. Mike Hall sent an email regarding registering for the reunion. Mike attended. He also said that Bob Titus was considering attending. Tom “Gunny” Kelly sent an email with the VMI Class of 1980 Foundation August Newsletter. The message also contained a link to a survey and a link to virtually attend their annual meeting. Dwight Pearson sent a text wishing me a happy retirement—I retired Sept. 1.

I exchanged email with Rob Dalessandro on his birthday. Rob is the acting secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission. Rob was not able to attend our reunion as his role at ABMC had him in Normandy running a tour for the Smithsonian that weekend.

Throughout the period, I spoke with Elliott Wolffe. Elliott lives in New Jersey and is still working. He and Amy also have a house on Cape Cod, where they see Dennis Maguire. We discussed home-and-home golf, but could not fit it into the schedule before golf season ended. I also spoke with Rob Quarles regarding attending the NCAA lacrosse championships in Charlottesville in May 2026. Patti and I plan to attend.

I exchanged email with Dicky Lockridge on his birthday. Dicky and Judy were unable to attend our reunion but passed along their regards to our BRs, specifically Tim Cox and Steve Klinar Walt Wood sent an email, and we then spoke. Walt was considering organizing a Bean’s Bottom run on Friday of our reunion, similar to the run he organized at our 35th Reunion. He sent a photo taken of those participants. He also sent an email regarding his idea to several of our BRs. Brian O’Neill and Rick Fowler replied that they could not participate. Logistics, primarily being headquartered at Natural Bridge, did not allow for the run to occur.

Ed Baker requested a connection to Ken Trotman related to their upcoming high school reunion. Ed noted that he is fully retired, and he and Dianna live in Avon, North Carolina, on the Outer

Class Notes

Banks. Ken and Joanne live in South Carolina and attended our 45th. Tom Gelles sent a text after receiving his birthday card, and we then spoke. Tom lives in the Pittsburgh area and has retired. He did not attend our 45th as he traveled to Dublin for the Steelers game. I exchanged email with Rich Zott on his birthday. Rich attended our 45th.

I received an email from Doug Burton. Doug asked for a list of our BRs who had registered for our reunion. I sent him a link. Doug attended. I exchanged email with Steve Roberts, in advance of his birthday, in connection with a request to contact Steve regarding the VMI boxing team and a project being organized by a group of alumni. In 1979, Steve was an original member of “The Boxing Club” at VMI. Steve agreed to assist. He also wrote that he registered for the reunion. I exchanged email messages with Rick Fowler, Dennis Hackemeyer, and Yves Pollart on their shared mid-September birthday. I also exchanged email messages with Kevin Cordray, Rob Leatherbury, and Steve Roberts on their shared birthday. All replied and attended our reunion. I exchanged a third message with Frank Galgano and Bill M’Coy on their birthday. Bill replied that he was not able to attend the reunion and that he has started to cut back on work hours. Frank wrote that he was promoted to full professor at Villanova University and that he would be traveling and unable to attend our reunion. He also wrote that he is now a grandfather!

Lewis Toms sent a text after receiving my blast reunion email. Lewis wrote that he was attending our 45th but not the Friday dinner, as Ed Elliott was hosting a dinner at his home in Salem, Virginia. Tom Bersson sent a text message containing the ingredients and directions for the 45th Reunion signature cocktail. Please reach out if you would like a copy. I exchanged text messages and then spoke with Mark McLean. Mark is retired and lives in Florida but was traveling to two different states to visit his grandchildren and was not able to attend our 45th.

Tom Bersson sent two photos taken in Alaska. Mike Flinn set up a fishing trip to Alaska in August that included Tom, Jeff Basilotta, Don Bradshaw, Mike Luning, Steve Klinar, Rob Robinson, and Tony Zoetis. Hunter Davis, who lives in Alaska, also participated. Coincidently, Tom met Landon and Lou Anne Welford on their last day in Alaska as they were on a cruise.

I exchanged email with Dan Conn on his birthday. Dan and Marge attended our 45th. Ted Helmick sent an email with reunion questions. Ted and wife were registered, but he asked for clarity on certain aspects, which I provided in a response. I exchanged text messages, email

messages, and had a very brief call with Don Bradshaw on his birthday. Don lives and works in Hawaii but is temporarily assigned to Kwajalein, where cell phone service is spotty. Although he was registered for our 45th, due to his assignment, Don was not able to attend.

Rob Robinson sent an email with an attached photo of Rick Gilbert visiting Robby Wheeler in the hospital. See below for an update on Robby’s recovery. Phil Hourihan sent an email with an attached photo taken our rat year in front of Main Arch. I forwarded the photo to Phil Munisteri for inclusion in our reunion video. I sent a response to a text message from Kent Oelrich. Kent attended our 45th, but his son, who was registered as well, had a conflict and had to cancel. Elliott Wolffe then sent a text noting that his foursome at our reunion golf outing would now be only three, including Eli Alford and Kent. September ended with numerous calls regarding our reunion, which was only days away, with Tom Bersson, Chal Glenn, Pat Griffin, Frank Hilton, Tim Hodges, Larry Hupertz, Gary Levenson, Rob Quarles, Rob Robinson, Wade Stinnette, and Craig “Wiennie” Wilson. October began with a text message from Jody Morgan. All widows are invited to attend our reunions at no cost. Jody wrote that she could not attend due to family commitments, including son Jake’s wedding celebration in the Catskills. She noted that Pup will be there in spirit. I sent Jody a photo of a button with Pup’s picture that I (and others) wore throughout the weekend. Copied BRs included Chal Glenn, Rick Gilbert, and Robby Jones

Following 6 months of planning, our 45th Reunion was held. As you know, our 40th Reunion was not held due to COVID-19, so this was our first formal reunion in 10 years. The planning process began in February and has changed significantly since 2015. There was no formal reunion committee, as the Alumni Association handles almost all of the arrangements. I was the point of contact and enlisted Tom Bersson, Pat Griffin, and Rob Robinson as an informal committee. Pat served as our master of ceremonies throughout the weekend, as well as our liaison with the hotel and the Alumni Association. We estimated 100 BRs and 75 guests would attend. In fact, we had 118 BRs and 91 guests. I can provide a list of attendees upon request. In February, the demolition of Moody Hall was scheduled for July 2025. Since we were not the featured class, we opted for the Natural Bridge Hotel as that is the only off-post venue that can accommodate a group of our size— specifically our Friday and Saturday dinners. By all accounts, the attendees had a wonderful time

reuniting. Perfect weather throughout the weekend helped. However, there were some issues that I addressed to the Alumni Association in a lengthy after-action email message. I will gladly forward the message upon request.

Patti and I arrived Wednesday, saw that our spirit sheet was hanging in the ballroom, had dinner with John and Anne Alerding in Lexington Wednesday evening, and played golf with Tim Hodges Thursday morning. Check-in was at still-standing Moody Hall. Thursday evening kicked off the formal events with drinks and food at the Red Fox Tavern at the hotel. In addition, the hospitality suite was open, stocked with drinks and snacks, and occupied throughout. Formal events Friday included golf at the Roanoke Country Club, organized by Rob Robinson with help from Tim Hodges, as the Lexington Golf & Country Club is closed for renovation; kayaking; clay shooting; a tour of the Aquatic Center; a tour of the Corps Physical Training Facility; lunch at Crozet Hall; sip and paint at Moody Hall; and a VMI physical tour with S-5 cadets. Our formal plated sit-down dinner was held Friday evening. A missing man table was set up with a list of our deceased BRs. On Saturday, breakfast was available at the hotel, as well as at Moody Hall. Rob Robinson organized our Parade Ground tailgate, spearheaded by John and Margie Caplice. We formed up for our formal class picture, with and without guests, then viewed the parade from our designated seating area. As a class, we made our way into the Old Barracks courtyard where Walt Wood led our Old Yell. The tailgate remained open until the start of the football game. We had an informal gathering in the ballroom Saturday with a buffet dinner. On Sunday, we held a class memorial service before check-out. One personal note. On Thursday morning at 5 a.m., I went to the lobby looking for coffee, which was not available as breakfast did not open until 7 a.m. So, I drove to the local Shell station for coffee. On Friday morning, Saturday morning, and Sunday morning, I encountered Bruno Loefstedt in the lobby at 5 a.m. Bruno was also looking for coffee. So, for three mornings, we went together to the Shell station. On Saturday, while sitting in the lobby, Bob Hillard walked in after an all-night drive from Nashville. He needed a cup of coffee more than Bruno or me.

Class Notes

accessible via links provided in a blast email message I sent. Please reach out if you did not receive the message. Thanks to Anne Alerding, Tom Bersson, Margie Caplice, and Bert Liverance for forwarding photos via text message. Bert Schneider sent a text message containing a link to a reunion video he posted on YouTube. Please reach out with any comments, suggestions, and criticisms.

After checking out, Patti and I played golf with Rob Quarles in Roanoke. We then drove to Bedford, Virginia, where we stayed with Ed Bower and Dee Anne. On Monday, after breakfast at a local diner, Ed gave us a tour of Bedford, including a visit to the National D-Day Memorial.

After returning home, I exchanged text messages with Dusty Boyd on his birthday. Copied were John Blankenship, John Caplice, Hugh Fain, Jay Melvin, Gene Scott, and Jeff Washington. Rob Robinson copied me on an email to several of our BRs in response to an email from the VMI Alumni Association announcing the retirement of their CEO. Rob suggested that Pat Griffin would make an excellent choice. Frank Hilton asked if Pat would be interested.

our BRs, including those also commissioned in the Marine Corps, saying that his memories of our 45th were nothing short of spectacular. The message included a narrative and an attached document written by Dr. Clark King titled, “Iwo Jima—As I Saw It.” Please reach out if you’d like a copy. Steve Chace, Rob Gearhart, and Tom Gelles replied with thank you messages. Mike Flinn copied me on an email message with an attachment containing details of a planned 2026 Alaska fishing trip. He also asked for contact information for Gary Fellows, Gerry Koehler, John Runyon, and Lewis Toms. I sent an email to Ali Mahan and Dixon Tucker on their shared birthday. Each attended the reunion and replied that it was great seeing everyone. I also exchanged email with Aaron Bush on his birthday. Aaron and Nancy attended our 45th.

Mike Knapp sent an email noting that he could no longer work remotely from his house in Maine. He bought a house and now lives in Reston, Virginia. Mike was unable to attend our 45th and plans to retire in 3 years. Farhad “Bill” Bigdely sent an email after receiving the blast email with regrets for not attending our 45th but with plans to attend our 50th.

Patrick McCarthy sent an email with a picture taken at his swearing-in as a chaplain in the Army National Guard. He then underwent officers’ training. Patrick also sent a message with a debriefing following his mission trip to Peru. Bert Schneider replied to a birthday email saying that it was great seeing everyone at our reunion. He also sent a photo taken at the Tucson Classics Car Show, where he showcased his 1986 K5 Blazer.

Thank you to Phil Munisteri for preparing the video that ran throughout our dinners, including a list of our deceased BRs. Thank you to Mike Barnes for his photos and videos, which are

I sent a blast email containing the photo of our class taken on the steps of Preston Library with three embedded links, two with the videos Mike Barnes took and the other with the photos he took. John Diggs, Tom Gelles, Mike Hall, Dwight Pearson, Josh Priest, Doug Walker, and Rich Zott replied with thank-you messages. Doug also wrote that he could not attend our 45th as his dad passed Sept. 22. Mike included in his message comments on the Natural Bridge Hotel and his thoughts for our 50th Reunion. I thanked Mike and sent him a copy of my after-action email. In a second message, Mike sent a PDF of the cover of the summer 1980 Alumni Review and the article included in the issue about our reunion. Please reach out if you’d like a copy.

Dennis Hackemeyer sent an email to several of

I exchanged email with Mike Rellins on his birthday. Mike lives in Mexico and attended our 45th. He also provided a U.S. mailing address and phone number. I exchanged email with Tom Wilson on his birthday. Tom wrote that it was wonderful seeing old friends and that he stayed with Bud and Kate Zirkle before and after our reunion. Tom and Bobbie live on the Eastern Shore, near Rob Leatherbury and Josh and Karen Priest. He is still working as a structural design engineer at the Virginia Spaceport Authority.

I exchanged email with Wayland Patterson on his birthday. He wrote that he is doing well and enjoyed the day. Alex Woelper sent an email saying that he enjoyed seeing everyone at our reunion, is still working, but hopes to retire in the next few years. Alex also suggested recognizing our BRs who were cadet waiters at

our 50th Reunion. Jay Melvin sent a text message regarding a planned visit to NYC in December. Jay and Trudy are spending 3 days in the city with three other couples. Patti and I will meet them for dinner one evening. Andy Brown and his fiancée, Corinna, were in NYC for a formal Friday evening dinner, and they stayed through Sunday. Patti and I met them Saturday, took them to the Ghostbusters Firehouse, then we had drinks followed by dinner in Little Italy.

I exchanged email messages with Mike Flinn on his birthday. Mike replied that Landon Welford wants to have a gathering of their local BRs, and he asked for Mike Kelly’s contact information. I openly copied Mike on my reply. I exchanged email messages with Allan Berenbrok on his birthday. Allan wrote that the reunion was great. He also asked for phone numbers and email addresses for our BRs, so I sent him the link to VMI Ranks.

October ended with a text message to Doug Conyers on his birthday. Copied were Chal Glenn, Robby Jones, Mark McLean, and Allen Ramer.

November began with an email from John Runyon with an attached photo. John lives in the Charleston, South Carolina, area and attended the VMI versus The Citadel football game Nov. 1. His message contained a photo taken with Tom Bersson, who also attended the game. John wrote that he did not see any other BRs at the game.

I communicated with Steve Andrews. Steve and Cathy live in Richmond but were in New Jersey visiting their daughter, Caroline, who ran the NYC marathon. I invited them to our apartment on marathon Sunday as we live at the 16-mile mark. Ed Baker sent a text message, and we then spoke between periods of the Carolina Hurricanes versus NY Rangers hockey

game. Ed was unable to attend our reunion due to a scheduled family trip to Montana. He was thankful for and complimentary of the photos and videos sent in the blast email.

Ed Bower sent a text message following the election of a new mayor of NYC, noting that property is available in Bedford, Virginia, where he and Dee Anne live. I replied that free buses and free groceries will be hard to leave.

I spoke with Robby Wheeler, who gave permission to write about his medical issues. In July, he had 11 hours of surgery for stage 3 cancer in his mouth. He underwent 6 weeks of radiation and chemo and is in recovery, feeling better every day. Wheelz, a pilot, lives in the Dallas, Texas, area and plans to spend Thanksgiving with family in Houston. He expects to learn in midJanuary that he is cancer-free and plans to return to work as soon as possible thereafter. He saw pictures and videos from our reunion and thanks all who have reached out.

Don Briggs replied to a birthday email message saying that he and Roni are doing well and enjoyed the reunion videos and photos. They missed the reunion as their son got married that weekend. George Filer sent an email with an updated phone number.

Tracy Wilson sent a text message with an attached photo. Tracy and Jennifer were in Canada and visited with Bert Liverance. Bert was a featured artist at a prestigious art event in Ontario. The photo was of one of Bert’s pieces of art.

On Nov. 10, Tom Bersson and then Wade Stinnette sent a text message noting the 250th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps. Tom also sent a text Nov. 11 regarding Founders Day and Veterans Day. Tom Gelles also sent an email with best wishes for Founders Day and Veterans Day.

Wade Stinnette sent an email attached to Dennis Hackemeyer’s message sent in October, wishing a happy birthday to our BRs who were commissioned in the Marine Corps. Wade also included a story describing an experience he and Ed Baker had about Clark King. Wade and Ed had Honor Court responsibilities that resulted in their having to take an exam after the Corps departed for Christmas furlough. Barracks and the mess hall were closed, so Coach King opened his house to Ed and Wade, where they ate, slept, and studied. I also spoke with Wade. He serves on the Foundation Board, as does Ben Gore

Steve Letts replied that he retired in February and that he and Bonnie plan to relocate from the Dallas area to Waco in the spring. They missed our 45th for family events but plan to attend our 50th. Steve Chace, Dan Conn, Rob Gearhart, Tom Gelles, Frank Leech, and Robby Wheeler also replied. Tom “Gunny” Kelly wrote that he spent the day at a veterans’ hospital in Boise, Idaho.

Kirk Deadrick sent a text message with an attached photo taken at the Georgia versus Ole Miss football game in Athens, Georgia. Our BRs at the game were John Blankenship, Matt Griffin, and Allen Ramer. Tom Bersson sent a text message with attached photos taken at the Hampton Roads Founders Day event. Mike Luning and Dixon Tucker also attended.

Jonathan Ives sent an email from Germany, where he is stationed, with an update on his daughters, Peyton and Hadley.

Lastly, Patti and I retired in 2025. I worked fulltime through May 9, worked part-time through Aug. 31, and retired fully as of Sept. 1. Patti’s last day was Dec. 31, 2025. We are discussing our next chapter, but for 2026, we plan to remain in NYC and maintain our house in the Poconos. We look forward to being able to more freely travel and visit you.

Please take a few minutes to confirm that your information on the VMI database (vmiaa.org/ ranks) is up to date. Accurate information is essential to keeping you informed. Finally, some alumni opt out of receiving communication from VMI. This can be accomplished while still receiving communication (email, cards, etc.) from me. Please contact me if you have any questions or need assistance.

Thank you for your continuing support and for keeping me in the loop via phone calls, text messages, and email. Apologies for any delayed responses. Thank you again to Tom Bersson, Pat Griffin, Rob Robinson, and to our other BRs and guests for their time, input, and insight into the planning and execution of the reunion.

Jerry Manley

My Brothers, Family, and Friends of ’81, These notes were written in early November 2025, with the holidays fast approaching! By the time you read this, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s will be long past. I hope and pray that each of you had a very warm, safe, and wonderful holiday season filled with love from family, friends, and BRs!

To begin these notes, I want to further honor one of the greatest men to have personally touched so many lives at VMI, our dear Chaplain Charles Caudill (HBR ’83). Heaven truly gained an angel Oct. 22, 2025, with the passing of our friend and spiritual leader. Our strongest words of praise would fall far short when striving to share what he meant to our class. Little did we know in late summer 1979, when “our Chaps” first arrived at VMI, just how significantly he would impact our lives over the decades. He was, and is, truly a man of God if there ever was one. He had a special bond with the Class of 1981, and we deeply loved and respected him in return. It was always a joy to have Chaps attend our reunions and other gatherings. His memorial service took place Nov. 15, well after these notes were submitted for February publication. If I did my job properly, I will have sent out a class email to update all on the services, to include those in our class that attended. For now, let me just say that our chaplain, retired U.S. Air Force Col. Charles Caudill, is dearly loved and sorely missed. As he looks down upon us from heaven, I hope he can hear each one of us say, “His hugs were for real. He blessed me.” As a class, we continue to send prayers of comfort to his loving bride, Jan, and sons, Michael, Marcus, and Christopher Caudill ’83, and their families.

Now, on to our notes!

beautiful granddaughter. Jim shared that he and Vince had a great time catching up. Catherine and Jim then walked across the parking lot to the Back Deck Bar for drinks. While there, in comes BRs Larry Butler and John Reed. They shared a quick chat, but Jim had to break away to meet prior commitments with local friends. While Jim does run into BRs Larry Butler, Jim Hart, and Rob “Cos” Costello once every few months in the greater Virginia Beach area, he has never randomly bumped into three BRs in one evening. Jim further shared an update on the Sept. 3 funeral service for his father, Mowton L. Waring ’56. Three members of Jim’s father’s Class of ’56 were there, to include retired Col. Bill Stokes ’56, his father’s roommate and a close family friend. Jim was extremely touched by the attendance of our BRs Jeff Davies, John Ferry, Gary Morgan, and Reg Ridgely—it was tremendously touching to Jim and his family. In other “Waring news,” Jim’s brother, Matt Waring ’83, retired from the Army G8 in the Pentagon after a 26-year career. Matt relocated from Vienna to Richmond. Jim and Matt also attended the VMI versus Richmond football game where he ran into a cast of BRs and wives: Mike Denton, George and Robin DePauli, Hank and Molly Lee, Bruce Kitchen, Greg Lynam, Rick “Moose” McCue, Ken “Catman” and Karen Morris, Bob Munno, Mark and Debbie Vasco, and Vince Wood, among others. Post-game, Vince and Mary Wood hosted our BRs at their home for a continued gathering of BRs and brides. A great time was had by all!

Speaking of football, we had great

On Aug. 21, Jim Waring shared that he had a very unique evening of “BR sightings” in Virginia Beach. Jim and wife Catherine had recently gone to dinner with friends at Dockside Seafood on Lynnhaven Inlet, one of their local favorites. They first ran into Vince “V” Wood and his family coming in for dinner. Vince was carrying his

class attendance at both the VMI versus Navy and VMI versus The Citadel football games. There was little reported from our BRs on the gatherings, but respective police blotters in Annapolis and Charleston showed none of their names, so one can assume that our BRs were relatively well behaved as they enjoyed their camaraderie! BR Jeff “Walkie Talkie” Davies did share that he had a great time with everyone at the Navy game. He thanked Dave Openshaw and his daughter, Sophia, for hosting a post-game gathering on Dave’s boat, the “Waterlily,” berthed at the Annapolis Yacht Club. Not present in the accompanying picture but at the Navy game were BRs Mike Colgan, John and Maureen Ferry, and Mike Shupp. (I further understand that my roomie, Grover Outland, was spotted at the VMI Alumni Association tailgate with several empty food plates in hand ... but that may be just rumor.) For The Citadel game in Charleston, I received “proof of attendance” from Bruce Kitchen. In the picture Bruce shared are BRs Larry Butler, Lou Darden, Jeff Gill, Bruce Kitchen, Hank Lee, John Locher, John Reed, and Clay Wommack. At the game but not in the photo were also BRs John Ferry and Bill Stamm. John and Bill enjoyed the company with two notable “3rds,” Tom Bersson ’80 and John Runyon ’80. It was a blessing this reporting period to connect with BR Bryon Mitchell. Bryon contacted me after reading an earlier Alumni Review to reconnect with BRs and join our bi-monthly Bible study and prayer group. We had a great first session with him Sept. 2. Others on the Zoom call that evening were Ray Lawson, Mat Merriman, Mark “Gunny” Olson, and Ken Pierro. Bryon sent a brief update for the Review, which reads: “It’s great to be reunited with several of my brother rats after so many years through their Bible study meetings. To catch up with all my other BRs—after working almost 20 years in the IT field, I obtained a master’s degree from Liberty University in professional counseling and am now a licensed mental health therapist in both Virginia and New York. I have enjoyed providing counseling services for others since 2006—the same year I married my wife, Mary Beth. I helped her raise her son, Daniel, now 30 years old, who owns his own Irish pub, as well as running a small landscaping business. We live in Hamilton, New York, a small upstate farm town where Colgate University is located.” (If you get the chance to connect with Bryon, please do so. We are very thankful to have him back in the fold! ... But, Bryon, first things first ... what is the name and location of that Irish pub, and do we get a family discount?! Haha!)

Bill Gavazzi shared that he had been working at the same healthcare and engineering design

Class Notes

company as Jeff White until October, when the company abruptly closed. He said they did a lot of VA work and had a great team, but the founder and part-owner passed away in early September, and the 51% owner said he could not make the numbers work. It was a great 9 years for Bill, and he presumed 11 years for Jeff. Bill was planning to look for some part-time healthcare engineering and planning consulting work to keep busy for a few more years. He is enjoying his two grandchildren, Eloise, 8, and Will, 5. They live about 3 miles away and do something almost every day. Bill shared that he has even ditched a weekly team meeting for work just to go bike riding with the lucky grandkids! (Those are the right priorities, Bill!)

Ray Lawson remains “somewhat” retired as he continues to work as adjunct faculty at USC Aiken. The school throws a few surprises his way that keep him busy. He is teaching his last electric circuits course in spring 2026, when he will turn the reins over to a newly hired Ph.D. After jumping through some hoops with the procurement folks at the main campus in Columbia, South Carolina, he outfitted the entire EE laboratory with stateof-the-art equipment and components, which he found to be great fun! Ray plans to hang up the teaching gig at the end of 2026, but has threatened this before, so we shall see if that really transpires. Ray and Gale have been getting more involved in art classes. They attended a conference and some classes in Bethesda, Maryland, over the summer and are taking private lessons with a wellknown local artist. As Ray put it, “It’s one of those situations where we didn’t know what we didn’t know until we started with the lessons.” Their daughter, Savannah, is enjoying her relocation to Aiken and doing well in her new position in the nuclear industry.

Dave Richards attended the Cadet–Alumni Career Networking Forum at VMI in October, along with BRs Ken “Catman” Morris and Grover “Not-no-morph” Outland. Dave was representing the biotech industry, which only started back in the mid-’70s. The U.S. now has over a $3.2 trillion economic impact, 2.3 million employees, and is 60% of the global biotech sector. Dave shared that one of the things that came up in discussion during the networking event with staff and students was that there is a drop in those studying STEM areas at VMI. Along with contacting the VMI administration, Dave is seeking contacts on the alumni side that he can connect with to see where STEM-area alumni can interact with new rats to promote a STEM major selection.

Pete Tranchik made the rounds himself before undergoing his successful heart surgery! On Aug.

14, Pete and Barbara met up with BR John and Maureen Ferry for a night on the town. Their evening was highlighted by enjoying the musical talents of “Rat” Marty Mason ’86 and his band, CatDaddy The Band. (Thankfully, Barb and Maureen were there to provide adult supervision.)

Pete also met up with BR Mark Shepard for lunch that following week. Mark recently retired as an insurance company safety representative after 29 years and is looking forward to more family time and travel. Mark also hopes to connect with more BRs on his travels! Regarding Pete’s surgery, as I was writing these notes, he texted, in part, the following: “Jerry, I have to say that my doctors have been nothing short of amazing! I went to my old cardiologist Oct. 21, and he looked at everything and referred me for surgery. Surgery was Oct. 29. No fooling around. Probably saved me. I won the lottery meeting Barb and then having such a great medical team. I can’t believe I didn’t die on the Appalachian Trail, but I had no symptoms. I am a very lucky person. I am overwhelmed by my good fortune.”

Ken Pierro was blessed with a new granddaughter in early November! At the time he sent in his input for these notes, his bride, Diana, was in Baton Rouge with their daughter, their son-in-law, and their first grandson, John. Ken was entrusted with caring for the dogs at home and was “missing out on all the fun in the heat and humidity of Louisiana, but the upside is that I have full control of both the thermostat and the TV remote here at home!” I am sure we will hear more from Ken on the blessed addition to his loving family in the days to come. Congratulations, Ken and family! BR Jake Jaks and “fellow color sergeant” chimed in. He shared that all is well in Texas. He “semi-retired” in September and is now working just 20 hours per week with JMT Engineering in Shiner. His plan was to free up more time for visiting kids and grandkids, but (like many of us) he seems busier than ever. Jake was blessed by a visit from Chip Johnson in early October and said it was great seeing him. They both agreed that we all need to do a better job of staying in touch with one another, as one never knows “what is just around that next corner.”

Chris Monnette reported that he is “heads down” trying to finish the first draft of his novel, “Begin Again.” At the time of writing, he hoped to complete it by December, and then he will “begin again.” He shared that there is still a lot more to do, but after a year, it feels like a reality. Marilyn and Chris are also planning a big RV trip from Boulder, Colorado, to Florida for 2 months this coming winter. (Safe travels, Chris, and I hope you are able to see some BRs along the way!

Trip Lloyd wrote to say that as of Nov. 1, he started receiving a partial retirement annuity from the Office of Personnel Management and hopes to see the final numbers by Christmas. For 4 months, his Navy Reserve retirement check paid the mortgage and the bills, and he is grateful those long-forgotten weekend drills did pay off. He also received his Medicare Part B card to supplement his federal health insurance. These are topics he never expected to deal with at his “young age.” He and Anne had their annual family ski trip at the end of January and another cruise to the Caribbean, leaving from Puerto Rico in February.

Clarkson Meredith shared that he will be visiting grandchildren in mid-November as he travels to Florida for a couple of weeks on the beach. He plans on visiting with BR Clay Wommack while in the Sunshine State. His daughter, Summerlin, got married in late October, and daughter, Erin, got married in early November. He and Denise definitely deserved time on the beach after those two events! Clarkson also travelled with Rick “Moose” McCue to visit with Ed Oast back in August. They were accompanied by Larry Butler, Jeff Davies, and Vince Wood. After which, the visiting BRs enjoyed our “traditional post-Oast” lunch at Mission BBQ. It was a great visit, one that certainly brought joy to the heart of our BR Ed.

Fletcher Thompson shared that he plans to attend our 45th Reunion “with Ring Figure date and wife in tow!” He attended the memorial service for Maj. Gen. Edgar ’58, summarizing it as a beautiful memorial to a fine man. Fletcher had an opportunity to speak with his wife, Elizabeth, and remembered Fletch. She was very appreciative of the VMI representation from Fletcher, Brian Quisenberry, and Vern Beitzel ’72, along with a few others. Per Fletcher, “Although aged and not immediately recognizable, our VMI ties gave us away!”

I heard from Annette Bigger. She shared that the Bigger family is doing great. Her son recently proposed to his girlfriend, and they are planning a destination wedding for June 2026. Her daughter is expecting her second child at the end of February 2026. Annette shared that John would have been over the moon with these

Class Notes

blessings! (He is smiling down from heaven, Annette!)

Laura Gallagher also shared an update. She and son Joe are doing well. They go to the Y for group exercise twice a week and are really enjoying it. Her oldest daughter, Kristen, and family traveled from Washington state to visit, and Laura was excited to see them all, especially the two grandchildren, ages 3 and 1. Her daughter, Erin, is still studying in Rome but hopes to be finished with her thesis and graduate this coming May. Her son, Matt, and his wife still live in Charlotte and are well.

Some quick inputs:

Mark Kanter shared that he and Sandy welcomed their 15th grandchild Aug. 30. (That has to be a record for our class, Mark! Congratulations!)

It was great to hear from Lamont Beckner. He is still living in Edmonds, Washington, just north

of Seattle. Lamont retired after 6 years active duty in the Navy’s submarine service (a fellow “bubblehead”!) and 34 years of teaching. He said Gator Underwood would appreciate that he taught physics. (Yes, Gator, you get “honorable mention,” my brother.)

Rob “Cos” Costello has had a heck of a summer! We are thankful that he is now well. His input for these notes were simply: “The only input I have is thanks for all the love and prayers during my gallbladder journey Aug. 15 until Oct. 6.”

Jamie Byron shared that A.T. and Janet Funkhouser traveled to Boise, Idaho, this summer for a visit. Jamie said that A.T. and Janet “are ‘go-gogo’ and helped us with a lot of house maintenance on our vintage/historic home built in 1900.” They had tremendous fun just hanging out, barbecuing, sharing libations, and lots of laughs.

Steve Tennant chimed in a bit late for our August Review notes but shared that he had the privilege of being selected as the “military honoree of the match” for the Sporting Kansas City Soccer Match in June.

Marty Cristo shared that he and Michelle, along with Bernie and Lisa Banas, attended the wedding of John and Carol Goode’s oldest daughter, Jacqueline, in September in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Marty reported that it was “a major blowout by the Goodes and their new in-laws. A great time was had by all.”

Ed and Linda Boylan officially moved into their new “forever” home in Calabash, North Carolina, Sept. 12. They have settled in and are enjoying their new surroundings. Ed extends an open invitation to any brother rats traveling through or visiting Southeast North Carolina to stop in for a break and an adult beverage.

Shameless reunion plug: By the time you read this, the dates for our 45th Reunion will be locked in for the fall 2026. We have great reunion committee leads in Jeff Davies, Mike Denton, Bruce Kitchen, Grover Outland, and Vince Wood, with support from many others. I am looking forward to further planning and, especially, seeing each of you later in the year. As we continue our planning efforts, we are also working hard to update our contact lists. This is critical to ensuring details are

getting out to everyone—not just to maximize reunion attendance but to keep everyone posted on BRs and life events. If you have not been receiving my class update emails—and there have been plenty—please reach out to me as soon as possible. We would like to bring you back into the information loop and, certainly, we hope to see as many BRs as possible attend our reunion— that includes every BR, even those that may have followed a different path in life after just a year or two in barracks. You are all cherished BRs!

Well, my brothers, that is all the news that is fit to print. I thank you for your continued support and for keeping me in the loop by way of emails, texts, and phone calls. I hope you will all consider sending in a brief note or update for the next Review. At the very least, stay in touch with one another. Share the love and a periodic bourbon. Our bonds become all the more precious as we move up in the ranks of the “Old Corps.” Cheers and God bless you all, Jerry

Class Notes

VMI Ranks app to check the Mechanicsville area, I found that Dennis Adams was in the next town over. (So is Ted Huffman, but his contact info is sketchy—calling you out, Ted!) I reached out to Dennis to see if he was available to attend Perry’s service. I have not heard from Dennis since graduation, and it turns out that Dennis had just retired as a Methodist minister, and he was willing and able to attend. Briefly, Dennis and his wife have two grown boys and four grandkids, and they are all living in the same area, which is nice. Dennis has kept up with his former roommates, Mike Albert and Handi Poda, although not so recent with Handi. Dennis reported back after the funeral service that it was very well attended, and Perry was presented in his Army uniform as an O-6. Thank you, Dennis and Ed, for representing our class and VMI.

Terry Belden sent us a long-overdue update. He claims it’s his second time checking in, but a quick search of the archives could find no such records, but when you read what he sent in, it was probably filed under classified!

Hello BRs,

It’s a beautiful fall day in Chattanooga, and I am stuck indoors writing these notes for you all. My fault for almost waiting until the last minute to get these put together. But a few of you were motivated by receiving the most recent Alumni Review to send us an update for the first time! September did not start off well. A rumor came around that something had happened to Perry Knight, and I was asked to confirm. This was on a Sunday, and we had mixed information about where Perry lived, as he was reported to be back in the Lexington area. The following Monday, I contacted the Alumni Agencies, and they had him still in the Mechanicsville, Pennsylvania, area. Then I got a phone call with caller ID from Mechanicsville, Pennsylvania, and it was Ed Kopsick ’80, a coworker with Perry at the Defense Logistics Agency, and he delivered the bad news that Perry had died that Saturday morning. I later received a call from Lynn Knight, and she filled me in on the details.

Nick Roper had sent us some pictures of his roommates gathering in Occoquan to celebrate and renew friendships. Billy Vickers, Van Noah, Floyd Allen, and Nick even wore matching VMI shirts. Whose idea was that?! Nick also has taken ownership of a new/used boat to celebrate his upcoming retirement. Jodie said to find a name related to VMI, and after some thought, he settled on “Release from Quarters.” RQ! That wonderful 15-minute period when you could do whatever, provided we made it back! Dash to Kroger’s to buy eggrolls and beer; race to East Lexington!? (Honestly, Nick, I had forgotten that term!) By my recollection, we now have Nick, Dale Davis, and Chuck Kause are all boat owners and closely associated with the Chesapeake Bay. Next mini reunion will have a nautical theme. All I got is a kayak and a floaty.

Chuck Fanshaw did us right by sending in a note with pictures from the VMI versus Navy football game. Can’t say anything good about the final score, but those in attendance seemed to enjoy the occasion. They could not find Bill Jennings when the cameras came out. Now, Chuck said they did not attend the game but were there for the tailgating, which was excellent and well attended. His brother, Tom Fanshaw ’89, had 15 BRs in attendance! FYI, Chuck’s wife, Hope, is an Annapolis grad, so I am pretty sure it will take some time to get past the game’s results.

I did not know that Terry had to take leave to graduate, as he went on active duty 3 days before graduation. He went through Ranger School twice because he just loved it so much ... not really, but a broken foot can make you repeat sometimes. Got hooked on the rush and kept volunteering for all the edgy stuff. Had a couple of fun combat tours in the jungle and sand in Panama and Iraq. One included working with the DEA in South America. Got to see firsthand the amount of money that is in the drug trade. On a side note, he actually saw Pablo’s hippos in Colombia. Terry got recruited and jumped over to a three-letter government agency and got to hang out in some real cesspools around the world. Coming from the clear black and white of right and wrong at VMI to a world where everything was grey, and the grey changed in front of your eyes, where bad guys became good guys and vice versa, was a challenge. This was a dark period in Terry’s life that led to him quitting the agency and getting cleaned up. He spent some time with a couple of park rangers protecting wildlife from poachers in South Africa. The head ranger was a former Brit SAS, and he talked Terry through PTSD, and he really was a godsend.

After now working as two entirely different types of rangers, Terry went to Texas (no, not to become a Texas Ranger—I know what you all were thinking) and got a job with Dell. He was sent to Nashville to run a facility there, and by chance, met his future wife, Robin. About a year into their relationship, he got recruited by Caterpillar. That was almost 20 years ago, and he has been working the large dozer line for the past 6 years. He will be retiring in 6 months and is really looking forward to it. He and Robin are building a house in Beaver Lake, Arkansas, where they plan to drink coffee while watching sunsets on the porch and raising Great Danes. Thanks, Terry—this is an incredible story!

As a class, we always try to get some representation at the funerals for our classmates. Using the

George Mayforth did his annual migration back to VMI for Parents Weekend. I am going to have to find a way to get all of George’s photos out to you guys. I am limited to only five, and George sends a dozen! He made it up on Thursday evening after fighting the lane closures on I-81 implemented by Emmett Heltzel and his minions! Got up Friday to enjoy a walk through both VMI’s and W&L’s campuses and then hopped on his bike to ride to House Mountain. What a great day. Dave Shutt, Jack Wainwright, and his brother, Doug Wainwright ’83, met him at the Abigail Inn for 1982 Will Council

Hope and Chuck are/were planning to connect with Frank and Dorothy Rosenthal on the Maryland Eastern Shore for a short visit. And Chuck is happy to report that after getting provisional appointments for three of his nephews, one of them finally is attending VMI. John Cardoni ’29 began his adventure Aug. 16; what is that—Class 2029? Guy Marangoni’s son, Louis ’26, facilitated getting him his dyke, and it sounds like a good fit.

bourbon and pizza on the veranda!

Jack was up at the crack of dawn Saturday to use George’s parking pass (which he keeps at the inn for all to use ... just ask) and acquired a front-row position on the Parade Ground for tailgating and parade watching! Scott Woodell joined them for tailgating and the game. They even had time with Gunny Holmes during the tailgating!

George decided to stay through Monday so he could enjoy a service at the chapel and ride the Chessie Trail! What a nice visit.

Bob Louthan reported in with happy news, welcoming their second grandchild Oct. 27. “Garrett” is the son of Blake Louthan ’14. Provisional appointment application forthcoming. Mason ’18 finished his season on the Rhino Demonstration Team for the Navy and is an instructor with VFA 106 at NAS Oceana, the East Coast Fleet Replacement Squadron (formerly the “RAG”), teaching Naval aviators in the Super Hornet. Bob and Kathy spent the weekend in Charleston for the Military Classic of the South with Duke and Penny Addison and Brad Walker. Golf, great weather, great meals ... exciting football game. Duke and Penny scheduled the whole weekend, and they all had a great time together.

Class Notes

Bob attended a Little Feat Concert with Jeff Modisett at the Allianz Amphitheatre— Jeff has a sweet setup, having built the place. Jeff was too busy traveling to Italy for children’s weddings to let me know about the Little Feat Concert. I am not feeling the love, roomie! And almost forgot ... David Gallalee was with him and Kathy at the Institute Society Dinner for Founders Day.

Dave Wagner is another “first-time caller,” or rather, writer. He still lives in Mooresville, North Carolina, and is now contemplating retirement, but Verizon wants to squeeze another year out of him as if 37 years isn’t enough. Dave recently connected with Jim O’Book, who also recently moved from Massachusetts to Chapel Hill, North Carolina (God’s country). Jim used to tell him that he would never leave New England, but he couldn’t resist following his hero, Bill Belichick, to UNC. Dave shared the photo of them two having a few cold ones at his club, Chapel Hill

Country Club. He’ll hook up any BR with a tee time if you want to play with Belichick or a game of hoops with Jordan on the UNC b’ball court. Frank Rosenthal is already mentioned here with Fanshaw’s note, but here is the other side of the story. He is happy to report that he retired at the end of May. After spending the last 10 years of his career with Dixon Valve & Coupling in Chestertown, Maryland, he decided to hang up the “boots and spurs.” One-hundred-andnine-year-old Dixon Co. is owned by the Goodall family (three generations went to VMI). Frank can’t say enough good things about the company and the family.

Frank and Dorothy are currently in the middle of moving their home back to the other side of the Chesapeake Bay bridge to an area much closer to their children and grandchildren. They are blessed to have 10 (grandkids, I am hoping?) of those now, and barring any surprises, that will likely be it! Frank, if that is too many, please send them my way. I have none, and the future prospects do not look so good. He did attend the Navy game and mentioned he ran into Chuck and Hope Fanshaw, Eric Odderstol, Brad Walker, Bill and Cindy Jennings, and Dale Davis ... same as Chuck, but he did want to apologize if he forgot to mention anyone, it is because the bloody Marys in the VMI hospitality tent were stout, to say the least!

A few weeks later, they hosted Chuck and Hope at their home for dinner and then spent the next day enjoying St. Michaels, Tilghman Island, and a few other spots on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. After that, they started packing up in preparation for the move to Havre de Grace, Maryland.

My apologies to Frank because he sent some great pictures in a zip file, but they were too small for the Review. I spoke with another class agent, and he sends out an email to his class with all the extra photos that don’t make the cut. I think you will have to double my allowance if I go in that direction.

I have some great expectations in the works for the next set of notes because both Harry Bitzberger and Daryl Deke warned me that a large group of BRs was heading to Charleston for a golfing weekend, and these notes will have been submitted by then.

Class Notes

Now it’s my turn. I retired from the professional side of Scouting America (formerly known as Boy Scouts of America) after I finished working summer camp. Have not put away the uniform yet, as I still enjoy working as a volunteer with the young men and women that come through the program. My scouting units are sponsored by the Desmond T. Doss American Legion Post, and I joined them last year. Part of what the Legion does is provide support for veterans and promote awareness of issues in our ranks. I believe when we graduated, nearly half of our class chose to spend some time in the service of our country. Many of you saw a lot more things and were involved with a lot more messy situations (see Terry’s note) than I could ever dream of in my short Navy term. On the morning of Sept. 6, I was participating in a short 2.2-mile hike to raise awareness that we are losing 22 veterans a day to suicide.

Perry Knight was one of those.

There were no warning signs. If you have feelings of depression, anxiety, addiction, or selfharm, pick up the phone and call someone. Call

988, call the VA, call a family member, call a brother rat. It only takes a moment.

Sincerely,

Will Council

1983

Jamie MacDonald

Brother Rats,

By now you should all be aware of the passing of our honorary brother rat, Chaplain Col. Charles Caudill (HBR), Oct. 22, 2025. Many of our BRs shared heartfelt memories honoring Chaplain Caudill and the lasting impact he had on our cadetships, our lives, and the entire Corps of Cadets. Those reflections all point to the same truth: He was a man of God who selflessly dedicated his life to the well-being of others.

Chaplain Caudill was truly one of a kind—a man of deep faith, steady character, and boundless compassion.

To generations of cadets, he was more than a spiritual guide; he was a source of comfort, wisdom, and light in what could often be a hard and trying place. Many of us came to see him as the “good uncle” at VMI—someone who listened, guided, and quietly reminded us that God was always near.

Each chapel service began with his familiar words: “The Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the Earth keep silence before him.” It was more than a call to worship—it was an invitation to pause, reflect, and remember that faith has its place even amid challenge.

His impact reached far beyond the chapel walls. He touched thousands of lives, helping cadets not just endure the rigors of VMI but grow into men and women of purpose and humility. For many, he was the difference between making it and not making it. He lived his faith through action— listening with care, offering encouragement, and helping others find their way.

He also strengthened fellowship on post, helping to establish the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and bringing faith into daily cadet life. Even small gestures reflected his kindness—his hugs were always a comfort. Many of us still treasure the Bible he gave at graduation, each with a personal note in his own hand. Others remember his thoughtful advice through life’s milestones—asking a Ring Figure date, facing illness, or celebrating marriage. When doubts crept in about whether God could

hear us, we knew Chaplain Caudill did. He was a calm island in a sea of storms—a man of quiet strength and unshakable belief. He was, as many have said, “a great man and a great example,” “a saint in our midst,” and “a true blessing to all who knew him.” He was our friend, our brother rat. Though the world has lost a great servant of God, heaven has surely gained one. May we honor him by living, even in part, as he did—with faith in action, love for others, and grace in all things.

For those who wish to honor Chaplain Caudill with a donation, you may do so through the Class of 1983 Chaplain Charles C. Caudill Chaplain’s Discretionary Fund or VMI Chaplain’s Discretionary Fund.

Sincere thanks to all our BRs who shared their personal reflections and memories of our beloved BR, Chaplain (Col.) Charles Caudill. And, on behalf of BR Chris Caudill, a heartfelt thanks from himself and the Caudill family for all the love and support! Chris extends a special note of thanks to Bill Cornett for his personal note. Chris closed with, “Dad will be pleased with his class! ’83, ’83, ’83.”

Jennifer and I had another great summer in New Hampshire, with a quick trip to Maine so I could get some Atlantic Ocean time. I deliberately went off the grid for several weeks and thoroughly enjoyed the quiet time. On the other hand, catching up with hundreds of emails and texts after that hiatus was a little taxing—but I’ll do it again next summer.

In September, I participated in the annual VMI Alumni Association Cadet-Alumni Career Networking Forum event. More than 100 alumni from many career fields volunteered their time to meet with cadets seeking internship and employment opportunities; cadets were able to meet with professionals representing fields in which they have an interest and have resumes reviewed. It was a wonderful event, and I, along with Elise Woodworth ’07, had the opportunity to address the Rat Mass and take some questions. A great bonus to returning to the Institute is catching up with BR Scott Belliveau and chancing upon BR Doug Wainwright. Scott and Doug participated in the networking event, as well.

Jennifer and I took some time off in October to visit potential wedding sites in Charlotteville and Lexington. While I had a natural leaning toward Lexington, my daughter and future son-in-law won out with opting for a Charlottesville venue. In November, I attended the D.C. Chapter, Region XIV Metro D.C. Metro-sponsored luncheon with VMI’s superintendent, Lt. Gen. Furness ’87, at the Army Navy Club in Washington, D.C. Also attending were BRs Steve Amato, Tim

Craul, and Whitney Owens. Lt. Gen. Furness’ presentation was most informative and instilled great confidence in the attending alumni regarding VMI’s future. Steve, Tim, Whitney, and I also took a moment of Lt. Gen. Furness’ time to present him with our class coin.

Joe Leonard was recently recognized by the International Association of Emergency Managers—USA with the 2025 Uniformed Services Auxiliary Emergency Manager Award. In this recognition, Joe was cited for his exceptional contributions to emergency management as a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Commander. Congratulations, Joe—you are a fine example of service above self. In his update, Joe quipped that he would be attending an emergency management conference in Louisville, Kentucky, where he hears they have this thing called “bourbon” that he intends to sample while there.

Steve Amato shared a great update. Steve and Mary have had a busy schedule traveling since our last class notes update. In September, they traveled to Folsom, California, to attend Mary’s 50th high school reunion.

They were in California for 7 days. Once they landed at Sacramento airport, Steve and Mary drove directly to Lassen Volcanic National Park, where they hiked various trails for 2 days. They only hike day trails, no backcountry hiking. They were still in California for Patriot Day, Sept. 11, so Steve participated in the Carry The Load event for Patriot Day. For 2025, Carry The Load on Patriot Day hosted volunteers to help clean headstones at 70 Veterans Affairs national cemeteries across the nation. Carry The Load was humbled to honor those heroes we lost on 9/11, and all those who have served our nation in the military. Approximately 150 citizens gathered at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, California. BR Terrell Munson was planning to join Steve, but couldn’t because a dear friend of his suddenly became sick, so Terrell took care of his friend.

Carry The Load provided running race bibs to volunteers, so one could write the name(s) of a person(s) being honored on Patriot Day. Steve chose to honor two VMI alumni who were killed in the 9/11 attacks. Honors were rendered to Charles Mathers ’62, who died when terrorists flew American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower World Trade Center, and U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. David Williams ’91, who died when terrorists flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon.

Steve and Mary celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in June 2025, and to celebrate this event, they spent 16 days on vacation in Italy from

Class Notes

mid-September to the first week in October. The weather was excellent, and the tourist crowds were not large.

They planned to incorporate into their trip some relaxation, genealogy research, sightseeing, and a pilgrimage. They rented a car, drove to Bari for 4 nights, where they visited the towns of Corato and Rutigliano, the towns where Steve’s maternal grandparents were born in. While in Bari, they visited Polignano a Mare, on the coast with the Adriatic Sea. They left Bari for the coastal town of Ancona, and they did some of their pilgrimage to San Giovanni Rotunda, where Saint Padre Pio is entombed, then to Lanciano, the site of a 750 A.D. eucharistic miracle.

Mary and Steve spent 2 nights in Ancona; afterwards, they drove to Genoa, spent 4 nights there, met a third cousin of Mary’s from her paternal side, then left Genoa for 3 nights in Florence. While en route to Florence, they visited Pisa and Lucca. After visiting Florence, they drove to Assisi for another portion of their pilgrimage. In Assisi, they visited the churches and cathedrals where Saint Francis, Saint Clare, and Saint Carlo Acutis are entombed. Steve said they only spent 1 night in Assisi. When they left Assisi, another portion of their pilgrimage was achieved when they stopped at Orvieto, a town on a hill where yet in 1263 A.D., another eucharistic miracle occurred. After leaving Orvieto, Mary and Steve drove to Rome to spend their last 2 days. The final portion of their pilgrimage was to walk through the Holy Door at Saint Peter’s Basilica. Once through the Holy Door, they attended mass there, then they left to walk through another Holy Door at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Their pilgrimage ended in Rome. Overall, their trip to Italy was spectacular, especially having the opportunity to personally see the religious sites and meet a distant relative.

While flying back to Virginia from Italy, they had a 3-hour layover in Boston’s Logan International Airport. While Mary and Steve were in the immigration line to re-enter the USA, Steve noticed this tall dude—it was our BR Tracey Jones and his wife, Kathie, who both had just been cleared through immigration. Steve said, “They were about 20 yards from us, so I yelled, ‘Jones.’ Tracey was looking around. Mary shouted, ‘It’s Steve Amato,’ and was pointing to me. Kathie was pointing to me, and then Tracey saw us.” They acknowledged each other but could not shake hands because a security barrier separated them. The Amatos and Joneses finally cleared immigration, went to retrieve their baggage, and sure enough, Tracey and Kathie were getting their baggage right next to Mary and Steve. Tracey and Kathie just returned from a river cruise in Europe.

They had a brief 5 minutes to catch up.

Several years ago, the Joneses moved from Idaho to Kittery Point, Maine. Tracey works for Coastal Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It was great to see Tracey and Kathie. The last time Tracey and Steve connected was in 2008 at Al Deid Air Base, Qatar, when Tracey was redeploying from a deployment in Iraq. Well, of course, they shared a few beers while visiting.

When Steve and I last exchanged notes, he was intending to attend an event in Richmond on Veterans Day, where BR Steve Ross is the guest speaker. In his close, Steve wants all BRs who don’t have a class challenge coin or BRs who

would like to purchase additional coins, to know there are only 71 left (from a total of 300), and if anyone is interested, just call him or email at amatostevemary@gmail.com.

Cal Murray touched base before heading to Lex Vegas. He provided a brief update with photos of him with sons Carter Murray ’09, Cameron Murray ’12, and nephew Chi Mills ’23 at the Navy game. He shared another photo with himself with Carter, Cameron, and his Hokie son-in-law, Matt. The latter photo was proof that VMI was represented at The Masters that day!!!

Mike Dillemuth provided his update. This year, he retired from government service. Mike spent 35 years as a civilian federal employee working for different organizations within the intelligence community. Adding in his time with the Marine Corps and it comes to 41 years total. Time flew, but Mike is enjoying his retirement, though. To celebrate his retirement, Mike and his wife, Lois, took a cruise to Iceland and Ireland. To keep himself busy, Mike became a guest lecturer at George Mason University. He’s having a tough time accepting how young the college kids are and wonders if we were ever that young. It appears Mike is handling retirement just fine. He’s in touch with Dave Matawitz. For his retirement job, Mike is now doing some remote teaching at San Diego State University. Andy Jones sent me a note asking if we had a 1983 WhatsApp group. He suggested that it might help all of us to connect. Many thanks to Andy for floating the idea. I will explore that option for the class.

Class Notes

Hugh Daughtry’s update made it in at shakea-leg. He reports he had a great weekend in Charleston for The Citadel game. Hugh regretted that BR Brent Dunahoe was not having his worldfamous tailgate just outside the stadium. Brent and Lisa’s daughter was expecting a child, and her due date was that day. This will be grandchild No. six! Ivan Marcotte was there with his son-in-law, Brad, and they were able to meet up for a while. Hugh and Robin sat on The Citadel side as guests of an old Air Guard buddy whose daughter is a 2nd at The Citadel. Hugh was certain to point out that he did make a trip to the VMI side to visit, where he ran into Ed and Jeanette Kluckowski They have recently relocated to South Carolina, just outside Charleston. He also saw Glen and Willie Peting. They are still in Winston-Salem, but their son is in nuc school there in Charleston, and they were having a family day at the game. Robin and Hugh’s daughter is expecting a little boy just in time for Christmas. This will be their first grandchild, so they are quite excited. Otherwise, Hugh says he is plugging away—still working! Adding to Hugh’s The Citadel update, Ivan Marcotte wrote that he saw Rich Hewitt and Tucker Maloney ’84 at The Citadel game. Keith Sawyer sent a great photo of he and his brother, Ken, at the game.

Mark Benvenuto shared a note stating that he had recently returned from a conference in Munich—called FIDEM—a French acronym that means International Federation of the Art Medal. Mark said FIDEM tolerated him as a science geek and his students because they do work and research in low-melting alloys. While he was there, Mark realized it’s been almost 40 years since a bunch of us BRs were stationed in West Germany. He said it was neat to go back. On a final note, Mark added that he and his editor just published a book, “Lunar Chemistry,” and he advises that it’s on Amazon for anyone geeky enough to want a copy.

Tony “Snake” Arnold checked in, letting us know he was headed to Key West and may not return. He added that if stays on Key West that he’ll give Bubba a forwarding address. Snake loves Key West for its warmth and slow pace. Tony Thompson checked in from London! He stated that all is going to plan in the United Kingdom since he retired back in 2023. He is keeping himself occupied with the family, traveling throughout Europe, and golf. (Tony added, “A great life if you don’t weaken.”) Mike Laughon’s wife, Tance, dropped into London after her travels to Portugal a few days ago, and they had a great time catching up and reminiscing from years past. Tance did want to mention that Bubba Hazelgrove does an-

swer all messages!

Mike Devens reports that he and Lorraine completed their move from Colorado to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where they will now live full-time. Their grandsons are back in Castle Rock, Colorado, so they expect to fly back often. In the meantime, they are happy to be in a place that is slower paced, with lots of golf and other activities close by. Mike says it will take a while to get used to humidity again, but they are glad to be by the water after 38 years of mountains.

Phil Hubbard provided a short update. He is progressing with his treatment with prostate cancer and is doing well. Jim Stader provided a short update. He is still decisively engaged in his fight against multiple myeloma cancer. Jim said he has completed his hospital treatment and is now recovering at his daughter’s home until midNovember, and then he will be heading home. Jim said this fight has been a long journey and that his

weekly appointments will continue. After multiple treatments, indications are he is winning the fight, with recent examinations and scans showing no cancer at this time. That is wonderful news, but in Jim’s words, receiving the news is both an emotional and humbling experience.

In addition to the above updates, I remain in close contact with Marty Curry, Hugh Daughtry, Mike Devens, John Geis, Ivan Marcotte, Whit Owens, Mark Waters, and Spence Westbrook In drafting these notes, especially for remembering and honoring our BR Chaplain Caudill, I am grateful for contributions from Tray Adams, Billy Akers, Brett Allen, Steve Amato, Joe Barra, Scott Belliveau, Chris Caudill, Dave Clarke, Will Creekmur, Hugh Daughtry, Mike Devens, Robert Foresman, Steve Goddard, Teddy Gottwald, Skip Goodwillie, Marc Guevremont, Chris Hair, Steve Hodak, Phil Hubbard, Andy Jones, Pete and Maria Kattmann, Bob Kerecz, Joe Leonard, Charlie Luck, Anne Manley, Ivan Marcotte, Dan Martin, Cal Murray, Owen Peery, Chris Peta, Keith Sawyer, Tim Shobbrook, Ritch Seymour, Brad Norwood, Mark Pappas, Gene Warren, Spence Westbrook, Andy Woolwine, and many more.

With this update complete, it is time to ready birthday and holiday cards for the next mailing. To ensure you receive these cards, please take some time to update your contact information with the Alumni Association so I can mail you your cards. Please contact me if you want to know how to update your contact information.

Winter is upon us, and I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a very joyous and happy 2026. As ever, stay well and stay connected with one another, and keep us informed of your activities.

Jamie

Dear Brother Rats,

I hope you all had a wonderful summer and are looking forward to the beautiful fall weather. Thank you for your excellent response in submitting updates and pictures! Please note that each class note has a maximum of five pictures per class, meaning that the first submission/ pictures often make the cut. However, if your summer picture does not make it into this edition (Shawn Flores), I will certainly feature it in a

Class Notes

future fall or winter submission.

Your support for VMI’s Day of Giving Nov. 13 was outstanding. While I do not have the final figures, we lost the crown to the Class of 1994. However, our class pledged a respectable $21,000 for third place.

As many of you know, Chaplain Caudill (HBR ’83) passed away Wednesday, Oct. 22, and his memorial service was held in Memorial Hall Nov. 15.Our class showed tremendous support for the Caudill family, with 14 brother rats in attendance: Don Craighead, Bill Noell, Craig Peacock, Tom Gillespie, Chris Parks, Bob Doyle, Zane Johnson, Steve Hupp, Keith Buckley, Jeff Roach, Mark Draper, T.J. Palmer, R.G. MacManus, and myself (Sam Browne). The memorial was, as you would imagine considering the person Chaplain Caudill was, extremely moving. Brother Rat Steve Hupp shared his memories during the service—Steve, you may have a second career as a stand-up comic! After the memorial service, we joined the family and friends in Moody Hall for the reception.

Brother rat updates: Matt Martin and I connected with my dyke, Rick McCue ’81, and uncle dyke, Clarkson Meredith ’81, over Thai food in early September. Many thanks to Rick for reaching out and organizing this lunch. It was great to catch up with Clarkson, whom I had not seen since May 1981, and hear about family and other updates. For context, Matt and I both dyked in the same room; Rick was my dyke, and Hank Lee ’81 was Matt’s dyke.

Barry Coceano attended the VMI/Ferrum game and caught up with Alex Thompson, Steve Hupp, Frank Kolmansperger, and Dave Pruitt. They

had a wonderful time catching up, and the VMI win was the icing on the cake. Barry continues to enjoy retirement, noting that he and Dawn split their time between Panama City Beach, Florida, and Forest, Virginia. Barry has also enjoyed serving as an assistant football coach at Jefferson Forest High School for the last few years. The grandkids live close by in Forest, which keeps them hopping.

In September, Barry and Dawn attended a Steelers football game and spent time with Gus Agostinelli and Roxane. Barry reported that Gus is doing great and is still flying for Delta Airlines. Gus plans to retire in a year when he hits the magical

age of 65, which is the mandatory retirement age for commercial airline pilots. His daughter, Mia, is following in his footsteps as a pilot. Barry and Greg Cavallaro also get together periodically for a round of golf or dinner with their wives at Smith Mountain Lake. Speaking of Greg Cavallaro, I recently saw Facebook posts of him and Marlene on a safari vacation in Africa. Barry also mentioned that when he and Dawn are in Florida, they spend quality time with their neighbors, Dan and Kelly Grillone, who live in the same development, Latitude Margaritaville Watersound. The group enjoys time together at the pool, attending weekend concerts, or playing cards—all while enjoying a margarita or two. Dan retired a few years ago after a 30-year Air Force career.

Good for you, man—we need to talk!

Keith Samuelson sent an update in early September, noting that Glenn and Nancy Omans visited him and Martha during the sweltering heat in Dallas/Fort Worth. The Omans spent 4 days with the Samuelsons at their Possum Kingdom Lake house, an hour west of Fort Worth.

They visited the Fort Worth Stockyards, enjoyed lunch at the iconic Joe T. Garcia’s, and spent time hiking, boating, and enjoying great food. They also watched the VMI/Bucknell football game on ESPN+. Keith noted that it is always nice to reminisce about our time together at the Institute—I hear you, brother.

Keith Buckley shared an update in October, noting that he semi-retired May 30. He embarked on a camping/biking vacation to the Black Hills in June and took a 2-week vacation to Ireland in August (only to see K-State lose by three points). Keith also noted that he has lost 20 pounds so far using the “less food/more exercise” method.

Bill Janis shared that he ran into two distinguished members of the Class of 1964, Kerry Hines ’64 and Tony Munera ’64, in the departure lounge at Dulles Airport as they were heading to Madrid.

A group including Jeff Perkins, Barry Coceano, Johnny Ehrenberger, Greg Cavallaro, Bill Janis, and Jamie Shoemaker gathered at Lex Vegas Nov. 9 for the VMI/Wofford football game.

Tom Gillespie, Gary Maynard, and I met during Parents Weekend for lunch at Salerno’s in Lexington. Tom Ferguson and his daughter Dania were also in town for the game, and I sat with them as we endured the loss to Samford. I heard from John and Betsy Ehrenberger (their son is a current rat). Betsy noted that John does not usually get a chance to make the updates; she wanted to share that their son John Henry is a rat this year, Class of 2026+3. John Henry is following in John’s footsteps and part of the wrestling team. Betsy noted that climbing House Mountain was John Henry’s favorite day of Matriculation Week. John really enjoyed being

back on post for the home games and spending time with BRs. Betsy noted that being a parent of a rat is a very different experience but that has been a lot of fun. I will share the photos John and Betsy provided in subsequent updates.

Shawn Flores, who is still on the job in Hanover County, North Carolina, shared that his office celebrated the Marine Corps and VMI birthdays Nov. 11. Joining the festivities was the honorable Jason Smith, the district attorney for Pender and New Hanover Counties. Shawn, your picture did not make it into this edition of the class notes but will be in the subsequent one.

Thanks again for all your contributions.

1985

Bill Wieners

’85:

Hi, everyone. I hope all is well with all of you. VMI recently had their Day Of Giving and raised over $500,000, with the Class of ’85 contributing about $19,000 from 26 donors, placing ninth overall in class rankings. VMI surpassed its initial goal of 700 contributors and got close to its final goal of 1,300 but not quite.

These funding opportunities are a wonderful opportunity for the classes to give in the spirit of supporting VMI across all facets of Institute life, especially with inflation and enrollment shortfalls putting pressure on VMI’s operating budget—

being millions of dollars off their anticipated goals.

As class agents, we are part of a small volunteer network of alumni that communicates directly with our alumni BRs, which is the cornerstone of the VMI experience. I would like to impress upon you all that only 26 BRs participated in the giving out of our total 328 ’85 graduates, and that is a weak effort. I had hoped for more leadership out of our class. Couple ’85’s dismal performance with the fact that there were only 1,290 others participating in total out of our 22,000-plus alumni, friends, and family of VMI is again a dismal reflection on how

Class Notes

our own community seems to value the financial support of the Institute when they have a chance to show it. VMI depends more on the support of their alumni, friends, and families than any other higher ed institution in the state due to the unique size and funding demands of the Institute. Combine that reality with the current crosscurrents of inflation, enrollment challenges facing higher ed nationally, and pressures on cadet families’ budgets should inspire all VMI supporters to give more annually. Participation in VMI’s Day of Giving is a way to participate at any level that one feels they can and stand together to proudly show our support.

I had the immense pleasure of attending General Wins’ retirement party at his home and was happy to see Byron Ross, Davis Estes, Joe Irby, and Darren Sawyer there with their wives, as well as Cedric’s family and friends. It was a great event. He and Cassandra looked great, and they are doing well!

I took a run up to Matt Daniel’s farm for his annual gathering and saw the final completion of his new barn. It came out great! It was fun to catch up with Cathy, Johnny, Matt and Cathy’s family, friends, and several guys and their wives from ’85. Andy Valenzuela, Todd Thornes, Dave Tingley, John Pollack, and Ken Hirlinger were all in attendance with their wives. They were all doing well and had a fun time.

Ching Pu Chen came to Lexington for a visit at the Institute and engaged with the Foundation as he does on a regular basis in addition to his family’s generous contributions to the Institute. After he was done at the “I,” several guys from ’85 met up with him for a few beers at my house to catch him up on all things ’85. In attendance were Meade King, Russ Orrison, Joe Irby, J.J. Wranek, and myself.

Gary Klein wrote in: “Hello, Bill. It has been a while since I have talked to anyone at VMI, but I moved to Garmisch, Germany. As you get older, the moves do not get easier. Before I left the States, I was cleaning out my parents’ home and found my coatee. It is in really good shape—is there an address in Lexington that I could send it to?”

I did not hear from many of you via email updates, so I hope you are all well and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Bill Wieners

Clint Hubbard

Greetings, Mighty Class of 1986!

Welcome to this installment of the quarterly class notes. These notes are being written for a November submission date and will appear in print in early 2026.

To follow up where we left off on the last edition, our new superintendent, retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Furness ’87, is in place, and by the time you read these notes, he will have been at his post for 4 or maybe 5 months. I’m sure we all wish him well for a successful tenure. I stand by my statement that Lt. Gen. Furness endeared himself to the Class of 1986 in his first official act as the 1987 first captain, when he read off the greatest General Order in the history of the Institute: “The Class of 1986 is released from duty.”

On other news from the Institute—you may recall that some years ago, the Class of 1986 established an athletic scholarship with the VMI Foundation called the “Class of 1986 Athletic Scholarship.” The Foundation informs us that this year’s scholarship recipient is Cadet Rowen Choi ’29, a member of the men’s soccer team. This scholarship is not yet a full scholarship, but I’m sure it is appreciated by Cadet Choi. When you consider making a gift to the VMI Foundation, you may designate the Class of 1986 Athletic Scholarship to be the recipient of your gift, and that will help the principal grow faster so that the benefit to the ultimate cadet recipient will be more substantial. Just a public service announcement and thanks for your consideration.

On a side note, this scholarship on behalf of the Class of ’86 means that all of us may stand taller with the knowledge that we are all thusly athletic supporters.

From BR Scott Wilson, I was informed that BR Alan Leatherwood had a bit of a health issue in the late summer, resulting in necessary surgery. The last reports were that the “Farmville Flash” came through well and is on the mend. Nonetheless, I’m sure Big Al would appreciate a little prayer or otherwise good thought sent his way. Godspeed, BR Leatherwood

Class Notes

Speaking of BR Leatherwood, his not-too-longago 5K running companion, Rob Padgett, made a recent visit to the Mother “I” and posted a few pics of his visit on Facebook. The title of one was “An Oldtimer in Old Barracks.” Padge was squiring a young lady around and obviously showing her his favorite National Historic Landmark. Like most of us, it appeared that BR Padgett was punching above his weight class with the caliber of his female companion. But it was good to see a picture of him on post.

As you know, there are a fair number of BRs in and around the Richmond, Virginia, area. The famous taco Tuesday gatherings have waned a little bit. Maybe we just all got tired of seeing each other every week (smile)? Naw, that couldn’t be it! That said, a sure-fire way to rally the troops is whenever there are visitors from out of town. So, if you happen to be in the RVA neck of the woods on a Tuesday (or any other night for that matter), reach out, and we’ll put the word out for a gathering of drinks, dinner, and merriment.

Proof of such a rally is included in these notes on an occasion when Stew Barnes was visiting from the Star City of the South (Roanoke). Nearby, see the shot of BR Jon “Work is for people who don’t have sailboats” Moody, Brett “Work is a four-letter word” Hayes, Roy “out of town” Woolwine, and Frank “Now you see me; now you don’t” Trice As an incentive, the semi-regulars have included Jay Ball, Paul Burch, Wayne Fuller, Brett Hayes, Cy Kump, Jon Moody, Gordon Poindexter, Bob Rainer, John Stevens, Scott Wagner, Roy Woolwine, and, of course, your dedicated class agent. We always look forward to fresh faces and new topics to discuss.

Speaking of new faces at taco Tuesday, we’re still holding out hope as well as a spot for BR34, that is, one each, Glen Ralston. You’ve held out long enough, Glen; we really want to see you whenever you visit the RVA.

Speaking of seeing faces you haven’t seen in a while, there was a great story from Bill Anderson. BR Anderson was flying on a flight from Guam back to California, and the pilot turned out to be none other than his rat roommate, Glenn Phillips! (The original Glenn Phillips is on page 240 of the 1986 Bomb.) Just joshing you, BR Phillips, but it was wonderful to see you after all these years. What is it with our “Glen/ Glenn” BRs?! I think BR Phillips held out longer than BR Ralston And what are the freakin’ chances

of (1) being on a flight to or from Guam, (2) you actually know the pilot, and (3) he turns out to be your old rat roommate? You can’t make this stuff up! Thanks a million to BR Anderson for going to Guam, finding our boy, and snapping a photo for all of us to see, too. The mighty Class of 1986 was heard from on that day.

Speaking of other faces we haven’t seen in a while, how’s it going, Joe DeKeyrel? As far as we know, he is still working for Raytheon and living in western Loudoun County. There was a tale he was building an airplane, so perhaps we need to add him to the George Sheild watchlist? Their hometowns of Newport News and Hampton, respectively, are close enough together that they both bear watching.

He uses the Old North State as a home base, but BR Gordon White has been either burning up the globe or has become adept at Photoshop. Our boy and his new female companion visited Montana, as well as Europe, in the last 6 months. Lots of hiking, touring, fine dining, and drinking seem to be the orders of the day at all stops. For those of us still working for a living, it is nice to live vicariously through our globe-trotting BR White. Come to think of it, he is probably another candidate for the Sheild watchlist.

If we want to continue adding to that list, another stalwart son of Hampton, Virginia, but now of Annapolis, Maryland, Ranger Carl Gitchell would be a strong candidate. Ranger Gitchell has also allegedly joined the Jon Moody retirement brigade, and I’ll wager there is some connection to a sailboat in there, too. Are y’all starting to see the same pattern I’m seeing?

The annual Heishman golf and fishing extravaganza to Pawley’s Island, South Carolina, took place this fall. No official list of attendees but assume most of the regulars were there. The “regulars” include Stu Heishman, Mike Colletti, Tim Keilty, Frank Ladson, Dave Moore, Mike Necessary, Steve Pancham, Louis Rucker, Roy Woolwine, and maybe Pat Farrell. No official certified word on golf scores or size of fish caught, but there were apparently no medical emergencies or interaction with local law enforcement— with that group of old-timers, I’d say that rates a successful outing.

Mid-October was time once again for the Frankie Woolwine golf tourney. As always, there is a significant group of BRs and other Keydets playing for this very worthwhile charity cause. This year’s attendees included Jay Ball, Stew Barnes, Al Comer, Mike Colletti, Wayne Fuller, Dave Grimm, Steve Hall, Brett Hayes, Clint Hubbard, Robert Nussey, Dave Reynolds, and, of course, Roy Woolwine. The Class of ’85 was represented

Class Notes

by Danks Burton, Chuck McCarthy, Mark Williams, and Spencer Williamson. In addition, other players included Clark Barnes ’87—I’ll apologize if I left anyone out.

A random thought—of course, BR Barnes was there; if a man is going to play golf three times per week, he usually starts on a Monday.

Well, that’s a wrap for this quarter. This issue should hit your mailbox in the heart of the Dark Ages, when the days are short and the nights are cold, so take a minute and shoot me an update or reach out to a BR. I can always use some new material. Happy New Year, brother rats.

to believe, given we only graduated 220-plus guys. Equally impressive was the installment of Lt. Gen. James “Chip” Bierman to the commandant of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University. Chip recently retired from the U.S. Marine Corps and went straight to work down in College Station. James Bright has been working on campus for the past few years. I can’t wait to go down and see a game.

I will say the number of get-togethers and BR gatherings is really taking off, and I am so excited to hear stories that roommates, guys who played sports together, as well as those who served, are making efforts to reconnect. Please send pictures when you do. I am limited to five photos but can post them on VMI 87’s private Facebook page so

BillMcCarthy

As the seasons change from summer to fall, I always enjoy getting back to the Institute to catch a parade, tailgating with BRs, and watching a football game.

Lexington is in full bore with rats in the Rat Line, parents coming to visit their kids, the Dark Ages are soon upon us, and all the alumni that come back to the Mother “I” to see the parades. This has been a great 90 days of brother rat interactions for me and many of you. We had football games, 60th birthday parties, and most importantly, the introduction of Brother Rat Lt. Gen. David Furness as the 16th superintendent at Virginia Military Institute. This solidifies our best class in barracks status, given that we have had brother rats represented as the superintendent, commandant, and chaplain! Hard

everyone can see.

This football season, we have had some pretty active tailgating. Many of us got together to witness the first parade under the Furness term. Rob Goodwin, Dennis Butts, Jack McCarthy, Bruce Bones, Tom Peer, Reynolds Renshaw, Steve Owen, and Macon Snowden came to Lexington. Chris Spence, Greg Otey, and Derrick Johnson were in town for the game and to celebrate Troy Clark. Troy was inducted into the Parry McCluer Hall of Fame after the VMI football game.

VMI had a Corps trip to play the University of Richmond, which led to a solid turnout of brother rats. There was a 3-hour rain delay, so I can’t tell you much about the game, but we had a great pre-game celebration.

Terry Sutherland, D.T. Wood, Greg Otey, Tim Chester, Tom Peer, Jack McCarthy, Denis Kiely, and Matt Morgan joined me at the tailgate. Special thanks to Bruce Bones for securing a parking pass for us!

I have continued the birthday calls, and I have made some great connections with people we have not heard hide nor hair from over the past decades. Given that more of us are retiring, the phone seems to get picked up a bit more often now. John Nolan recently retired from a distinguished career in government service. He and Edna have retired to the Topsail, North Carolina, area after many years in the Stafford, Virginia, area. They are homeschooling their youngest child but looking forward to a quiet retirement along the coast.

Gray Wooten retired a while back from teaching ROTC at the local high school. We caught up and talked about the upcoming reunion and events. He promises he will be engaged.

My former high school classmate, Scott Jones, wrote me a very thoughtful but long email that I will synthesize down to a smaller bite. He had a long career crossing the globe to keep the world safe. He and his wife moved to Colorado in 2018 but have since relocated to 10 acres

Class Notes

in Culpeper, Virginia. Scott is turning into a gentleman farmer, raising local produce for the local food bank. He volunteers with the food bank and the rescue squad.

Andy Zolper hosted the annual meeting of his posse. I wish I had a nickname to describe this assemblage of honorable youths, but for now, I will just list them. James Bright, Jon McLean, and Eric Davis met this fall near Kennebunkport, Maine, for their annual gathering. I was hoping to have a first-person accounting of the event, but Kenny Marsh and I had to take a rain check for next year. If the pictures I saw tell a story, they had a great time fishing and giving each other the business.

In early November, I was invited to Baltimore on a sunny day to surprise Mike Maxwell for his 60th birthday. It was a tremendous event supported by his family, former co-workers, and, of course, his brother rats. Bobby Blackwell, Terry Fortune, Clif Coger, Neal Naff, and I were in attendance. Keith Washington was coming in hot after refereeing a game in Houston. There were a lot of other VMI royalty in the house, and it was great to catch up with Neville Anderson ’84, Henry Sanchez ’85, Jeff Young ’85, Andrew Stewart ’88, and Scott Griffea ’88

Here is a quick update on the crew. Mike Maxwell is retired from Pepco/Excelon after a long and distinguished career. He spends most of his time in Parkland, Florida, but still gets up to the D.C. area with some frequency. Bobby Blackwell is still the entrepreneur, working with some podcaster and other ventures. Terry Fortune is a partner in a real estate development firm. Clif lives near Scott Toler in Chesterfield and runs his accounting firm and financial practices, as well as other business ventures. Dr. Neal Naff continues his work as a neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins University.

The week of Nov. 7, we had a great turnout at the VMI Institute Society Dinner in Lexington. Ernie Edgar, Neal Naff, Bob Phillips, Bill Wanovich, and I had a great

time catching up and listening to Dave Furness’s vision of the future at VMI. Simultaneously, Ted Fishback and Cheryl Wharton coordinated a surprise 60th birthday party for Stu Wharton in Richmond. Brad Chandler flew in from Austin, and a bunch of Richmond BRs turned out for the surprise. Mark Barth, Rob Hinson, Todd Williamson, Matt Morgan, Henry Loving, Chris Stathis, and Charlie Early joined Ted in pulling off a great surprise party.

Mike Williamson is growing the family compound in San Diego. He mentioned that his son, daughter, and grandchildren will be moving to a house that connects with his compound. Mike and I had a great time skiing last year, and we are set to go again in March, so we are in the planning phase. His steel fabricating business is really doing well, and I know he is happy to have his family nearby.

My former Atlanta neighbor, Brett Shepard, called to let me know he had retired from the power company and has resettled in Asheville, North Carolina. He moved right before the massive floods that hit the area but luckily was just far enough not to have been in the direct line of fire. He builds guitars, works as a Harley Davidson mechanic, and picks up some odd jobs to keep busy. He has always had a love for playing music and riding motorcycles, so it’s great to see the blending of his passions into a career.

Talked to Chris Peckham for the first time in a few decades. He was just settling in at the RV park in Naples, Florida, for the winter. Chris is the quintessential snowbird with the Jeep in tow and the Harley waiting for a ride. I am typically on that side of the state during Thanksgiving, so I will try to track him down for a face-to-face. He said he stopped in to see Reid Garst and attend the Virginia Tech football game on the way down.

I had great time reconnecting with Chris Spence on his birthday. As you can see from the pictures, Chris has come back for a few football-related events and reconnected with his mates.

Doug Messner, my rat co-dyke, and I caught up after a long while. Doug used to live in Richmond but moved around a bit until he settled in West Virginia. He is currently working for the defense industrial complex.

Time to update some Alpha studs who have been out of the limelight for a while. Kyle Oliver runs a real estate development company in Washington, D.C. He still plays ice hockey with his son and enjoys staying active. Does not seem to be any slowing down any time soon. Sean Miller and I had a great conversation. The Atlanta native seems perfectly content in Colorado. Sean has been an avid outdoorsman for as long as we have known him.

Dr. Mark Lund is out on a book tour promoting

Class Notes

his new book, “Critical Leadership Playbook: 10 High Stakes Skills from the ICU to Lead Boldly, Build Thriving Teams, and Achieve Wealth.”

Kevin Reardon had the last birthday call before the notes were submitted. He has been swamped at work and missed a few of the last local events, but I will have more details upcoming. In the meantime, he has been developing his triceps by hand-digging miles of post holes for his farm.

Final note, it is with great sadness to say we lost a brother rat this quarter. Manuel Robert Melendez, affectionally known to all as Manny, passed Sept. 18 in Bogota, Colombia. There is a write-up under the Taps section in this issue. I spoke with his wife, Christine, and offered our condolences from the Class of ’87. Manny was a special guy and friend to all, and he will be deeply missed.

1988

John Keppeler

Brother Rats,

Greetings, I hope everyone is doing well! I think you will get this right around mid-December with Christmas and New Year’s right around the corner. I hope you’ve got all your Christmas shopping done. First off, I would like to thank everyone for being so good about sending photos and updates. I really appreciate it! The last two or three submissions, I have actually had more photos than I am allowed to submit (I am allowed five photos and 3,100 words). While I hate to have to cut photos, having too many photos is better than not having

enough. By the way, my informal culling is done based on the number of BRs in the photo, so if I have six photos, I will typically submit the five that include the most BRs. I feel terrible about leaving some photos out but am afraid I don’t have much choice. I have tried to ask for exceptions, but the Alumni Association is pretty strict when it comes to their submission guidelines. Anyway, keep the updates coming and know that I really appreciate it!

A big shout-out and huge thank you go to BR Derek McFarland! Derek once again sponsored our class campout at his property in Flintstone, Maryland, Sept. 12–15, 2025. If you have never been to one of these campouts, I highly recommend you make it a point to come! Derek does an incredible job feeding us really well, we get to shoot all kinds of boom-booms (think small SOF Convention), and there is plenty of camaraderie and tall tales around the campfire. I think we had 23 BRs in attendance this year, including John Keppeler, Chris Goff, Hugh Brien, John Gillespie, Hammond Urner, Ed Wetherell, Jason Dudjak, Don Calder, Lew Sigmon, Derek McFarland, Sam Tate, Scott Stachelek, Mike Panell, Wayne Sinclair, Dave Carter, Bill Reagan, Tony Davila, Rich Stone, Curran Bowen, Roscoe Davis, Jim Tuemler, John Bordelon, and Joey Swink

My roommate, Bill Cronenberg, wasn’t able to make the campout this year, but he did make the trip over the pond with his lovely wife, Kati, 2 weeks later. Bill and I have been trying to track down “our” rat, Mike Martin ’91, for some time, and with the help of Ed Wetherell, we were finally able to do it. If you recall, I took an academic sabbatical mid-way through our 1st Class year, so Bill took over my “dyke duties” for the rest of the

year. Later on, Mike and Ed served together in the Virginia National Guard. At any rate, we all met up for lunch at the Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, Virginia, where Mike is from and still resides. We talked about old times and caught up. Approximately 36 years have passed since I have seen Mike, but we picked up just like it was yesterday. If you haven’t connected with your rat in a while, I humbly suggest you do so, and if you’re passing through Afton, Virginia, stop by the Blue Mountain Brewery; both their beer and food were top-notch.

We held our NOVA lunch this quarter “down south” in Fredericksburg,

Virginia, at the Deutschland Downtown restaurant Oct. 17. We had a pretty good turnout and enjoyed some good chow and camaraderie. In attendance were John Keppeler, Wayne Sinclair, Chris Goff, Scott Stachelek, Mike Beyer, Mike Pannell, Guy Gormley, John Wanat, Andy Tate ’92, Derek McFarland, and Doug Jacobsen. If you live in or near Northern Virginia and want to be added to our lunch distro list, please contact me via email, and I will add you to the list. Again, I try to alternate our lunches between southern and northern locations in order to gather as many BRs as possible.

As some of you know, a few of our BRs have been attending local International Defensive Pistol Association matches to hone their pistolero skills. The day after our lunch, Oct. 18, Wayne Sinclair, Chris Goff, Derek McFarland, and Joey Swink competed in an IDPA match at the Rivanna Rifle &Pistol Club in Charlottesville, Virginia. From what I hear, Joey is typically the top shot, but Derek took top honors that day. Anyway, if you’re interested in honing your skills and a little friendly competition, give one of the above guys a call, and I am sure they can get you the gouge.

A few months ago, I put out an email on behalf of Richard Stone. He wanted to start an annual BR beach vacation down at his place in Oak Island, North Carolina. From what I can tell, this year, Sam and Amy Tate and Greg and Stephanie Rollins joined Rich and Kristin at their beach house. At some point during the trip, the Stones and the

Tates took a side trip to visit Dave Sullivan’s Salt +Vine wine shop in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. Dave has been open since August and doing very well thus far. They celebrated Dave’s largest volume sales day to date, so if you’re in the area, stop by and visit Dave at the Salt + Vine wine shop in Sunset Beach, North Carolina.

I received the email below and a couple of pictures from Charles Nelson. Again, my apologies, Charles, for not including at least one photo of you and your beautiful bride, Michelle—just don’t have enough room and trying to maximize BR exposure. Charles and Michelle visited South Africa and Zimbabwe.

“The picture on the boat was in Zimbabwe during an evening boat tour on the Zambezi River. Michelle and I spent 2 days in Victoria Falls visiting the falls and staying at a river lodge where we did two game drives a day, to include a bush walk where we crept up to a herd of elephants. The other photo was taken in South Africa. We stayed in Sabi Sands for 5 nights, where we got to see all kinds of animals, including lots of lions and leopards. In South Africa, the animals will get closer to vehicles, so our evening cocktails were sometimes 100 yards from rhinos or other non-carnivorous animals. Once, the jeep was chased by a bull elephant that lost interest after about 50 feet. We also visited Cape Town and Table Mountain. That made two natural wonders in one trip. We also enjoyed some wine country and whale watching.”

I received an update from Bobby Gardner. As a reminder, Bobby is fighting lung cancer. The following is a summary of his text. He says he is doing well. Scans last month were stable, and he doesn’t have to go back for scans until January. He is staying positive and trying to live right. Please keep Bobby and his family in your prayers, and if you get a chance, reach out to him, and I am sure he’d love to hear from you!

I also received a short update from Stewart King. He says he lived in China Lake, California, until 2022, but is now living in Fairfax, Virginia, and working for the Office of Naval Research. Hopefully, he can make it to one of our lunches soon.

Well, I think that’s about it for this quarter. Again, thank you for all the photos and updates; please keep it up and know that I will try and do my best to get your photo in the Alumni Review. Until next quarter, I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. God bless, stay healthy, and stay in touch! I can be reached at 540429-9041 or john.keppeler@gmail.com.

RVM and Semper Fi!

Rock

Class Notes

1989

David A. Martin

These notes cover the period Aug. 7, 2025, through Veterans/Founders Day 2025. Happy birthday, VMI! And to all of you who served, happy Veterans Day! Due to today’s festivities, I am like Jackson Browne, running on empty and on a time crunch: There is a free hamburger with my name on it somewhere, and I got a rumbly in my tummy!

Speaking of meat, a few housekeeping appetizers to munch on before we get into the SRC of the notes, your names in boldfaced type. It bears repeating that Alumni Review printing requires pictures over 1MB. About half the photos sent didn’t meet the requirement, and there were some gems! A few tips: Change the settings on your phone to take max pixels or try sending the picture from your PC. To check the size, look in your downloads size in your PC folders. Or get “help-received” from AI. Remember to email (not text or instant message) your photos. iPhone tends to minimize sent pictures for some reason. If you think you’ve heard all this before, you probably have, but there is always someone out there who didn’t get the word. Resolving photo resolution issues is key to successful notes!

We welcomed a few more members to the ’89 Facebook page, while also receiving a veritable plethora of spammers, malcontents, ne’er-dowells, and people who you may have invited but seem hard-pressed to answer the membership question. It’s OK (and encouraged) to get your friends of ’89 on the page, but tracking people down and verifying their bona fides is time-consuming for the page admin (me). Please help me out. Replies to the membership question of “What is your connection to VMI ’89? Please be specific with class member name” are quite entertaining, but a huge drain to verify. Some examples of the inane answers to the aforementioned verification question: “I am a brother of an ’89 grad” (no name mentioned), “my son was 1989” (no name mentioned), “my boyfriend was 1989 and invited me” (no name mentioned), “my girlfriend was 1989” (no name mentioned), and my personal favorite, “I graduated with you in 1989, my name is Karen.” That last one was probably spam, but you get the drift. Regardless, the ’89 page has taken on new life, with new energy, chockablock with great content like pop quizzes, polls, humor, satire,

news, etc. Check it out if you haven’t already. Final admin note: Thanks for the positive feedback on the new initiative on the ’89 Facebook page, recognizing birthdays with a rat photo! Sean Dooley, this means you—thanks for the note. Yes, in between policing up Facebook requests to join the page and trying to enhance your photos to 1MB, there is still time to recognize birthdays; on this blustery day, it warms the cockles of my heart and is a great excuse to open the 1986 Bomb. Some great “motivated rat haircuts” out

there! However, please note, have mercy and stop beating me up on the accuracy of your info: The birthday information comes directly from your inputs and/or data the VMI Alumni Association has on file for you. If your data is not correct, I cannot update it for you: Go to VMI Ranks on the Alumni Association page. Even if you do not want to be contacted by VMI, you can still update your info. This also helps with birthday and Christmas cards. If someone takes the time to send ’em, the least you can do is update your address. If you moved in the last few years, ask yourself if you updated your info. Please check. You can also find a BR’s email address and contact info. For the vast majority of you who updated your info, thank you. You have no idea what a huge help this is. Thank you!

Now, on to the notes, and we begin with a new beginning! Hearty congratulations to new grandfather Wayne Jones. Henry Robert Jones was born Oct. 17 to Nate and Hannah Jones. His dad is a West Point grad and was on the lacrosse permit. Somehow, he followed in Wayne’s footsteps and commissioned as a Marine. “We are hoping that Henry will be VMI Class of 2047,” writes Grampa Jones. 2047? Hard to believe! Who else feels old? Not Wayne, who might be in his late 50s, but has the knees of a 30-year-old: He ran his ninth Marine Corps Marathon this year and has 24 marathons under his very-thin beltline. Wayne also mentioned he sees Bill Bersing quite a bit. BB lives just down the road from Wayne in Alexandria, Virginia, and they ride road and gravel bikes together. Wayne also ran into Paul Pardew, Al Versoza, Matt St. Clair, and Ian Dolan at the AUSA convention—“It was nice to catch up with everyone.” Paul Pardew gets credit for a similar

notes contribution: Paul wrote in to also mention they get together at the AUSA in Northern Virginia and Huntsville, Alabama. Great update, Wayne, thanks and congratulations. Congratulations are also in order for Allan Stoneman, now officially off the market, ladies! Allan got married in October and mentioned Brother Rats Tederick, Barbour, Mezzacca, Gilbert, Inge, and Cross were in attendance. Us non-Virginia-based rat roommate BRs didn’t know about it in advance, so we saved $89.89 in our 89 Flower Fund. Other Keydets from ’86 included Steve Hall ’86, Robert Nussey ’86, Clint Hubbard ’86, and Scott Wagner ’86. Keydets from ’92 and ’01 know how to respect their elders, leading Old Yells for the Classes of ’86 and ’89! Allan wrote that Classes of ’76, ’88, ’92, ’01, ’02, and ’13 were also represented! Congrats, Allan!

It’s a cold and snowy VD/FD holiday here: Accordingly, and in a morale-boosting endeavor, Nat Cross sent a picture of Eric Buchanan and Marty Malloy (and their families/wives) on a beach somewhere displaying a VMI-89 flag. Looks like a great time!

Pop quiz time! You know what is great about VMI football? No, not the on-field result. Regardless of gridiron greatness, it remains a unifying force for the Class of 1989, and this paragraph is entitled “tailgaters.” Billy Miller, always good for a yarn, dropped a line after the Navy game and hung out with Andy Tunnard and Pete Catalano Pete’s daughter is a plebe at the USNA. In Hawaii last year, I saw everyone getting leis at the Glen Mederios show and luau. Super mai tais for all! Seems like half the class was at the Navy game, too many to mention here, but kudos to Joe Grealish, who hosted an ’89 tailgate, and the cardiac kid, John Osborne,

who thought about it. Said one BR: “I think ’89 had the biggest representation at the VMI tailgate.” Likewise, Kramer Reeves and crew went down to The Citadel game; Keith Sykes and Pete and Dawn Lampman also witnessed the debacle. See Pete’s interview containing his astute analysis and color (colorful?) commentary of the game on our Facebook page. Honorable mention to regular 24450 tailgaters goes to the Lampmans, Masellas, Ogdens, Hernandezs, Meles, McCowns, and a host of others. Plenty of hospitality and libations.

Speaking of libations, every picture Brian Lowry sends or posts of him and Steve Breheny has a glass of wine or beer in it. Steve is no doubt very thirsty, and after visiting almost every country in the world, his throat is probably as parched as the Gobi Desert, which Steve no doubt visited. Indeed, Steve’s noble quest to quench his thirst is at a pause; as of this writing, Steve is getting pages added to his passport, which is as thick as two Rat Bibles.

Bi-monthly virtual happy hours continue to draw BRs quicker than BRs flocking to Estelle’s upon news that the ABC man was on vacation back in the Old Corps. It’s always good to share some laughs with Ed Rodriguez, Mike Karns, James Black, Brian Duffy (on Alaska time), and anyone else who stops by in virtual reality. Look for the emailed announcements and drop in to say hello.

Last quarter, I introduced the highly ballyhooed initiative called unsung heroes. This Veterans Day, it’s appropriate to close with our BR-UHs. Hah! A refresher: Everyone reads the notes; we all know this, but occasionally one or two of you might miss the pearls of wisdom contained herein. Thus, as a public service, for the handful of you who may

have missed it, “What’s a UH?” you ask. UHs are BRs or friends of the class who went above and beyond this quarter, epitomizing the spirit of One-989!, offering encouragement, lodging, refreshment, or helping ’89 (or the management thereof) in some silent but meaningful way. They know what they did! If you know of a BR-UH, let me know so they can be recognized in the notes, their names printed in the pantheon of alumni publications for posterity and eternity. John and Gale Corley, the Bulleit Distillery, Kramer Reeves, the U.S. National Park Service (after an 89-mile hike in the Sawtooths, I drove 8 hours out of my way to the Custer Battlefield, and it was closed for repairs!), Ruth Masella, Pappy Van Winkle, Kimber Arms Company, Pete Lampman (for being a good sport on the Facebook page regarding being drafted as a coach), Tom Fanshaw, and Outback Steakhouse for the free Veterans Day burger. Yum! I am now full. I hope you are, too. One-989!

Class Notes

your class agent, and I look forward to another 5 years serving you all.

Greetings, Brother Rats,

As I write this, our 35th Reunion is in the books. We had a record attendance for a 35th Reunion, with 156 BRs making an appearance for some or all of the weekend. I appreciate the help and generosity of everyone who helped make this happen. A few people who really helped out were Barry Johnson organizing our golf outing, Dave Kaulfers who came up with the great idea of the House Mountain hike, Steve Vasquez who put together what had to be the most comprehensive display of memorabilia from our time at VMI of any I’ve ever seen, Hunter Trumbo for his help and counsel with surveys and recommending activities, and Luis Del Valle for cleaning up my email distro list. Mostly, I want to thank all of you who were able to attend from points all across the nation and even from overseas. It was a memorable weekend for me, and that impressive gift of a firearm spearheaded by Tim Whitt really made my year. I can’t thank you all enough for the trust and confidence you’ve placed in me as

Since we just had the reunion about a month ago, I figure most everybody is all caught up on what everyone is doing and where they are at. I just thought it appropriate to reflect for a moment on all the things our classmates have accomplished since heading off into the world 35 years ago. We’ve had two classmates serve on the National Security Council, five reach the rank of general officer, several reach the senior executive service (general officer equivalent) level of federal government service, and at least six elected to public office. Our class has impacted generations of young people as teachers, coaches, community volunteer leaders, and scout masters. It almost goes without saying that hundreds of us served America and various communities in the armed forces, law enforcement, or as first responders (both paid and volunteer). Our classmates are commanding ships, managing cities, executing nine-figure construction projects, founding/ running businesses, and working as doctors, dentists, lawyers and judges, ministers, farmers, and engineers. After this reunion, I am even more in awe of all that you accomplished and are continuing to achieve on a regular basis. I’m continuing to look forward to what things we’ll accomplish next to talk about at our 40th!

I had a few items of news and notes to report on some folks who were unable to make the reunion for various reasons. BR Tom Slater was named acting head baseball coach for the University of Florida. During our reunion, Tom was busy in his former job with the Philadelphia Phillies, who were in the MLB playoffs. I also got notes from Dave McGraw, who was in

Florida during our reunion, Monte Loving, who is in Spotsylvania but unable to attend due to a death in the family, and Rich Mehl, who didn’t attend the reunion but did make it up for a ball game in November with his son. I heard from Thad Tegtmeyer in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he is a VP at Sweetwater Sounds, and Bill Gaspar, who is still working for ECS out of the Fredericksburg, Virginia, office. Phil Smith was unable to attend the reunion at the last minute but let me know that he just recently retired as a full colonel after 25plus years in the Virginia Defense Force. Mark Dick’s widow, Karen, checked in with me in November, as well, and was looking to reach out to Pete Mantz since she has a house near Kitty Hawk, and Pete was elected to the Kitty Hawk town council. Speaking of elections, I also want to mention Dave Walsh was elected to the county board of supervisors for Matthews County, Virginia. If anyone else was elected to public office, please let me know, as I love to keep track of that stuff.

Right before the deadline, I ran into Dave Peaco at a construction pre-bid conference on post. If you recall, Dave was in a serious accident 3rd Class year and was unable to return to VMI due to his injuries. Dave took several years to fully recover from his injuries but is now a project estimator and manager with Janus Construction and lives in the Richmond area. I also got the following from Beau Quattrone right before the deadline to include: “It was great seeing everyone at the reunion in October. A little bit about what I am doing. I do not see many of our BRs here in the Pittsburgh area. I’m usually busy with coaching and officiating football in Western Pennsylvania. I am also a middle school principal. As football just ended last week, of course, the school year continues. I really enjoy what I am doing. Middle school students can be difficult; I see my job as preparing them for the next level, which is high school. Just how VMI prepared us to be successful in life.”

That’s all I have for now. If you or someone you know is not getting my regular updates, please let me know. Hope to see many of you around for basketball games, Legacy Day, and other events this semester as we head into spring. Until then, stay safe, thanks for your support, and GBR!

Daren

Class of 1990 35th Reunion

1991

Chuck Story

Chris Edmonston

Fall is hitting here in Annapolis. I’m alternating between fishing for rockfish and pickerel and hunting for deer or waterfowl. Note, I said fishing and hunting—not catching and shooting. But soooo close! And guess what? One BR actually sent some info in for the notes! It has been years since someone has done that! (Subtle hint.)

Brian Stone, who sent the note, related that “I have been at the University of Georgia for almost 13 years now, in my post-Air Force second career. For the past 6 years, I have overseen the university’s youth protection policy, ensuring safe camps, internships, and other engagements, with over 300,000 youth every year. My wife, Valerie, had her second book published by UGA Press, “Georgia’s Historical Recipes,” a history of foodways in our state. Our son, Eli, had a big year; he earned his Eagle Scout in May and attended the prestigious Georgia Governor’s Honors Program this summer. In VMI-related news, I have connected with two fellow VMI alums here in Athens, and we have regular dinners. They are from classes in the ’70s and ’80s, so we share 20 years of VMI history. If anyone is ever in Athens, let me know—would love to meet up.”

Always interesting to see how Matt McQuinley has been successful in his adopted country, now as a business coach who does “TED Talk”-like seminars and helps people become better business leaders Down Under.

Getting back to hunting, I saw that Buck Sessoms had a good deer hunt in Ohio—where’s everyone else going? I know Frank Louthan hunts down in Georgia—Frank, I need to get down there to pig hunt with Rob Edwards and Chris Isakov. Justin Martin is also a mighty deer slayer and also makes some great-looking knives.

I saw that Billy Canedo is still with the Florida Department of Transportation, working on some major roadway construction projects

in the Sunshine State.

The Richmond-adjacent eating crew still gets together to eat—looks as if it occurs very regularly: Andy Apostle, Bill Smith, Steve Rusher, Wacky Davis, and Joe Rioux

Always fun to see where people are traveling; saw that Brad Brodigan and crew went to visit the Dolomites and saw that Chris Serwinski visited the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana, which I can say is truly spectacular.

And another grandkid has joined the ranks, with Ken Draper becoming the newest grandpa, with a new eponymously named grandson, Kenny.

I went to the Navy versus VMI football game and ran into BRs Chip McLean and Dan Robinson. Also ran into a ’90 guy—I think his name was

Finally, our BR Chris Eubanks is now a lieutenant general and is the new commander of the Army’s Cyber Command.

As always, feel free to drop me or Chuck a line about things that are going on. We spend most of our time sending each other Instagram reels, so we have time to write better notes.

1992

Class Notes

BRs,

Here are the latest updates from our classmates. Please keep forwarding me information on what is going on in your lives; your BRs want to know!

First and foremost, I wanted to share an update from the celebration of life function for Jerry Allen, which occurred Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Midlothian, Virginia. Paul Gettle sent me a great summary of the event in which he said, “The celebration started under a pavilion with family members sharing memories of Jerry, starting with his wife (Kristen) and daughters (Maggie and Julia). Jeff Zeigler shared for our class, did a great job, and invited the BRs present to join him at the podium for a ’92 Old Yell. After the service, a nice supper was served, and then a band played while pictures of Jerry were shown on a screen.” Paul reported that the following BRs were present, although a few may have been missed in the enclosed picture (courtesy of Carroll Weatherman). Standing (from left) are Charlie Enochs, Chuck Weatherman, Hugh Dowdy, Rob

Mizelle, Taylor Holt, Billy Waters, Jon Manley, Scott Council, Jeff Zeigler, Mike Foesch, Will Current, Mike Starling, Will Harris, Matt Ott, Jay Frey, Paul Gettle, Eric Davidson, Mark Loving, Marc Orgain, Rusty Hale, Whiting Chisman, and John Williamson. Kneeling (from left) are Todd Washington, Allan Lunsford, Tim Jordan, Mark Baush, and Ed Davis. Will Harris also passed along a summary of the event, saying, “Though everyone agreed that meeting under the circumstances of Jerry’s passing was unfortunate, it was good to catch up and recall shared memories of Jerry. It was evident from all of the speakers, including BR Jeff Zeigler, that Jerry had a significant and meaningful impact on the lives of many people.”

This year’s Institute Society Dinner was lightly attended by our class. Only Curtis Mason and I made it this year. See enclosed picture of Curtis and me from the dinner Nov. 7, 2025. Prior to

the dinner, Andy Tate let me know that he would be out of the country and unable to attend. Tom Timmes also let me know that he could not make it as he had a final dress rehearsal for the Rockbridge Symphony, where he was sitting as the first chair cellist and had solos that he needed to be present for practice.

My roommate, Chuck Weatherman, and his wife, Carroll, had a wedding-filled fall 2025 with two of their four sons getting married in September and October. Andrew, their third son, was married in September in Staunton, while their first son, Jack ’19, was married in October in Waynesboro. See the enclosed picture from Jack’s wedding with the VMI alumni in attendance.

I am repeating two stories from the last Review since the associated pictures did not run. Neil Hennigan sent me an update in which he said he had just retired from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 27, 2025, after serving 8 years. Prior to that, he served 12 years in the U.S. Secret Service, giving him 20 years as a federal law enforcement officer. See enclosed picture of him and Mike Starling, who surprised him by attending the ceremony. This picture should have been included in the Alumni Serving section in the 2025-Issue 4 Alumni Review but was left out by mistake. The second story was of the golf

outing at the Army Navy Country Club in August 2025 with Andy Tate, Joe McClung, Chris Jones, and Anhtuan Nguyen. As I had extra space for pictures this time, I am including the enclosed picture Anhtuan sent me.

Rob Fowler sent in an update in which he mentioned that he had recently retired and moved to Northern Mexico with his wife’s family. They will be relocating down to Mexico City in 2026.

Finally, I got quick status checks from the following BRs in response to receiving their digital birthday messages: Rich Horn, Dave Bradley, Pat Rohan, Larry Nevel, Courtney Lambert, and Laird Knights

Please let me know of any major life events such as marriages (including for our children), births, deaths, and advanced degrees so that I can inform the Alumni Review. If you have a change of address, let the Alumni Association and me know so that we can make sure you get all VMI correspondence.

In the Bonds, Woody

he wrote in my Bible, saying, “May God bless you always. Love, C.”

He was a great man and a blessing to me and to many of us in the years that he was chaplain at VMI. The Facebook tributes and messages to me in response to my email letting everyone know were very moving. I was planning on writing a tribute here, but the simple fact is that I think our BR Charles Leggett wrote it best: “He was the greatest shaping force of my life, after my dad ... he was the measure that I held myself up to throughout my ministry, both in the civilian world and in the military. He was a true selfless servant and servant leader.” Well said, BR. May he rest in peace.

To the updates: Dom Ford checked in from Texas: “Life is good. I’m still working parttime for a defense contractor named ManTech. I am between projects at the moment, which aligns well with the start of deer season. Our daughter, Jacqueline, graduates from Penn State in December and is pursuing veterinary school. She is also a finalist for an internship at the famous Four Sixes Ranch here in Texas (owned by Taylor Sheridan, btw). Our son is doing great as a freshman in high school and has already made the varsity swim team—at age 15, his times are already beating my best VMI times!” Pretty cool that your daughter might be working for Sheridan’s ranch, and congratulations to your son! Good luck in deer season!

Brother Rats!

Hope everyone had a great summer and fall and are all set for a great holiday season!

By now, most of us know that Chaplain Caudill (HBR ’83) passed away Oct. 22, 2025. I have always remembered and thought of the short note

Speaking of hunting, Jeff Williams recently traveled to Gillette, Wyoming, for a pronghorn antelope hunt, at which he was successful. He also visited the Devil’s Tower featured in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” as well as traveling to Sturgis, the Badlands, and Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. Hope you had a great trip, Jeff! Lee Yowell reached out to me: “Just wanted to reach out to see if you could send me Raleigh Trumbo’s contact if you have it. Why am I asking? Well, I am the construction manager representing the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority on the Long Bridge Project in D.C. I stay in Alexandria a couple nights a week. After dinner one night in Del Ray about a week ago, I saw BR Trumbo walking down the sidewalk as I drove by. He’s hard to miss! So, I would like to reach out to him and say hi and maybe reconnect.” I don’t know how the story ended or if they got together, but I’m hoping for a follow-up.

Dave Lehmkuhl checked in with a reply to last quarter’s notes: “Hey,

BR! I think my last update was 18 years ago! Just reading the below and know if I don’t send it in, I will probably miss it. Call this the first update for the next newsletter. Ha! Alicia and I are hitting 25 years in November. Raleigh has been home since 2013. I left recruiting years back and am now a sales director at a software company. My son is a senior at East Carolina, studying marketing, and my daughter is a sophomore there, too, studying nursing. It makes going to parents weekend easy! Hopefully will meet up with BRs as they pass through Raleigh over the next year.

“P.S. Seeing the cadre videos on LinkedIn for current rats still makes my stomach turn.”

I think it still makes everyone’s stomachs turn, BR. I still remember standing there, completely clueless and looking at Greg Saukulak ’91 and being able to see the whites all the way around his eye and thinking how crazy he looked. Then he very suddenly went from being over there to right up in my face. That notwithstanding, thanks for checking in, and glad you and your family are doing well!

Gerry Bingeman and I exchanged a couple of short messages. Gerry says, “I’m better than I deserve,” which is something I say about myself frequently.

Craig Currie also reached out to let me know that there was “a meetup with some of Club 235 roommates and a few other BRs. We hung out in Nellysford for a weekend in October. Good time went to Devils Backbone a couple days and had a house with pickleball courts and a bunch of joking around.” Kid included two pictures, one I share unhesitantly as it’s a great picture of Jim Roman, Jamie Shiflett, Wes Bosiger, Joe Buchanan, Dallas Grubbs, Paul Meadows, and

Class Notes

their significant others around a fire pit. This summer, Spike Solovey ’96 reached out to me. If you don’t know, Spike is an artist of some renown, and the Virginia War Memorial is displaying about 40 framed pieces of his art. There was a black-tie charity gala to open the display, with all proceeds being donated to the U.S. Army Special Operations Association. VMI cadets served as ushers and provided a color guard to post and retire the colors during the dinner. The event was very well attended, including by our BRs. Matt Eads very generously sponsored tables. Kevin Smith, Rhett Cox, Mark Mueller, P.J. Ackerman, Mike Zamalis, Stephen Allison, and Matt represented ’93 at the dinner. Everyone that messaged me about it said it was a great time. Nick Latsios ’96 was also in attendance. He was Mike’s rat back in the day. The word on the street is that when the ’96 guys in attendance tried to get a group picture, Gen. Cox let them know that they should have their chins in, which I find hilarious. April and I made the trip to Charleston for The Citadel game in the beginning of November with some friends of ours. VMI played outstanding football for three-and-a-half quarters. Then, things happened. General Furness ’87 was stalking the sidelines like he wanted in the game. Despite the ending of the game, I had a great time. Met up with Georgia and Ayen Torchik, Susan and Vic Kane, and Brian Southard for drinks before the game. When we moved our operation to the tailgating area, we ran into a slew of ’94 guys that had Raleigh Trumbo with them, so we got to see and hang out with him before the game. During the game, Brian, Torch, and Vic somehow ended up in The Citadel-sponsored luxury box feasting on shrimp and grits. This is the second time Brian has managed to do that. While at the game, I also managed to sit with Sean Fisher, Kevin Barnes, Matt LaBell, Blake Svendsen, John Timmons, and Matt Gill for a while. They had come down and gotten a house. Side note: As April and I were wandering Charleston with our friends the day before the game, we stopped in a bar called the Griffin. A tradition in the bar is to write a sentiment on a dollar bill and staple it to the wall. As we were sitting there, April saw a bill with “Rah Virginia Mil” and a VMI spider drawn on it. Turns out it was Matt LaBell that did that. After the game, we all went our separate ways to explore Charleston or retire to apartments/houses. At the ungodly hour of about 10 p.m., Brian, Vic, and Torch reached out to me to meet their group for a drink after they finished dinner at Husk, which is a great restaurant. Not kidding, I was getting in bed. I think there’s a famous quote that says there’s no greater brother rat love than a BR putting pants back on to go

meet other BRs for drinks. I’m glad I did it. Great being able to hang out even a little while longer. I appreciate the chance to meet up with them.

Also would mention something cool that happened to me at the game. I was over in the visitor stands, which was a sea of red, and somehow—and I honestly don’t remember how— saw an operations sergeant sitting right where I was standing. Turns out that Trygve Bloom ’27 is the Echo Company operations sergeant, and he has the same belt on that I wore way back in the day. I thought it was really cool and a great bonus moment on a trip that was full of great moments.

I’ll also mention that there was a deluge of pictures this month. I am turning in five for the Alumni Review, but I’m attaching more of the pictures to the email I’ll send you and the post on the class Facebook page.

Everything else with the Swinefords is well. No complaints as we keep on keeping on.

Thanks to everyone that sent in an update. If you’ve never sent one in, or you haven’t sent one in recently, please reach out to me. I’d love to hear how you’re doing and get a chance to catch up.

I hope all of you have a great holiday season and hope to see you soon.

’93, ’93, ’93.

1994

Brother Rats!

Here’s hoping you and your families had a super holiday season and that 2026 is off to a great start for you. The cold weather reminds me of the monumental snowball fights that would erupt from time to time in barracks. No quarter. No cadet was safe. Rats scurrying along the stoop railing while snow missiles launched from the third stoop went whizzing by their heads. The roar of the Corps when a direct hit was made. Those few poor rats who went to class with snowball remnants in their ears. Lucky for us, ’93 had bad aim and couldn’t hit the broad side of Old Barracks.

First off, congratulations to the Class of ’94 for winning the Day of Giving challenge in November! Our class had more donor participants than

Class Notes

any other VMI class! Best class in barracks, as always. Thanks to the 81 BRs who stepped up and gave a little back to VMI!

Fall saw some good BR get-togethers in Lexington. Jason Cincilla shared a great update from the Samford game tailgate, which included Matt Ankrum, Dyke Taylor, Jim Hewitt, Ty Johnson, Mark Hannon, John Campbell, and Cory McCallum. That’s a motley crew, and I don’t mean Dr. Feelgood. I would have loved to have been there to see Dyke and Jim in an arm-wrestling competition like in the old days.

Frank Boehling attests to Ty Johnson’s commitment to the Big Red football program, having seen him at numerous road games, including the U.S. Naval Academy and The Citadel. Frank’s son, Leo Boehling ’28, had some good carries out of the backfield during the season, even if the wins were hard to come by. But Frank knows that when our ends are so crippled, to win seems in vain. Keep rooting, Frank and Ty. We’ll yet win the day!

Danny Felty is doing great things for his patients at Precision Health in Richmond, while his son, Eli, is in his freshman year at William & Mary and is tearing up the links with the golf team. All is good with the Feltys, and Danny still looks like he did the day we graduated, so he’s doing something right.

I had a chance to visit Joe and Tonya Casey in Virginia Beach recently. The Caseys are finishing a long renovation project on their house, and the new look is fantastic. Tonya has made some amazing design upgrades, and Joe has a special, deluxe closet for his gun safe that would make any real man jealous. Looking forward to several parties at the Casey “Surf ’n Turf” beach home 2.0.

In a strange place called Chapel Hill, Charles and Kristi Downs and Stu and Paula Copenhaver met up to enjoy a football game between UNC and UVA in October. Stu and Paula’s daughter, Georgia, is a senior at Carolina, while Arthur Downs is a sophomore at UVA. Charles and Kristi just shipped off their other son, Chas Downs ’25, for his first duty assignment with the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii. Charles gave him his “Don Ho’s Greatest Hits” cassette as a parting gift. (“Tiny Bubbles” was always Charles’ favorite cadence. He still sings it on his morning walks.)

Phill Starling sent a great update, stating, “I attended the VMI-USNA football game with my brother, Mike Starling ’92. I ran into Rob Brumley, who was there with his family. Rob is doing well with his work in the field of satellite-based internet. Really interesting stuff! I also ran into Steve Kavanaugh and his wife, Michelle. Steve and I were the only German majors in our class (jawohl!). He was rapidly approaching his date of

retirement from the Army, which will have come and gone by the time these notes were printed. Tanya and I are still in Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside of D.C. Happy that I’m not too far away from my brother, who lived down in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Was thrilled to discover that Scott Cole moved in right down the street from Mike last year. I saw him earlier this year, and we visited Paul Whitmore, who was volunteering at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center. They were both my roommates at different times at VMI.” Good stuff, Phill. Thanks for checking in!

Some excitement from Ro Browning as he volunteered with the living nativity at Grace & St. Paul’s on West 71st Street in Manhattan. He was a shepherd. Nice, Ro; nice.

Todd Witt is surviving Northern Virginia up in Waterford. His son, Dominic, is cruising through the Rat Line. The Witts look forward to migrating away from NOVA when Dominic’s future whereabouts are determined. Todd caught up with John Campbell and Garrett Hedges at a home football game, but Todd didn’t cheer loud enough, so the loss is on him and him alone.

Alex Morgan made some cool news. Alex was recently mentioned and quoted in a national scientific magazine, Chemical & Engineering News, for his research on chemicals in fire retardants and the efforts to make them safer. Perhaps it’s not surprising, considering that a couple of our Hotel Company BRs almost burned down barracks once or twice (they will remain nameless.) Axl is also a new board member for the VMI Research Laboratories and will be helping VMI grow its funded research for cadets and faculty. Nicely done!

You all may want to sit down for this one. I received an update from Chris Coolidge! And boy, did Cool deliver. Here’s what he says, starting with an update on his kids: “Brodie (23) graduated from UAB in 2023 with a degree in criminal justice and was hired as a deputy here in our home county. The kid is a beast and loves the job. He fancies himself to be part Buford T. Justice and part John Wick. In his spare time, he is an E-5 in the 214 MP Company, Army National Guard. He went on a European vacation with them, starting on Father’s Day, and will be back here in Bama in April. Wyatt (19) is a sophomore at UAB and is a kinesiology major with a concentration in sports physiology and performance. He says he picked that concentration because he doesn’t have to take physics and other science classes he has no interest in because they won’t assist him in his mission of getting shredded. Ella (16) is a sophomore in high school and, without a doubt, my favorite child. She gets what she wants because she is my girl. I had the pleasure of having K-Dawg (Maxwell Kelly

Class Notes

Bulloch) come down to the house a few weekends ago and spend the night with me and kids. He had to be in South Alabama the next morning for some land sale business and decided to come and hang out. We had a great time and watched some football, talked a bunch of smack about how awesome we were to my kids, had some bourbon, and a bunch of laughs. He’s killing the land sales business, running his farm, and is apparently the

best grandfather around. Not surprising at all. And here’s a quick rundown of the other BRs I have heard from lately: John Cunningham, aka Hammer: We stay in touch regularly via text and a quarterly conversation. He and the girls are thriving. He’s the president of some company that does something important. He does some bow hunting, enjoys foraging for mushrooms of various sorts, and raising farm animals. Addison Field, aka Fudd: He’s still up in Alaska and is the chief curator for the state museum system. In his free time, he enjoys dogsled racing, igloo building competitions, snowshoeing races, and handcarving his own totem poles. Kit Badger has been living in Lakewood, Colorado, for a very long time and uses his engineering degree for some engineering stuff. He has been a city councilman, ran for mayor twice, and volunteers to be a judge at all local BBQ competitions because he says, ‘free food is good food.’ Checks out. Also, big shout-outs to Chris Doyle, Mark Cameron, John Campbell, Charlie Evans, Rusty Stein, Jake Stenner, Rob Coleman, and Matt Losquadro for always keeping in touch. Always great to hear from these dudes and any other BRs. As for me ... been at AT&T for 20 years now. Mostly on the national staff based out of the HQ in Dallas in various roles in construction and engineering and now working supply chain/contracts. Other than that, I work out, hang with my kids [and] my two hounds, and spend the rest of my time just hanging out being a dude. Pretty sweet.” Amazing update, Cool! I knew you had it in you (along with some other stuff you should see a doctor about.)

Steve Kavanaugh recently retired after just over 36 years in uniform. His last assignment was on the Army Staff G-3/5/7 since July 2020. Steve and his wife are remaining up in the Northern Virginia area for the near term. Steve was quite possibly our last classmate on active duty, so congratulations, Steve, on your long, successful career, and thanks for serving the nation for almost four decades! Steve was also able to catch up with Jason Shinn and honorary BR Sgt. Maj. Al Hockaday (HBR) at a black-tie gala at the Virginia War Memorial to celebrate the opening of a new art exhibit featuring the work of Mike Solovey ’96

We all wish the best for BR Bill Stegemerten and his wife, Renee, who was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness requiring their family to relocate from Germany to Maryland. We need to send Bill, Renee, and their four children all the ’94 thoughts and prayers that we can. Stege, lean on your BRs if need be.

Last month, I sent out a completely unscientific

and rather pointless survey to see how our class remembered their time at VMI, now 31 years removed. The results were illuminating. What did we learn? Old Barracks reigned supreme. Maj. Stevens was the preferred TAC officer (narrowly beating out MOPOD). The worst thing about Crozet was the arm-stirred Kool-Aid. Washington and Lee was the least inviting place for Keydets. The scariest RDC member was indeed Chris Smith ’91. (I voted for BR Dustin Devore, even when he was a rat with us.) Our Breakout beat out Ring Figure for best VMI moment, and in a landslide, BRs want to see Aaron “Mud” Michael on a milk carton so we can finally locate him. Mud, send us proof of life, buddy. Thanks to the many BRs who spent the 5 minutes of their life on this survey that they will never get back. I was thinking about the best way to wrap up the winter edition notes, and thought that maybe the best way was to harken back to our least favorite season at the “I,” and to wax poetic about the drudgery of …

The Dark Ages ’94

Shivering at BRC, in a sleep-drunk daze, House Mountain wrapped in a cold, gray haze. Like winter zombies, we shuffle down to Crozet,

A miserable start to a miserable day.

My woolies itch. They smell like butt.

The zipper on my duty jacket won’t zip shut. Trudge through the slush to a class that I hate, Just to stare out the window and dream of spring break.

But this will drag on and on, these days of winter sorrow,

And the only thing certain is, it will be worse tomorrow.

On to spring, BRs! The leaves will return (and we will still be rats). Best wishes to you and your families! Keep in touch!

“Red, White, and Yellow Floats on High ...”

Clay

Class Notes

been sifting through the emails, texts, and carrier pigeon messages you’ve sent my way, piecing together a tapestry of triumphs, near-misses, and the occasional face-plant that keeps life interesting. This quarter has been packed with VMI-flavored adventures, from formal dinners to gridiron heartbreaks, and even a few entrepreneurial plugs that remind us we’re not getting any younger. I’ll try to keep this short, because who doesn’t love a novella-length alumni update? For those of us who got degrees you don’t use from NEB, a novella is a story that is shorter than a novel but longer than a short story. Let’s dive in, shall we?

First up, I received some great updates from the annual Institute Society Dinner Nov. 7 at our beloved alma mater in Lexington. It’s VMI’s way of saying, “Hey, remember us? We’re still here, and we’d love your continued support ... and by support, we mean checks.” But in all seriousness, this event has evolved into a stealth reunion for many of us ’95-ers. It’s an excuse to return to post for a night of nostalgia and cocktails. This year was no exception. The barracks looked as imposing as ever under the autumn lights, and the air was thick with the scent of tradition.

What makes this dinner so special is the way it bridges the gap between our cadet days and now. It’s a chance to catch up without the pressure of a full-blown reunion—no awkward “what have you been up to?” marathons, just quick hits of life updates amid the clinking of silverware. And let’s not forget the speakers—always inspiring, always reminding us why VMI shaped us into the marginally functional adults we are today. I was told that this year’s program highlighted some recent Institute initiatives, like expansions to the leadership programs, which I heard prompted a few sarcastic eye rolls from the table. All in all, it is a fantastic way to recharge the VMI batteries and 1995

Greetings, Brother Rats!

It’s that time again—time to dust off the old shako, pour a stiff drink (or in my case, a lukewarm coffee, since I’m doing this at 0620 on a Sunday), and reflect on the latest escapades of our illustrious Class of ’95. As your ever-vigilant class scribe, I’ve

see faces that haven’t changed a bit (OK, maybe a few more gray hairs and wrinkles). If you missed it, mark your calendars for next year—it’s the perfect antidote to adulting.

Shifting gears to the gridiron, the VMI versus The Citadel game down in Charleston, South Carolina, this year was ... well, let’s call it a character-building experience. For those who didn’t catch it (or chose to repress the memory), we Keydets had a commanding lead heading into the fourth quarter, only to watch it evaporate in a fashion that can only be described as humiliating. Let’s just say the Ashley River Vocational School walked away with the bragging rights, and we were left pondering what might have been. Disappointing? Absolutely. But in true VMI spirit, we press on— after all, if we could survive open toilet stalls, we can handle a football fiasco.

Class Notes

a couple of his prints, as well. The event was a fitting tribute, with Brad Moses and a host of others in attendance, mingling amid the exhibits. Rick sent me a photo of himself with Sgt. Maj. Al Hockaday (HBR ’94) and just looking at it transported me back to the courtyard: I could practically hear Sergeant Major’s booming voice echoing, “You there! Ball playa!” It’s one of those VMI voices that sticks with you. Events like this remind us of the broader impact our community has—art, bourbon, and all.

That said, the real victory of the weekend wasn’t on the field; it was off it, with so many of our class descending on Charleston. While I regrettably couldn’t make it—priorities, you know, but the reports and photos flooding my inbox painted a picture of pure brother rat bonding. Kurt Polk, ever the gracious host, opened up his home for a pre- or post-game BBQ (timelines get fuzzy with these things), catered by the legendary Home Team BBQ. From what I’ve heard, the chow was excellent as always, and the beverages ... well, let’s just say they flowed freely.

As evidenced by this, things apparently got a tad rowdy as the night progressed—nothing scandalous, of course, just the kind of high-spirited revelry that reminds us we’re still young at heart (if not in liver function). I received a slew of photos that had me chuckling from afar. But the pièce de résistance was the snapshot of a group of our finest, including Matt Russell and Ricky Blaylock, hooked up to IV drips like they were being prepped for surgery. Ah, the modern miracle of hydration therapy. It warms the heart to see so many BRs still treating their bodies like temples—ancient, weathered temples that require intravenous vitamins to stay upright. I laughed seeing the picture of Ricky flashing that trademark grin that says, “Worth it.” If that’s not a testament to enduring friendships, I don’t know what is. For those who attended, a tip of the cap on turning a gridiron gut-punch into a weekend win ... proof that we’re still at it, one saline bag at a time.

On a more spirited note (pun fully intended), our own Rick Franco continues to conquer the bourbon world with his Four Branches Bourbon.

The man’s on a mission, peddling his liquid gold across the country. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to spot a bottle on the shelf at my local liquor store, which I visit only every once in a great while, usually when the in-laws are coming over, and I need reinforcements. Sarcasm aside, it’s impressive to see Rick working so hard on building an empire one sip at a time. Rick’s passion for honoring military service through his brand is commendable, and if the reviews are any indication, it’s smoother than a well-lubed rifle. Yeah, lubed.

Rick reached out recently to share details from a reception he attended at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, honoring Col. Mike “Spike” Solovey ’96 for his incredible artwork contributions to the military community over the years. Spike’s pieces capture the essence of service with a talent that’s downright enviable—I’ve got

Speaking of VMI luminaries on the move, Lt. Gen. Furness ’87 made his way down to Houston recently, ostensibly to “meet with” alumni in the area—but we all know that’s code for a polite shakedown. Er, I mean, fostering connections and discussing ways to support the Institute. Ed Randall and Scott Southall were among those who turned out, braving the Texas heat (or whatever passes for fall down there) to hear the latest from Lexington. From the updates I got, it was a productive evening: Talks about upcoming VMI projects, a bit of schmoozing, and probably some Texas-sized cocktails to sew up some contributions. It’s great to see our class engaging with the brass; keeps the ties strong and the donations flowing. If you were there and have stories to share, hit me up—I’m always game for more fodder.

In what is becoming almost a tradition for our class notes, I get a quarterly “adventure” update from Dave Mitchell. He fired off a photo of himself and Brian Kellner enjoying the finer things at the Trump Winery just outside Charlottesville. Who knew Virginia’s hot, humid climate—better suited for growing mosquitoes than merlot— could produce wine? Because, spoiler alert, it’s not exactly the Loire Valley. But hey, in true Trump fashion, I’d imagine the Donald himself would declare it “the best wine, tremendous wine, everyone says it’s the greatest—believe me, nobody makes wine like this, these are huge reds!” Dave and Brian looked relaxed, likely debating the merits of Virginia vintages versus Strawberry Hill. It’s moments like these that remind us to savor the absurdities of life.

As the holidays barrel toward us like an unchecked rat who’s been let out, I’m looking forward to time with family and friends—turkey, trimmings, and the annual debate over whose inlaws are more annoying. But let’s be real: This season can be a mixed bag. For every joyful gathering, there might be someone feeling the

weight of loneliness. So, brother rats, let’s commit to staying connected. Drop a line, share a meme, or heaven forbid, pick up the phone. We’ve been through a lot together (literally, in some cases), so checking in is the least we can do. Keep those updates and photos coming—your stories fuel these notes, and honestly, they make my job a heck of a lot easier. Until next quarter, stay strong, stay humorous, and stay in touch.

Class Notes

at VMI in September for the Cadet–Alumni Career Networking Forum. It was so great to meet up with Karl and Jennifer and learn that they are both retired CIA agents now living in Montana, and Karl is an entrepreneur running a successful technology business. We also got to meet his daughter, Kira Renne ’26+3, who is currently a

Brother Rats,

Our 30th Reunion planning is in full swing, and we will have a fun weekend planned for all April 24–25, with some prereunion events on that Wednesday and Thursday if you can come in early. Our goal is to always have as many brother rats return for these reunions, as it is such a great time to reconnect. Please try to make it if you can.

This fall has been fun as I was able to return to VMI a couple of times and run into some BRs in the process. Paul Dickinson, Nick Latsios, and I met up with Karl Renne and his lovely wife, Jennifer,

rat at VMI. She is a mechanical engineer major in the NROTC program with hopes of becoming a Naval aviator. Kira is an impressive cadet. I had the pleasure of meeting up with Karl, Jennifer, Kira, and their younger daughter, Eve, at Parents Weekend at VMI. I had breakfast with Karl, and he is really focused on reconnecting with us all, so if you are at VMI for any events, please let Karl know, as he may be there as well, visiting with his daughter.

On Parents Weekend, I also ran into Matt Howell and his lovely wife, Astrid. Matt was very proud to say that his son, Cole Gregory Howell ’26+3, is a rat at VMI this year. He is studying international studies and looking at an Army commission or other agencies. Matt said that Cole is really enjoying the Rat Line and is totally locked into the experience.

Paul Dickinson also made another trip back to VMI in November for the Institute Society Dinner held at VMI’s Center for Leadership and Ethics. Paul was able to meet up and dine with BRs Doug Bartlett, Chris Gorman, Jamie Yoxheimer, Cliff Weddington, and Russ Moore. Paul said it was a great time reconnecting with alumni and hearing about the direction of the “I.”

This summer, I met up with Jim Warf, who was vacationing with his three sons in Naples, Florida. Jim and his boys had an amazing time fishing and hanging at the beach. Jim told me that above and beyond his regular job as a senior defense analyst, he has gotten into some generous work over the past few years. Jim has been donating his long gray back and chest hair every spring and fall to a Southern charitable organization called Project Possum Pelt, which provides replacement hair for rescued possums who are afflicted with mange. Jim is proud to be continually supporting this effort to help these mange-ridden marsupials get their swagger back, one tuft of donated back and chest hair at a time.

I wanted to provide a brief update that our Jamie Edge Spirit Scholarship that so many of you support continues to grow stronger, and the newest recipient, Cadet Robert Frost ’28, was identified this fall. He sent me a letter that I would like to share. “My name is Rob Frost, and I am the Class of 2028’s recipient of the Captain James Edge Spirit Scholarship. First of all, I would like to express how grateful and honored I am to have been awarded such a prestigious scholarship that represents such a remarkable man. From just the few stories I have heard about, Captain Edge’s time here at VMI and his service in the

Marine Corps, it is clear that he was a man of strong moral character, an extraordinary leader of men, and someone whose example I strive to follow. I look forward to learning more about Captain Edge’s service, sacrifice, and inspirational leadership as I meet more members of the Class of 1996. Thank you, Class of 1996, for this incredible honor and entrusting me with this scholarship. Most importantly, thank you, Captain Edge for making the ultimate sacrifice in protecting the freedom, rights, and way of life of every American.” Paul, Nick, and I met Cadet Frost in September, and he was a very impressive young man. We will congratulate him at our mini reunion weekend Feb. 7. I hope many of you can make it and meet him.

Class Notes

On Nov. 8, our own Col. Michael “Spike” Solovey was honored with an art showing of his military fine art at the Virginia War Memorial, with a black-tie gala to raise money for the Army Special Operations Association and the Virginia War Memorial. In attendance were members of the Class of 1993 and many members of our mighty Class of 1996. The event also included VMI cadets and the VMI honor guard, retired Sgt. Maj. Al Hockaday (HBR ’94), and our infamous RDC president when we were rats, Brig. Gen. Rhett Cox ’93. What an amazing show of Spike’s original artwork that spans 30 years, to include the reveal of his latest piece of art to commemorate the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army and the return of his very first commercial piece of artwork. Following the gala, all our brother rats in attendance met up at the Jefferson Hotel to finish out the night with some cocktails, storytelling, and a birthday cake for Doug Bartlett. Thank you, Eli Wahesh!

I am always interested in great BR vacation stories, and Vern Wilkens delivered on a unique trip he took this fall to indulge his obsession with crab cakes. Vern cashed in some Verncoin and headed on a crab pilgrimage to Margate, United Kingdom, to visit the world’s only crab museum. Wearing an old gym dyke shirt and shorts, Vern ran through the museum shouting this was his Graceland. Later, Vern took a small cooler of frozen crabcakes, Old Bay, and Natty Bo, and set up a rogue crab boil in the parking lot, which the museum curator did not appreciate. After delivering some Vern attitude, he was locked up in a pen of live crabs but was able to escape using his Baltimore charm on some of the volunteer museum workers and a promise that they could

visit the U.S. anytime, and Vern would set them up with some free sessions at his Woolie Wilkens Cold Spa in Dundalk, Maryland. Sounds like it was a wild trip, and fortunately, no crabs were harmed during his visit.

Finally, Jon Sherrod had his annual lakeside barbecue at the end of the summer, which is always a fun event, and I was glad to see some brother rats made it. There is nothing like seeing big Jon chopping up a bunch of pork with an apron on. Jon puts on quite a feast and party.

Jon and Nick

1997

David M. Hudock

Gentlemen of the Old Corps!

Hopefully, this finds everyone well, not in a post-holiday coma, and fully recovered from post-government shutdown blues and inconveniences. Had I been more motivated, I would have utilized one of the 43 days of my unplanned, unpaid vacation to prepare these notes, but as our class well knows, “if we wait until the last minute, it only takes a minute,” so I am bringing this missive to life on its due date while happily juggling a full work schedule. For those affected in some way by the shutdown, whether you found yourself at home catching up on every honey-do-list item from the past 5 years or you were stranded at an airport somewhere, you were not alone, and I am

happy for all of us that things are (mostly) back to normal.

Speaking of being stranded in airports, a couple of our BRs managed to not get stuck in the vortex of airline shutdown chaos and found themselves on the same flight between Huntsville, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia. It just so happens that O.J. Johnson was at the controls of the flight, and one of his passengers was Mark Turner on his way to Atlanta. Mark readily vouched for O.J.’s flying skills and noted that even his landing was smooth. It seems not only does O.J.’s pilot’s cap clearly indicate he’s in charge, it also provides him some mad piloting skills (see photo)! Mark lives in Huntsville and shared with O.J. that Brother Rat Joe Steele is also in Huntsville pastoring Westminster Presbyterian Church. What a great coincidental meeting! Thanks for sharing, Mark and O.J., and keeping the skies friendly.

In other life-changing news, Brother Rat Tony Spevak surprised me with wedding news! In the middle of September, Spev married his girlfriend, Adrienne, at a small ceremony in Northern Virginia. In attendance was Spev’s roommate, Win Gaulding. See accompanying photos of the happy newlyweds with Win. Also note that Spev did not stray far away from his

Class of 1997: Mark Turner

unexpectedly found himself on one of O.J. Johnson’s recent flights between Atlanta, Georgia, and Huntsville, Alabama, where Mark lives.

1998

Joey Bates

Marine Corps roots and cut his cake with a K-bar; if that’s not motivating, I don’t know what is. Solid move, Spev! Congratulations on getting married and welcome, Adrienne, to the 1997 family! We look forward to meeting you and embarrassing Tony at a future reunion as soon as possible. Semper!

That’s it for class news this autumn, gentlemen! My best to each of you for short Dark Ages this winter, a warm and happy spring, and much success in 2026! I look forward to hearing from and seeing you soon. RVM!

Happy Founders Day from the grand city of Lexington! I hope that this message finds you well in 2026 and that the holidays were great. I am sending these notes in a week early, as I will be on my annual whitetail rut pilgrimage to Ohio when they are due!

I had a couple of late submissions from last time that were kicked out because I updated my notes after the official deadline (I never even knew they checked that closely). I am glad that they were, because I did not receive much this time.

August was full of moments and good times for the Bates family, and I was finally able to take my son, Cole, to Alaska on a fishing trip with a friend of mine from work and his son. We have been fortunate to go to Alaska/ Canada for most of the last 10 years and finally accomplished this goal when the boys were both able to go and experience it. Such great memories! The expense of a second freezer in the basement and 190 pounds of filets to eat is an added plus!

Matriculation was a very different experience for me and the family, as well, as we went into barracks and watched the rats meet cadre. Although I participated in meeting cadre every year at the “I,” it was the first time that I was able to stand above and witness it—which was

fun and still gives me chills. I was able to catch up quickly with Jason Doucette, John Gonzales, and Trevors Clemons at matriculation. Jason’s son, Dane, is a new member of the Rat Mass of ’26+3, and I was able to video him meeting cadre from directly above, while Jason and crew stood directly across the courtyard on the stoop and were able to make eye contact with him, but I did not see a laugh! Jason says that they managed to get through the entire weekend in Lexington without a single family picture that was not backlit by the light for a submission. I tried to include the picture and the story in the last submission, but it was kicked out—sorry! Jason—congrats again, and if you or Dane need anything, then send me a text. Hope to see you soon!

I received this update courtesy of Christian from Bobby Heely: Bobby ran into Kwabena Gyimah at a dinner honoring San Diego service members. Kwabena is at Camp Pendleton serving in the role as installation commander. Bobby’s change of command was in early October, and he was looking forward to joining the family in NOLA. He also added that it was great catching up with K.G., although he said that he looks inferior in uniform standing next to him, to which I will disagree and admit that both of you guys are looking good and holding it down for us that are approaching 50! I hope you both are doing well and that your family is getting settled into your new assignment in NOLA, Bobby!

I had the pleasure of taking in a tailgate with John and Christian Craft recently, as well, and hope to meet a larger group this coming weekend for the Wofford game.

I heard from Paul Moosman via text, and we are working to coordinate a few beers here in Lexington with Brandon Bissell and Thierry LeMercier, which you would think is easy to do since we all live here, but life oddly has the ability to get in the way. Goal is to have a picture for the next submission!

The quickest way to reach me is via text or joeybates@hotmail.com, and my commitment to you is a response, along with working hard tirelessly to make sure that we all enjoy the trips to post in the years ahead.

Always busy here, but if you are in town— please hit me up for a beer.

I hope you are well, and when you read these notes in February 2026, that you take a few minutes to shoot me an email, Facebook messenger, or text message so that I have more to share, and if you are coming to town this fall/ winter/spring for any activities—then please give me a shout in advance ... Rah Virginia Mil! ’98, ’98, ’98.

Class Notes

1999

Jeff Golden

Greetings, Brother Rats, and Friends of the Class of 1999,

It is with great sadness that I start off this quarterly update with the news of the passing of our beloved BR Kenan Baluken. Kenan was someone who always had a smile on his face and seemed to have no enemies—only friends and admirers. Thank you to everyone who was able to make donations to the GoFundMe set up by Kenan’s daughter. When I looked through that list, it was amazing to see the support 1999 gave to Kenan’s daughter. If anyone is ever feeling alone, know that you are not—you have the entire support of this class behind you, and we will always be there for each other.

It is hard to move on from writing that update, other than to say that the Class of 1999 continues to gather, communicate, and support the Institute and support one another. On a recent trip to the “I,” I went to check on Shane Stille’s daughter, Ariana Stille ’26+3. She had hit her head during Rat Challenge and was in the Post Hospital with a concussion. It probably wasn’t allowed, but I wasn’t going to let a concussion keep that kid from seeing her “uncles,” so I dragged Patrick Henderson down to the hospital to say hello. To my credit, I struggled to remember where the Post Hospital was, but Patrick must have wormed out of a lot because he knew exactly where to go.

Ben Ashmore and Shane Stille met up in August on the night of matriculation and toasted their Keydet daughters. Ben’s daughter is now a 2nd Class cadet and seems to be making the most of her experience at the Institute! Ben provided a great picture, but since you all sent in so many wonderful photos, VMI limited me to five. I tried to include the larger group shots!

While on post, I had a great evening at the Institute Society Dinner, where I was able to spend the evening catching up with BRs Ben Kincaid, Jay Witt, Patrick Henderson, Max Chance, Dallas Clark, and Lee Rees. Lee’s son is a 2nd Class cadet at VMI and about to get his ring. Dallas Clark raved to the table about what a fine young man Lee and his wife have raised. The civil engineer in Max Chance immediately jumped in following those comments to try and hire Lee’s son, who is a

civil engineering major. Lee is doing amazing work at a fast-growing company, Axon, in their drone division.

Ben Kincaid is back stateside, living in the D.C. area after a long stretch overseas. Ben and his brother, Kennon Kincaid ’03, recently formed an endowment in their mom’s name— the Anne B. Kincaid Memorial Endowment at VMI—to support the VMI chaplain’s mission. After dropping off Ben at VMI, Ben and Kennon’s mom started VMI Mothers in Prayer—a grassroots network of moms committed to lifting up their cadets and the VMI community in daily intercession. What began in Anne’s living room in 1995 has grown into a multi-generational legacy, with mothers of current cadets and alumni still gathering throughout the year, including at Parents Weekend, to support VMI through prayer. The group is still active and thriving today. If you are able, you can direct any donations to VMI to the Anne B. Kincaid Memorial Endowment to help support its mission.

I was able to catch up on the Parade Ground with Kris Turpin and Andy Fuller. Kris seems to want his kids to go to VMI but didn’t seem hopeful. Those kids were fully decked out in VMI gear, so I’m optimistic there might be at least one other Turpin straining in the not-toodistant future. Andy’s son is doing well on the varsity football team in high school and, at the time of writing this, is making a playoff push. Daniel Payne was kind enough to reach out and check in. After not talking for 25 years until our 25th Reunion, Daniel made sure not to let another 25 years pass and checked in to let me know all is well with him and his lovely wife, McKenzie. Their eldest, Jack, started his first year at Liberty. The younger two are a senior in high school and a sixth-grader who are also doing well and are active in sports.

Brian Withers is officially retiring from the military Jan. 1, following 26 years of service between the Army and Air Force. His last assignment was at Robins AFB with the Inspector General Directorate. His family plans to stay local in Warner Robins, Georgia, following his retirement, while his two boys are in college. His oldest is a sophomore at Mercer University, and their youngest is a senior in high school who plans to attend Georgia Southern in the fall.

I got a great picture of Bill Steinbach and Van Carson following the two of them getting together for dinner in Norfolk, Virginia. As Bill said, “Brother rats hanging out 25 years after graduation—this is what it’s all about!”

Barry Williams dropped his son off at Davidson College for his freshman year. He is studying economics at the university. Barry’s daughter is a senior in high school and has committed to playing volleyball at the University of Tennessee next year.

I think it’s probably safe to say Barry’s daughter is more athletic than anyone in our class at this point. I suppose I’ll have to become a Tenn Vols volleyball fan now! Barry is currently the deputy director of the United States Army Acquisition Support Center located in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

I got a note from Japan with Jason Berg checking in. Jason is still living in Okinawa, Japan, and working in air defense in the Pacific for Anduril. He is also doing some teaching at a brewery called Dassai. Jason has had a very smooth and successful transition from the USMC. Life is good in Japan for Jason—happy for you, brother!

A very large group of VMI family gathered in Charleston, South Carolina, for the VMI versus

The Citadel football game. Chris Copenhaver said even though the game didn’t go our way, they had a fantastic time catching up and spending time together. Chris, along with Mike Kemp ’90, organized a variety of events that included BRs Patrick Meyer, John Wilcox, Scott Fontanelli, Ian Bobbit, and Brent Harms, along with fellow alumni from the Classes of ’87, ’90, and ’91. They had such a great time that they are already planning events for the next time VMI comes to Charleston in 2027.

VMI is getting good work out of Matthew Hart, who is representing the Class of 1999 well on post. Matthew sent in a picture after being able to meet up with Brad Wineman, Bill Gage, and Marshall Luck at a career and internship event on post.

Joel Christenson has also been doing great work on post. He recently sent a note to touch base, along with a picture. This summer, Joel supervised a cadet internship through the Adams Center and

Class of 2000 25th Reunion

worked with John Bolt (who also kindly checked in), assistant superintendent at the Normandy American Cemetery in France. Cadet Gracie Harlow ’27 conducted research at the National Archives on the lives and service of 12 U.S. personnel buried in the cemetery. At the end of the project, she delivered copies of her research files—accompanied by Joel and Houston Johnson, chair of the history department—and provided a briefing to John at the cemetery. Joel reports that it was a wonderful experience for all involved. Joel has also enjoyed reconnecting with our two other historian BRs—John and Brad Wineman—during his work at the Institute. They recently caught up again via Zoom. John Bolt shared that they will soon be moving into their new post in Cambridge, U.K., where he will serve as the next superintendent of the Cambridge American Cemetery.

John and Joel are already planning ways to support future cadet visits to learn about World War II history while visiting American cemeteries abroad. The Class of 1999 congratulates you on your promotion to superintendent and wishes you well in this very meaningful work.

Last but not least, Randy Brown was recently promoted to senior fleet manager with AmeriGas. Randy is also serving on the board of directors for the Virginia Propane Gas Association. Randy said the family is great and has a daughter graduating soon who will be pursuing a career in nursing. Randy’s son is in fifth grade and playing his first season of travel baseball. Randy’s traveling himself a bit for work and looking to connect with BRs along the way, so be on the lookout for a call from Randy when he visits a town near you!

On a personal note, I joined the empty-nester crowd after dropping my daughter off at the University of Miami. She’s off to a great start there—I’m a proud papa. I’ve been in Naples for 3 months now, and life here is wonderful. If any BRs are traveling here or the surrounding area, please let me know—I’d love to meet up.

In the Bonds,

Jeff Golden

2000

Chris Abbott

Class Notes

2001

Tony Gelormine

Rich Groen

The Class of 2000 had their 25th Reunion and are still recovering.

Editor’s Note: We did not receive notes for the Class of 2001.

2002

Salmaan Khawaja

Brother Rats,

I hope all this edition of the Review finds you and yours doing well! As I write these notes, fall is upon us in Richmond, and the family and I have enjoyed watching the leaves turn, and I am not missing woolies, for sure. I am very grateful to all of you who wrote me this time around—I think we may have set the record for most Reviews without any class note submissions, and I have many notes to share this time. Thank you!

Mark Mills moved to Lexington, Kentucky, in 2023 and is working for Fidelity Investments. He spends quite a bit of time traveling to West Virginia to spend time with his family and also spends time in Lexington, Virginia, with his girlfriend, Jamie, and her two boys, Fletcher and Cooper. Mark and Matt Hylton met up in Cincinnati, Ohio, this June to catch a Red Sox versus Reds baseball game there. Afterwards, they enjoyed drinks and dinner at the Haufrau Biergarten in Kentucky and caught up with each other. Matt is living in Dayton, Ohio, and working as a civilian for the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patt. Both of Matt’s children continue to play youth travel hockey, which Matt helps coach. Matt has also picked up playing ice hockey himself and has started playing in an adult beer league once a week.

Christian Collamore retired from the U.S. Air Force after 23.5 years of service to our nation. He has since moved to Las Vegas and is flying for an outfit there. His last trip on active duty was flying Secretary Hegseth on a trip to Southeast Asia. Christian met up with Gordon Powers and

Erik Vik, who have both retired from the Army and the Navy, respectively. Both Gordon and Erik are doing well and living the good life on Oahu in Honolulu. Gordon has started a consulting firm, and Erik continues to serve the United States as a government employee. Christian noted that he met up with Daniel Chung, who was on a road

trip when he stopped in Omaha, Nebraska, on Dan’s “Eat, Pray, Love Tour.”

Mark Grigsby’s wife, Cheri, wrote in to let me know that the Grisby family are doing well! They currently reside in Morgantown, West Virginia. Mark and Mike Bryant ’88 met up for the first time when their sons competed in the regional Drive, Chip, and Putt qualifier, which was held at Laurel Valley Golf Club at Ligonier, Pennsylvania, in September 2025. Their sons (Andrew Grigsby and Ashton Bryant) became fast friends during the qualifier, where both boys achieved top-three honors. Andrew Grisby won first place in the 12–13-year-old boys division to advance to the national finals. The finals will be held at the Augusta National Golf Club in April 2026. Good luck, Andrew! Perhaps Ashton and Andrew will both one day play golf for VMI?

Class Notes

national homebuilder. Bryan and his wife, Elizabeth, just celebrated their 1-year wedding anniversary. In attendance at the wedding were Frank Deere, Mark Stallard, and Robert (Jeremiah) Hendricks. Frank Deere is working with the Drug Enforcement Agency and is living in New Jersey. Frank’s daughter, Violet, is Bryan Rodriguez’s “adopted” niece, and the families stay close.

Lt. Col. John Leon achieved his 4th degree black belt in Taekwondo July 12, 2025. That is amazing, and he has worked over 30 years to achieve this massive goal, what with family moves, VMI, and active duty Army. John had taken his son to join a local school and got back into martial arts himself. A few weeks later, July 25, John took command of the 97th Chemical Battalion (Army Reserve) at McCully Barracks, Wackerheim, Germany.

He is the 2nd Battalion commander for this unit. He gets to enjoy weekend drilling Army Reserve in Europe. They are part of the only forwarddeployed reserve unit (the 7th Mission Support Command) in the Army.

Bryan Rodriguez was able to catch up with Alex and Audra Martin in Charleston, South Carolina, for the VMI/The Citadel game. Alex and Bryan work in the same industry, where Alex is the president for Lennar and is in charge of most of the Carolinas. Bryan is living outside of Baltimore in York, Pennsylvania. Bryan works for NVR—a

Thank you so much for all those who contributed notes and made me do some work this time around. I’d love to keep it up and hope that those who submitted notes this time inspire some others to send me some notes too in the future! I know our class has a tenuous relationship and history with the Institute, but our bonds as a class remain strong.

Again, I hope all is well with you and yours, and Rah Virginia Mil!

In the Spirit, Salmaan

2003

William “Bill” Talley V

BrotherRats, I asked, and y’all listened, thank you! I think I got the most submissions for this set of notes that I’ve ever gotten. Please keep it up, as it makes my jobeasier,andyouwon’tseeChaznearlyasmuch! Idohavetostartoffbymakingacorrectionforthe second set of notes in a row Apparently, I falsely accused Rick Reid of hanging out with Derek Brown,SteveNakazawa,andChazWagnerina photo caption the last set of notes. While I’ve not heard from Rick himself, I was advised that the personinthephotoisnotRickbutadoppelgänger of his. My bad, Rick! Well, it’s currently midNovember as I type these up. We just celebrated the 186th birthday of the Institute a few days ago, and Amie-Anne and I got to enjoy dinner with LaraandStuartChambersattheInstituteSociety Dinner, along with Melissa Krawiec ’01 and her husband at our table. It should be early February when these hit your mailbox. I hope that each one of you had a joyous holiday season and a happy NewYear.InadditiontocatchingupwithLaraand

Stuart, I’ve had the ability to catch up with Phil and Deborah Harris and their daughter, Kennedy, at a football game this fall. Kennedy was ready for ski season to get started, and I learned about Deb’s side gig, Mountain Dough Company. Check her out on Facebook, and if you’re ever at Snowshoe, West Virginia, you may be able to get some of the delicious cookies or cinnamon buns she makes. Lara and Stuart were in attendance, as well. Lara said she was in line at 0430 to get a spot on the Parade Ground for a big family tailgate. That’s far more dedication than I have, but it was quite a spread they had at the tailgate! Also at that game was a sizeable group from the Class of ’02, Keenan Entsminger ’02, Jackson Castleberry ’02, Adam Soller ’02, and Brian Francis ’02, to name a few. I also caught up with Kyle and Juli Haire and their boys, Taylor and Jack, at the first football game in September. Taylor is a senior in high school and has surpassed Kyle in size. Kyle has become very lackadaisical now that he’s retired from the Marines, and I had to step in and enforce some rules on the Parade Ground at our tailgate to which he was willing to turn a blind eye. Juli’s got her work cut out for her! I know Jason Annis got up for a game in November, and it seems like Patrick Gonzales did, as well, catching up with Jon Faff while on post. Speaking of Jon Faff, I caught up with him while at a game, and he continues to watch cadets with a steely glare and ensure that the standards are being upheld.

Steve Nakazawa tied the knot with Laura Massey Aug. 30 at Nationals Park in D.C. That was by far the most relaxed wedding I’ve ever attended! When I asked Steve what I should wear, he said “whatever you’d wear to a ballgame.” It

Class Notes

was a beautiful day as we watched the Nationals take on the Rays after the ceremony. In attendance was Greg Sphunder (he’s looking more like Justin Vorrasi these days), Sungmin Kim, Chris Mision, David Burdette, Colin McElroy, Derek Brown, Chaz Wagner, Nichole Kramer, Jason Boatright, Marco Midence, and Kelly Sullivan ’01. The food was great, the fellowship was even better, the mini bat arch was executed to perfection, and Laura looked absolutely beautiful. Steve looked pretty dapper himself. Chaz Wagner was really busy that day as he caught up with Juan Carlos Sanchez at the VMI/Navy tailgate before he came over to the wedding.

Martin Wasielewski checked in, sharing that he and his wife (Liana) just had their sixth child this past Thursday (Aug. 14, 2025). Martin and Liana have children Erin, Grady, Elam, Abram, Salem, and Ovian, and they range from 13-newborn. They are living in Wilmington, North Carolina. After graduation, Martin went to Villanova for grad school. He and Liana have been married since 2009. Martin had a career working in the community with folks with mental health and substance abuse concerns for a very long time. He has been able to take a step back from fulltime work and now can be more available for his family. He’s been doing some gig work and still volunteers at a couple of churches to help run two faith-based recovery meetings. He reports that having six kids is a huge commitment—I believe it—and he feels very blessed to be there for his kids and watch them grow up. That is truly a blessing! Catching up with Erik Figueroa—he retired from the Navy last May after 20 years of service and is now working with Naval Systems Management Activity in D.C. His wife, Marcy, continues to serve on active duty (Navy) as an engineering duty officer at the Washington Navy Yard. The family is doing well after PCS-ing from Hawaii last year. This September, Erik, Marcy, and their son, Alexander, took part in the 20-mile D.C. Bike Ride, with Alexander completing his first full 20 miles. Lars Wagner checked in with the following: Will Belmont and I met up in Western Colorado in late September to archery hunt for elk and ended up with a nice bull, which I arrowed on the first day. Will sprained his ankle under a 100-pound load while packing the elk off the mountain but refused to go on the gimp for the rest of the week.

Jared Swanson sent me an update from Band Company reporting the following. Band has been busy getting married and making career changes: Steve Nakazawa got married at Nationals Park in August. They honeymooned in Bermuda. Greg Shpunder is getting married in April and PCS’ing

to Fort Carson, Colorado. Brian Sinkule took command of the munitions squadron at Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands. Jordan Fox became the XO of NR CUSNC/C5F N2 - Reserve Navcent/ Fifth Fleet Intel Unit. Adam Monteleone is working with Liz Davis at Centcom in Tampa. Sam Lagrone just returned to Richmond after a reporting trip to Taiwan and Okinawa and Jordan. Curtis Nieboer is enjoying his retirement from the Navy and working on his Ph.D. in Cambridge.

Lastly, Pat Szvetitz checked in, reporting a few major milestones that had occurred for him in the last year. Pat graduated from the U.S. Army War College, was promoted to colonel, and he and his wife, Lauren, celebrated their 20-year anniversary with a trip to Austria. Pat and Lauren are in Raleigh, North Carolina, with their four kids.

Well, BRs, that’s all for this set of notes. Thank you again to everyone that sent me updates and photos; it’s truly appreciated. Let’s keep it going, so send me your updates and photos via email or text! Until next time, Rah Virginia Mil, ’03, ’03, ’03!

Class Notes

Scott E. Campbell

Mike Gregory and his family were at Universal Studios in Florida in October and ran into Lakin Board and his family. Lakin is doing well and “taking time off from flying the skies to escape the mummy and help the autobots defeat the decepticons.”

Mike also ran into Derik Screen and his family at a recent Charlotte Hornets game. Derik was also doing well, though the same couldn’t be said for the Hornets that night.

Jim Bean writes, “On Nov. 8, Sami and I attended a Military Fine Art Charity Gala at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, hosted by Col. Michael Solovey ’96, who has his art on display there through May 2026. The event raised around $35,000 for the Army Special Operations Association and some other good causes. Besides seeing the art and the artist, it was great to catch up with Sgt. Maj. Al Hockaday (HBR ’94), one of the guest speakers at the event.

After two delayed flights back to Kansas, we were able to attend a Founders Day gathering in Leavenworth Nov. 10. In a funny six degrees of separation moment, Nathan McCall ’07 was at the event; he is actually the nephew rat of my wife’s brother, Bryan Gould

Jeff Donahue got married earlier this year after retiring from CENTCOM. He and his wife, Caroline, are expecting a baby girl! They had a pretty cool gender reveal, too.

Frank Toomey is working in the Pentagon at the

HQDA DCS G-3/5/7 and should be in the “puzzle palace” for 2 more years.

Rich Groen ’01 is currently serving as the Department of Army Tactics director for CGSC here at Fort Leavenworth. We were able to link up this summer, but due to travel, we haven’t been able to again yet. John McGrady ’01 is teaching in the Department of Joint, Interagency, and Multinational Operations, but we haven’t had a chance to link up yet.

I’m still keeping up with Col. Adam Woytowich ’01 and Col. Jason Quash on MS Teams. Adam is still the ARSOF Division Chief at HRC on Fort Knox, while Jason is currently working as the INSCOM G33.

Dan Ayers and his wife, Carrie, are expecting their fourth baby girl. She is due Dec. 5. Their oldest, Madison, has been accepted into the nursing program at JMU. She is expected to graduate in spring 2027. Dan will be traveling to Las Vegas in early February to the AHR Expo.

Class Notes

back and forth to see his family in Washington, D.C. Nick Taran and his wife, Sam, have moved to the Washington, D.C. area. Nick ended his U.S. Army service recently and is now working for the federal government. Eric Kaltrider is in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and is still currently active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps. As for myself, I live in Virginia Beach and continue to work in wealth management for Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors (fiduciary firm).”

Congratulations are in order for Derek Rankin, who was promoted to Air Force colonel last August. A small ceremony was held with Derek’s friends and family at the home of his beloved Ravens, M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. BRs in attendance included VMI roommate Chris White, Josh Lyles, Ben King, Paul Bryan, and Tom Petykowski.

Greetings and Happy New Year, Brother Rats! I am hoping that everyone had another joyous and blessed holiday season. I know that most of us are still in the cold, dark throes of winter ... but if you squint, you’ll notice the days are starting to get longer, which means that spring will soon be here.

But as for now, on with the notes!

Tim Johnson recently accepted a new teaching position and relocated from Richmond to Charleston, South Carolina. Sounds like a pregame party at Tim’s house next time the Keydets are in town battling for the Silver Shako! In the meantime, if you’re in the area, make sure to drop him a line.

Andrew Stone checked in after catching up with a large contingent of BRs last summer: “Recently, a group of us attended the U.S. Navy retirement ceremony for Cmdr. Joe Pruce in Washington, D.C. Joe will officially be done with his duties in September 2025. He and his family have moved back to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, to plant some new roots and turn the page to the next chapter of their lives. Andrew Thom is still in the U.S. Navy and will be promoted to captain. He still plans on having time in the cockpit of the F/A-18 Hornet, but he is doing the arduous task of going through Nuclear School in Charleston, South Carolina, and traveling

Chris Perry also dropped a note after catching up with a crew of BRs and fellow alums: “Recently, I ran the Ocean Isle Half Marathon, and while running, I ran into Lucille (Stratton) Myers ’12 during the race. It was great catching up with her on the run. Also, while on a family trip to Hawaii, we were able to catch up with Sean Noll ’13 and Kate (Collins) Noll ’13 and their family. Lastly, I had the opportunity to catch up with John Casper ’04 (VMI chaplain), Titus Green, Chris Gilliland ’06, Jamaal Walton ’07 (VMI director of intercollegiate athletics), and Rick Goodwin ’08 at the VMI versus Navy football game.

Finally, I received a brief note from Matt Noreus. “It was great to see everyone at the reunion this spring. On our way back to D.C., Phil Sauls and I linked up with Rory Opanasets for supper and a few beers. He’s working as a D.A. civilian. We had a good time, and it was good to catch up. Retired Lt. Col. Irby ’85 came through Missoula earlier [last] summer and stopped for a visit. Now that he’s retired, he’s been taking full advantage of his newfound freedom by traveling more often and dropped in while he happened to be driving through the West.”

That’s all for now, BRs. It is really 2005

2006

Will Collier

such a joy to see that so many of you are staying in touch and continue to be a part of each other’s lives all these years post-graduation. Please keep those updates coming in, and as always, stay safe and be well.

Rah Virginia Mil!

Tom Hardinge

Brother Rats of the Most Outstanding Class of 2006, Kirk and Danielle Steiner reported the following: “We received the latest VMI Alumni Review and wanted to share an update. Kirk Steiner and his wife, Danielle, blended families in April 2024. It was a private ceremony with our parents and our children in Savannah, Georgia. We share three teenagers—Catherine, Kirk’s daughter, and Wolfgang and Otto, Danielle’s sons. We currently reside in a small neighborhood called Dilworth in Charlotte, North Carolina. Together, we enjoy hiking, camping, attending concerts, and crawling around in Ghillie suits playing Airsoft.”

Jed Tan shared that “I’m still in the Seattle metro area working in law enforcement. I was promoted to a command-level position this summer (picture attached). I’m blessed to be married to my wife, Carol, and have three boys, 11, 8, and 5. Looking forward to bringing the family to see the Institute in the spring for the 20th Reunion. I can’t believe it’s been that long! I spoke with Stu Miner on the phone recently. He is back in the Atlanta area and doing well. Wish I ran into more guys, but it’s slim pickings of VMI folks here in the Northwest. Holler if anyone is through my area!”

Rev. Jessica (Fulton) Lee emailed that “I am working on finishing my doctorate in theology and ministry in romantic theology at Northwind Theological Seminary. I went back to the ‘I’ in the spring at the invitation of Chaplain John Casper ’04 to be the guest speaker at the spring retreat. Otherwise, I am serving as the associate rector at Beach Church in Virginia Beach and working as the development assistant at the Virginia Beach SPCA. I was married in 2013 to my husband, Evan Lee, and we adopted our daughter in 2017. She is now 19 and making her way in the world.”

Colin Adams and I went to watch the Commanders lose to the Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Kansas City in October. Tony Cavalero has a lead role in a CBS comedy series, titled “DMV,” which comes on Monday nights. Lee Cook is living in Jensen Beach, Florida, and selling boats for the Pocket Yacht Company. Drew Neckman, his wife, Sari, and their three boys are living in Wichita, Kansas.

Kelly Sweppenhiser sent over the following update: “Class of 2006 ‘27s’ Will Collier (lacrosse) and Kelly Sweppenhiser (baseball)

connected at a dinner in Leesburg for Alumni Agencies Board of Directors members in October. The superintendent shared remarks which energized the group about his vision for the Institute. A few things that stuck with us were

Class Notes

incorporating outside military training for cadre, educating cadets on their personal responsibility to uphold— and constantly raise—the standard, and increasing engagement from our 71 alumni chapters to continue to drive more high-quality applicants. We’re at that age, BRs; it’s time to do our part. Reach out if you know it’s your time to start doing more for the Institute. The “27s” would be glad to help!” Swepp, his wife, Erica, my wife, Karen, and I sat together and caught up at the Institute Society Dinner in Lexington in early November. We had a great time. Kelly and I agree that it sure would be nice to see more ’06 folks at the dinner next year.

Our 20th Reunion will be April 23–26, 2026. Details will be provided via email. As always, please keep all the photos and updates coming.

Until next time!

Your BR, Will

2007

Laura (Hash) Chancellor

Whitney Matthews

Brother Rats,

Happy New Year! I hope that your 2026 is off to a happy and healthy start!

Tab Pinter and Mira Veis met up in Virginia while Tab was visiting family. Tab is doing well and traveling a lot for work. Mira continues her contracting work despite the shifting environment in D.C. with the current administration.

Stefan Dietrich writes that he is still a lieutenant colonel in the Alabama Air National Guard, flying the KC-135, in Birmingham, Alabama.

“While traveling to Pensacola to visit Alicia’s parents (her Dad, David, is a Navy vet), we were blessed to have a personal VIP tour of the Blue Angels practice and their squadron building. Two years ago, when Cmdr. Jack Keilty ’10, Blue Angel No. 2, made the team, my family was excited to have a VMI alum and one of our rats be a Blue Angel.

I didn’t know him at VMI, but just for the bonds and dyke line’s sake, I sent him an email to see if my family could come see a practice. Jack did not disappoint. He sent me his cell number and

coordinated for us to see a practice and visit the squadron. He took time away from his family after work to make sure it was special for my family, and we will forever be grateful. He was an amazing host. As a bonus, just because I had a VMI shirt on, I ran into two Marines on base, one from a class of the ’70s and one from ’18; I wish I could remember their names. The bonds are strong, and the fact that we can just contact another

Class Notes

VMI alumnus, with no other connections, and get such special treatment from them speaks to our special bond.”

Mike Peranski is still living in the Richmond area with his wife, Amber, their 6-year-old, Brady, and their 3-year-old, Kinsey. He’s coming up on 18 years with Henrico Police and is about to complete his first year as a special victims detective. He writes, “It has been quite the whirlwind with the new position but has been incredibly beneficial and fulfilling. I’m looking to take some further trainings in 2026 to pursue a step toward being a digital forensics examiner. Otherwise, I am just staying busy with numerous activities with the family and just looking forward to the beginning of the holiday season. Hope everyone is well. Rah Virginia Mil.”

In September, I traveled to VMI for the annual Cadet-Alumni Career Networking Forum. Wes

Haynes, Elise (Jones) Woodworth, and Jamaal Walton were also in attendance. We had a wonderful time speaking with cadets about life after VMI. Elise was one of the keynote speakers for the rats. Elise, Wes, and Jamaal are all doing well! In November, I traveled to Charleston, South Carolina, for the VMI versus The Citadel game. While the outcome was heartbreaking, VMI was well represented and loudly cheered on the football team. A few days later, I was in Washington, D.C., to meet the new superintendent at a luncheon. Ryan Young and Elise (Jones) Woodworth were also in attendance. It was good to see Ryan. He reports that life is going well for him, although life is busy.

May your 2026 be a successful year full of new adventures and more class notes!

In the Bonds, Whitney Matthews

In late September/early October, the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference was held in Chicago. Each year, this event gathers a large group of VMI alumni who typically gather for a breakfast. This year’s breakfast included alumni from the Classes of 1980, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2007, and 2008. Attendees included Phill Yi, Mark Miller ’07, and former VMI professor Charles Bott ’96.

At WaterJam 2025, held in Virginia Beach in early September, Phill Yi was awarded the Water

Environmental Federation Arthur Sidney Bedell Award for his extraordinary personal service to the Federation’s Member Association. Phill has held numerous positions, chaired conferences, and is a previous Outstanding Young Professional Award winner. Congrats on the honor, Phill!

This past summer, Jeremiah Sexton coached the Team Virginia 10U baseball team. They participated in the USSSA All-State National Tournament, held in Indianapolis. Jeremiah’s team included his son, Reid, as well as Ryan Corcoran’s son, Beau. Jeremiah led his team to a 6-0 record and won the national tournament. Congrats!

of 2008: Ryan

the

and his

Class of 2008: Alumni from the Classes of 1980, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2007, and 2008 have breakfast during WEFTEC 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

Bradley Simpson

Brother Rats:

I hope this edition of the Review finds you and your families well. I got a chance to talk to a good many of our class for this edition.

Holly Yoffe was in a small-town fair in Southbridge, Massachusetts, and had the pleasure of

meeting George Patton’s grandson, Robert Patton. He has opened a medical marijuana dispensary in the town and is heavily dedicated to veterans and his grandfather. Holly sent in a picture of her family and Robert.

Barrett Luxhoj and I caught up this goaround; he was able to get together with a bunch of our BRs. Earlier this season, a handful of our class made the trip to Annapolis to cheer on our football team against the Naval Academy. Please see the picture below for the class at the game. Barrett also was up at VMI to see and celebrate the Class of 2015’s 10th Reunion. Barrett’s brother, Will ’15, is the Class of ’15 vice president, as well. ’15 just so happens to be in our dyke line, so he was representing 2009 for all of us.

Well, that about does it for all the notes I got from this go-around. Please keep in touch and keep doing awesome things.

house for Thanksgiving, and everyone crashes there so all the kids can have a big sleepover that night, which they absolutely love.

For those of you who missed the reunion

David Messina

Chris Dommert

I hope this update finds everyone well, and hopefully, everyone had a fantastic Christmas/ holiday season. As I write this in November, I know I am really looking forward to spending time with family over both Thanksgiving and Christmas. We always get together at my sister’s

Class of 2010 15th Reunion

weekend, it was a heck of a time, and it was really good to see everyone who came out! We had our class dinner on Friday night at McKethan Park, which I think turned out really well! We had great weather for it, and it is wide open out there to let everyone’s kids run wild and have fun. Saturday morning, myself, C.J. Knight, Evan Farley, and Adam Aikens managed to get our three vehicles next to each other on the Parade Ground, which provided a great spot to tailgate during the day. Will Correll had stocked up on a ton of burgers, dogs, and brats to cook for everyone for lunch. We got a surprise Old Yell for our dykes’ class from none other than Jamaal Walton ’07. Learned that the current Rat Mass’ dyke’s class has been falling down on their job, as none of the rats understood what the command “get out” meant. VMI whooped up in football against Ferrum in the afternoon, followed by our Saturday night class dinner in Marshall Hall. Greg Fiasconaro managed to spark quite the conversation around barracks, apparently, when he and several others left 67 lemons on the Parade Ground. I heard a number of other stories of in-town shenanigans (apparently, the Sky Bar is the new hot spot in town?).

In other news—Paul Wojtas hit his 2025 fitness goals with losing over 100 pounds and getting back down under 200 pounds. (Heck yeah, dude! Super impressed with your resolve to get it done!) He headed to Japan to do his first-ever international travel and will be meeting up with Ried Stelly for his first few days there. He was also planning to meet up with Drew Horgan in Okinawa at some point and plans to have some pictures for us for the next class notes.

Speaking of Ried, he confirmed that not much has changed about the rat rooms and confirmed that the marks he’d left on room 402 are still present.

Charlie Barnett and his wife, Jamie, had their

Class Notes

first kiddo July 9 of this year, Ruby Ethel. Charlie and Jamie were able to bring Ruby with them for Saturday afternoon tailgating during the reunion. It was really great to see them and their adorable baby girl.

I had the opportunity in early October to head back to VMI for a career fair—was able to stay in Moody before they tear it down. It was really fun to have the opportunity to talk to cadets and explain to them some of what life is like outside of the “I” and hopefully help guide them toward making good career decisions. Saw a few other alumni that I recognized from my rugby days, notably Zach Tharp ’09 and Justin Tammelin ’09

That’s all for this quarter—until next time, cheers!

2011

BRs,

I hope everyone’s looking forward to our 15th Reunion this upcoming fall. Please let me know if you’d like to be part of the reunion committee or are interested in taking over as class agent.

This past November, while walking down the halls of ACC/A5, I bumped into Ted Clarkson ’82. Ted took me under his wing when I first joined Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas. It was great to see him and hear about his grandchildren and the continued work he’s doing to support the warfighter!

Jeremy Lucier got to meet up with Frank

Tontala in Richmond. Frank headed to the Congo to teach English, while Jeremy is hanging in Richmond and fishing a lot.

Matt Talbott, with his handicap of 27, won the four dudes 72 cups golf tournament this fall in Marble Falls, Texas ... and yes, I came in last place. Congrats to Matt at being the best of the worst golfers in Texas.

Lastly, our BR K.C. Cutler from Hotel Co. passed away this past November. He was an exemplary leader, serving as a field artillery officer in the U.S. Army, and a loving husband to his wife, Jackie. He will be greatly missed.

Rah,

Tom

2012

Bruce Howard

Brother Rats,

Not many updates on this edition. I did want to say congratulations, though, to Tyler Brown on his wedding this past October in Texas. Take care and until next time!

In the Bonds, Bruce

2013

Rob&AnnieMarieIncontro

Michael Scaplehorn

Class Notes

of 2013: Nick and Kelsey Richardson were married Oct. 25, 2025, at Copper Hills Elementary School in Fresno, California, where they met in third grade in 1999.

new year is off to a marvelous start!

This year is shaping up to be a great year for all of us. Looking back at 2025, we had one heck of a good year. Many of us started new families, new jobs, and new hobbies. Several of us grew our families, businesses, and professional interests. Lots of BRs got promotions! Lots of exciting stuff. If you just stop to think about it, 2025 was a hallmark year for many of us. And there’s lots more yet to happen!

So let’s get into the fun class notes and BR updates!

Eric Mayers is doing great things in Richmond! He just released a promo video for Chop Training. For the past year, he has been working with a small group of Braves players around the Richmond

Hey BRs, just a few updates as we close 2025. First up, Nick Richardson has another big life update: He got married! Nick and Kelsey got married at Copper Hills Elementary School, where they met in the third grade back in 1999, Oct. 25, 2025. Congratulations! Rhyne Seward and his wife, Abigail, are expecting a baby boy this coming April. Yet another future Keydet added to Class of 2013’s growing list of kids.

Greg Olson and his wife, MacKenzie, completed their open water scuba certifications up in the everso-warm waters off Seattle. You’ve come a long way!

Finally, Mike, Annie, and I are wishing you all the best in 2026!

2014

Johnny Partin

Samuel Guidry

BRs!

What a great year we had in 2025, and wow, 1 month down in 2026. I hope everyone is well rested after a wonderful holiday season, and your

Class Notes

area, showing them what they need to do to be successful at the highest level in baseball. He focused on nutrition, weightlifting, arm care and pitching, self-improvement, eye strength training, hitting, fielding, and catching instruction. Players are seeing between 8-12 mph of improvement. This is incredibly amazing, Eric! Keep making a difference in these players’ performance and making them the best of best!

At the beginning of September, Ben Kier ran into Phillip Kroke in Poland doing cool Army stuff. Phillip is a behavioral health specialist with the Army and is continuing to do great things.

On Sept. 6, Jonathan Reardon, Matthew Reardon, and I completed the Patriots Olympic Triathlon. Jonathan placed third in our age group, Matthew scored some great PRs, and I sustained a swimming injury (swam over a submerged boulder, then tripped over another boulder as I was coming out of the water). But the good news is, we all had a blast of a time.

Of course, the triathlon bug bit us again. The twins completed the Marsh Creek Triathlon Sept. 13, and then I completed another one Sept. 20 at Lake Anna. Then, the twins signed up for the Augusta 70.3 Ironman and absolutely crushed it Sept. 28. While they did that big race, I did a little ole 10K in Charles City County on the Capital Trail. Hahaha!! What can we say, we love to race. With the news focusing so much on the federal government shutdown and the elections, we cannot forget to highlight some great things that happened in October and November.

First, Daniel Oberlander was promoted to major. Congratulations and well-earned, Daniel! Second, Nick Longaker started up a scuba and diving club in Roanoke, Virginia. All experience levels are welcome, and there are monthly socials and meet-and-greets. Great job, Nick, for opening up this opportunity for locals in the Roanoke area.

Also, Sean Fish blew the Army Ten-Miler out of the water. He is on track to setting a PR this year with his next marathon race.

I took a fun cruise vacation through New England and Canada. Even though it was still pretty green, the scenery was still amazing. We visited Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, and Halifax (Nova Scotia). I can fully understand why so many millionaires and billionaires have “summer cottages” up there. The summer and fall weather are beautiful, and the views are iconic.

Well, I had a bad BR moment. I was in Boston and walked by Boston City Hall (even took a picture of the building). Later, it dawned on me that our BR, Will Thompson, works in Boston City Hall. I finally remembered when we were at the Tea Party Museum and sent him a message.

Definitely not one of my finest shining moments. Hahaha! But Will is doing well and continuing to excel in the big city. Don’t worry, Will, next time I am up North, I will do better on my planning.

Speaking of Will Thompson, he recently got married. Cheers to many wonderful years of marriage and congratulations.

The beginning of November was a time of celebration for the Edelbrock sisters. Flora Edelbrock celebrated her birthday and being 1 year cancer-free. Eva Edelbrock celebrated her doctor’s release to get back to triathlon training after some major medical procedures. They threw a joint party up in Centreville and had close to 50 folks come out for drinks, cupcakes, and fun. Which Flora wants everyone to know that I put my civil engineering degree to work and assembled the three-tier cupcakes racks. And ... I put all the icing on the cupcakes. Lol! I know, I know ... this wild and untamed BR is becoming too domesticated.

Just a friendly reminder, BRs, don’t forget Valentine’s Day. It is quickly approaching, and I don’t need y’all getting in trouble with your spouses.

Cheers to 2026 being our best year yet!

RVM!

Johnny P.

2015

HenryMeredith

Johnny McDonald

Keydets!

A big thank you to everyone who came out to our 10th Reunion. We had over half our class in attendance, and over 300 attendees, including family members. Incredible turnout! And I especially want to thank the folks who supported in pulling it all together—Johnny McDonald, Will Connerley, Will Luxhoj, T.J. Lighton, Frank Hargrove, Nick Maul, and Quinn Ellis

Pictures! If you want to look at the pictures from the reunion, I’ll link them here, and you can find the links in the Facebook group: vmialumniphotos.org/2025-Class-of-2015Dinner and vmialumniphotos.org/2025-FirstFall-Reunion.

Only one other note this go-around! Everyone

VMI Class of 2015 10th Reunion

Class Notes

must have gotten caught up back in September. Congrats to Nick and Michaela Dreybus on the birth of their second child, Luca. Glad to hear that everyone is happy and healthy! Be well, y’all.

Best, Henry

2016

MurphyKerner

HunterMorgan

Editor’s Note: We did not receive notes for the Class of 2016.

2017

Michael P. Griffin

These notes cover the period from Aug. 16–Nov. 15, 2025.

Hey, all! Fancy meeting you here! By my calculations, you are probably reading this somewhere around February ... but I have been wrong before. Let’s just cover all bases and say merry Christmas,

happy New Year, happy Valentine’s, maybe even happy St. Patrick’s Day! (Just in case things are running behind). Hey, this could have been a professional thing, but, well ... that’s what we get for hiring a liberal arts guy with poor time management skills! Ultimately, it’s not important, though; you’re here now and ready for another five-page slog about all your old college roommates and bro rats! So, stay tuned, folks, to learn the answers to those burning questions: Whatever happened to that one guy ...? Where are they now? Wait, who’s a parent in 2025?! When’s the reunion again? Who’d we get as a special guest feature for the issue this time? Why does Mike always write the notes like they should be an advertisement from 1967? For the answer to that last one, come to the 10th Reunion, and I’ll tell you! But here I am getting ahead of myself again. Why talk it up when we can just talk about it? So, with that absurdly long introduction, once more unto the breach, dear friends ...

We left off with Brandon White and Luke Phillips having a small lunch get-together in Richmond with multiple 2014 and 2018 VMI grads. Don’t remember who? I hope you can find that last issue of the Alumni Review then, because we simply don’t have enough space to go back over it again! Shortly after I got my last notes in to the Alumni Agencies, I found myself taking a 2-week break, beginning the normal cycle of procrastination that fuels this somewhat-abusive creative process. As I sat in my 85-degree dorm room at Al-Udeid, working on a myriad of extremely nerdy computerbased hobbies and listening to Van Halen (the Roth era, for anyone who’s a stickler), I got a surprise message from Mike Flury. Mike (I know, two Mikes having a conversation may get confusing to read, but bear with me) is up in D.C. now with his wife, Kayla. They are actually expecting their first child, a daughter, very soon! Mike and I chatted about work for a short while but he, like many of you all, is one of those secret squirrel types, so I got the PG version. Glad to hear all is well up there and looking forward to catching up again soon! Shu-Hao Yang messaged me around the same point to touch base and hear my thoughts on the new Fantastic Four movie. While I wasn’t a huge fan of the F.F. in this new incarnation (2005’s was definitely better), I was glad for a chance to chat with Mr. Caskey Yang By the way, his favorite version of the F.F. was also the 2005 version. Hey man, sometimes CGI fight scenes and Pedro Pascal just aren’t enough to save a sinking ship. Speaking of comics, ShuHao and I got to talking about the one I have been writing. It’s come along pretty well, and he seemed

to approve of the work! He and Elva bought a spot out in Taiwan and began construction on a condo. It may actually be done by this point! I’ll have to check in with him and see the progress. As we continued talking, he grew curious and asked what food was like in Qatar, but unfortunately, I didn’t have any pictures to share, as I don’t take pictures of my meals, but I did lament to him that the lack of bacon was somewhat challenging. They have beef-bacon, which is better than turkey-bacon, but ... turkey-bacon kind of sucks, so that isn’t a huge compliment. As always, love hearing from you, Yang! Keep in touch!

Regarding my communications to you all, or

maybe lack thereof, I had grand designs for the months of September, October, and November, but alas, I was derailed by one of the most abusive work periods of my life ... and yes, that includes last issue, when Iran decided to fling rocks into the yard. As a result, my touchpoints were somewhat limited, but now that I’m back in Kansas typing this all out, let’s see what we can do with it. I think I’ve done more with less ... Here goes! OK, so before I got a chance to catch up with any folks from ’17, I was privileged to talk with Justin Tammelin ’09. If you don’t know him, he works at VMI in Moody Hall. Perhaps somewhere else, actually, as I hear Moody Hall is being remodeled and the employees inside may be moving around the post to other offices for a short while. In any case, he brought me up to speed on the Alumni Agencies, outreach, and other vital positions that keep the Institute running. Turns out, he has a few positions he’s looking to fill in the coming months to years. While I was otherwise engaged (and still holding about another year of a service commitment on my record), I did want to pass along that if you or anyone you know is interested in positions at VMI, definitely give him/his team a call. The whole team is excellent and will give you some great information. Josh Butler was the next one to contact me. While it took me an obscenely long time to reply, it was great to hear from him. Turns out he got the birthday card I had sent on behalf of the Institute. Glad it made it! I’m actually looking at the pile of returned ones on my kitchen table now. Not horrible, all things considered, but yeesh, I have some work ahead of me. And VMI was kind enough to give me another large box to start prepping for next year, too. Anyway, back to Josh. He recently graduated from Cornell and took a job in San Francisco. Quite the adventure! Well, as long as you’re out there in California, see if you can reconnect with some of our Cali BRs. Pretty sure Emily Adams and maybe even Hamp Beddoes are still out there. I’m sure there’s a decent-sized community of ’17ers! Keep in touch, man, and send me that new address when you get a sec!

Pete McMahon surprised me with a message back in mid-September. He was attending a 9-week Army course on close quarters combat where he ran into Luke Philips! I’m not 100% sure if this was at his actual duty station or not, but Pete said he was at Fort Bragg, living the best life the Army allows. We even have a picture somewhere nearby ... let’s see if you can find it! A short while after that, I heard from Jack Hanks, who had gotten his birthday card in the mail. Unfortunately, his message came at the apex of closing up shop in Al Udeid, so I didn’t get back to him until ... well, today! Sorry, Jack, but I’m glad the card made it to

Class Notes

you! Next time, I won’t take so long to reply! Perhaps the biggest news this quarter ... Matt Johnson (the freakishly-tall India Company one for those who mix them all up) is now a father! He and his wife, Alyssa, welcomed their firstborn mere months ago! Young Logan Johnson was born in mid-September, just missing inclusion in the last issue of the Alumni Review. However, I am told he is itching to be a mainstay of this publication, and from all my reading of the X-Men, I’m not sure I have the ability to say no to anyone named Logan. He may well be the best at what he does ... man, I hope what he does is very nice. If you don’t understand that joke, please consult the nearby pictures for context clues. Congratulations to the Johnson family! This seems like a good place to sneak in the special guest appearance for this issue ... Steve Amato ’83 was kind enough to check in on me now that I’m back from Qatar. He had been stationed at Al Udeid before and was a huge boon to my time there, giving me some helpful inside information. Thanks for making sure I actually made it back! Looking forward to meeting in person one of these days! Not long after we chatted, Devon Kirk sent me a message. That was just a few weeks ago (as I write this, anyway). He was actually trying to get in touch with some of our extended VMI family. While we didn’t get a chance to really discuss the details, I was unable to provide the contact. My records are not yet complete, and this was a missing piece of the puzzle, unfortunately. So, this is the obligatory wag-the-finger moment ... everyone, please help me get your contact info updated! Sooner is better!

Cody Bottoms and I talked a fair bit over the quarter, but it was broken up substantially due to the usual business we both face. He and Amanda are still in Missouri, and it seems they will be for a long time. I’ll do my best to recap his latest Army doings, but I’m liable to mess it up a bit ... Cody, please call and correct me if I get any of this wrong. Cody had been doing his command time and, upon finishing that up, became an instructor for one of the Army’s EOD schools. He had recently had to condense a course (I think, due to the shutdown), which was a substantial undertaking, but seemed to go well. We actually ended up meeting in person as I was driving back to Kansas. Cody lives near Fort Leonard Wood but goes up to St. Louis pretty regularly with Amanda, since her family lives there. As a result, we got the chance to catch up over a very late dinner. We discussed all sorts of things, from the deployment all the way to possible plans outside the military. It was a long overdue visit, roommate, but I’m glad we got the chance to catch up. Even got the chance to see how his family was doing back in Virgin-

ia, though I usually hear from his father, Lin, every now and then. This time, he was looking for where my parents would be this Christmas, which is always a hard question to answer! For those who know, my parents, Pat Griffin ’80 and Beth Griffin, tend to move up and down the East Coast as if they are evading the law. Hopefully, I can nail that down for you before the holiday, Lin! As always, glad to get a chance to chat and catch up with the Bottoms family! Take care, all! After this, I actually heard from Shu-Hao “Caskey” Yang again. We chatted for a bit, and I was surprised to learn he is looking to get out of the military at the end of his commitment. Our Taiwanese BRs had a 10-year obligation, for those who didn’t know (which is coming up for all of us soon ... woah!). He is looking to teach English with Elva. Best of luck with the transition!

As I was heading back to Kansas, I also heard from some of my co-dykes, namely, Matt Coleman, Mark Roberts, Nate Whitmer, and even some of our dykes; Phil Pryor ’14, Tom Campbell ’14, and Brandon Dodd ’14, and Ben Kier ’14, all of whom were there to wish Austin States a happy birthday in our Facebook group chat. Not long after, I had a quick chat with Warren Jackson, who had also received my card for his birthday. He is doing well, but Waylon Jackson, his son, is making sleep a bit of a challenge. Hope you guys are finding time to rest when you can! After that brief discussion, I got a pleasant surprise when Grant Holmes contacted me just a few days ago. He wanted to let me know he got his birthday card and also that he and his wife had their second child, Marshall. Congratulations, BR! They also moved to Wyoming recently, and he was kind enough to help me update his information on our class roster. Always thinking ahead, Grant! Most recently, I heard from Mauro De Leon. Seems he had a birthday as well! Man, so many of you guys were born this quarter! Looking forward to hearing more about your updates in the coming days, Mauro! Hopefully, we can get them into the next issue! Unfortunately, I was unable to get messages out early enough to finish off some conversations I had over the quarter, namely with Kasey Kettle, Collyn Dashner, and Jason Bass, but I will definitely be reaching out to them soon to see what’s new in their respective worlds! Stay tuned for more updates on these key figures in the next issue! Unfortunately, I think I have exhausted all the material I have this quarter. It’s a bit shorter than normal, but we still got a good number of inputs! I’ll be sure to double down for the next one! Well, with that, we’ve reached the end of the landmark 2026-1 issue. Seminal it may not be, but fun it was to write! Even more so, it’s always

Class Notes

good to hear from you all! Let me just say, you guys did your job perfectly. I go halfway around the world, jump like six to eight time zones, and you still give me mountains of material to include in these pages! I asked you not to let me get away with being lazy this year, and you made it happen. Now that is dedication! So, pat yourselves on the back, but know one thing ... I’m back in the States now, back in your time zones, that means the return of a certain document ... You guessed it, the class roster! With the reunion fast approaching, accurate contact information is paramount. If you’ve had a life update, if you’ve moved or are moving soon, if you got a burner phone to attempt to hide from the government ... don’t hide from me! Shoot me a message, tell me what’s new in your world, and let’s get you on the email lists and message chains so you know where to go and what to do when that 10-year mark rolls around! Looking forward to hearing from you all soon, BRs. Until next time, rah ’17!

Whether it brought new challenges, milestones, or memorable moments, I trust it’s been one that pushed you forward—much like our days on post once did.

This fall also marked an important moment for VMI as the Institute welcomed its new superintendent, Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87, whose leadership carries a renewed commitment to the values that shaped us. Although nothing can compare to the legacy of Gen. Peay ’62—and he will surely be missed—it’s encouraging to see the Institute continue growing while staying true to the traditions we all share.

Will has spoken to both the new superintendent and commandant and has glowing reviews for the both of them. In particular, they both seem to have complementary leadership styles that he sees as being in keeping with a Corps-first attitude and letting the Keydets take charge of their time at VMI.

As an aside, Will got to speak with Wanovich ’87 at the Institute Society Dinner and finally reveal some of the permitted hijinks that he had gotten up to with some of his roommates. Wanovich gave his blessing that though they may have bent the spirit of some of those rules, the letter was intact in his book, and they shared a laugh at scratched and unscratched specials.

With that, here’s a look at what the Class of 2018 has been up to as we close out another year:

First, join me in offering heartfelt congratulations to Will Woodward on his engagement to Edilene McCaslin—spoiler alert: She said yes! We’re excited to welcome Edilene into the extended VMI family. I’m sure Will has already given her all the Rat Line stories, but I’m looking forward to hearing the new ones they’ll make together.

Keeping with the celebrations, Steven Foster married Sophia July 5! Let’s give a warm welcome

and congratulations to the newlyweds!

And in the realm of growing families, Caleb Baldwin welcomed his daughter, Teigen Elise Baldwin, Aug. 7. Welcome to the world, Teigen— hopefully future VMI Class of 2047!

Brother Rats,

As we move into the new year and 2026 starts its steady march onward, I hope you and your families have enjoyed a fulfilling and successful 2025.

Now for scholarship updates: Right now, we are sitting at 35K in cash and commitments. This is absolutely outstanding and something that we are continuing to grow. Any small donation is appreciated and helps keep college affordable for those who are following behind us.

As we celebrate these moments together, it’s a fitting time to turn toward the memory of the holiday season and the promise of a new year. I hope each of you found time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the company of family and friends. And I hope the holidays brought you peace, and may 2026 greet you with opportunity, good health, and plenty of reasons to stay connected with your brother rats. Until next time—here’s to the memory of a joyous holiday season and a happy New Year. Reagan and Will

Brother Rats,

We hope that you and your loved ones enjoyed a restful holiday season. If you can forget how itchy the woolies were, winter was one of the best times of year at the Institute. The duty jacket allowed you to hide a multitude of uniform discrepancies under its warm embrace, snowfall brought snowball fights and the construction of snowmen and other various objects on the Parade Ground, and winter furlough provided much-needed time away from the “I.” However, coming back in January was miserable, regardless of what year we were in. The

one thing that eased that misery was reuniting with roommates and BRs, and hearing what they had done over furlough. In that same spirit, here are some updates we received from BRs over the last few months.

On the professional side, Colton Curry shot distinguished during gunnery on his Apache helicopter, scoring 976/1000 points. Colton is currently in command of Alpha Troop, 1-17 Air Cavalry Squadron, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Tyler Bernero graduated from Airborne School in late October. In addition to overcoming hours sitting in the sheds waiting to jump, and leaping

from a perfectly good airplane five times, Tyler survived being strained by Jake Cariker ’16, who went through the course with him. Tyler is currently stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he’s serving as the officer in charge of clinical operations for HHC, 44th Medical

Class Notes

Brigade. Tyler Warden completed training on the F/A-18 and joined Strike Fighter Squadron 32 based out of Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Charles Remig is preparing for a long move from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Destin, Florida, to begin a job instructing new Air Force pilots on the F-35.

On the personal side, Quinn Conrad got engaged to her fiancé, Ben Williamson, in October, and Jessi Slakman got engaged to her fiancé, Carl Eichert, in November. Conor Bremer and his wife had their baby boy, Milo Bremer, in late October. February 6 marked the 2-year anniversary of our BR Jack Casey passing. We pray that all who were close to Jack reflected on his memory and fondly remembered the ways he impacted you. A VMI flag replaces the American flag on my front

porch to honor Jack every February. We hope that each of you were also able to honor Jack in your own way. In November, Jack’s hometown of Dover, New Hampshire, dedicated a bridge to his memory. That same month, many New England Patriots players honored Jack by wearing stickers with his initials on their helmets and hosting his family at their training facility.

Brother rats, it is an honor to share your accomplishments and milestones with the class. As we gain experience as class agents, we have goals to organize some events both virtually and in person, rally support to get 1-9 on Moe’s jersey by having the most donors on this year’s Day of Giving, and continue to share class updates. We can’t do this alone! Jordan bumped into Anthony Walton at an alumni event with the Bluegrass Chapter in Louisville, Kentucky, which was a total surprise because Anthony’s info on VMI Ranks still said that he lived in Virginia. Anthony asked, “What’s VMI Ranks?” which is hilarious, but also a failure on us to disseminate information on how to stay connected as we all move, PCS, etc.

Please ensure that your contact info is up to date on VMI Ranks. If you have questions on how to update this info, Manning and Jordan can walk you through it or update it for you. If you have something you’d like to share with the class, don’t hesitate to reach out to either of our agents or email your update to 19erforlife@gmail.com. Rah 1-9!

2020

Alexander Dragan

HollyK.Njabo

Madeline (Hassler) Hunt: “I hope you’re doing well! I have a little news to share! I had a baby this past September! Adelaide Yvonne Hunt was born Sept. 18, 2025, at 0114 (she weighed 10.5 lbs. and was 23 inches long! Healthy baby!). Andy’s in his third and final year of law school at Liberty University. He was selected for the JAG program back in 2023, so he’ll be a JAG for the Army once he graduates, and we don’t know where we’ll be. I got out of the Navy in 2024 and was working for a company called SRC in Charlottesville until I had Adelaide. Now I’m a stay-at-home mom! I’m still in the Navy Reserve. Other than that, our lives

VMI Class of 2020 5th Reunion

Class Notes

have been amazingly mundane.”

Douglas Burkhart: “I just finished my division officer tour on USS Annapolis and am now an NROTC instructor at UNM!”

Holly Njabo: “It was such a pleasure to see everyone at the class reunion! Thank you to everyone who showed up, participated, and helped make the event so much fun. I hope your time at the Class of 2020 5th Reunion was as incredible as mine. We had 75 BRs and 36 guests, totaling 111 attendees—and it truly felt like over 200 people were there. That’s an amazing turnout for a 5th Reunion, especially considering we usually plan for around 35 attendees. May we continue to break records both in life and at the Institute.”

It was an absolute pleasure spending time with all of you, and I’m already looking forward to seeing everyone again at our 10th Reunion!

16th superintendent and third Marine Corps officer to lead in such role. In October, a new barbershop opened in Old Barracks where the coin laundry room used to be. The old barbershop across from the BSR will now serve as the coin laundry room once renovations are completed. On Nov. 2, the rugby team beat The Citadel for the second time in a row! Final score was 29-19 Keydets. I want to take a moment and ask that if you haven’t already, join VMI Ranks at vmialumni. org/ranks. What is VMI Ranks, and why should you join? VMI Ranks is the way that the Alumni Association can keep track of your most up-to-date address and phone number. This way, when I send out Christmas cards, reunion information, etc., I can make sure it will get to you safely, on time, and to the correct address. You can also download the VMI Mobile Alum app onto your phone. This app provides you with a Google Maps-like view of all the fellow alumni in your current surrounding area. Now for the exciting stuff!

Alex Woolwine got engaged to his fiancée, Claire, Oct. 20, and on Halloween, Josh Emery found out that he passed the District of Columbia’s bar exam. Spooky!

On Nov. 1, Walker Richard married his wife, Maddy, and Nov. 2, Henry Gaston got engaged to his fiancée, Tessa. On Nov. 9, Cody and Brittany Barnhart welcomed their first daughter, Blake LeeAnn, and Nov. 10, Patrick and Laura Bowman welcomed their first daughter, Sara Luna. On Nov. 15, Collin Perry graduated from Marine Corps Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia, pinning on the rank of second lieutenant. Finally, for our featured story, Anna Armfield reached out to me to say that in September, she represented the Navy in the Armed Forces Triathlon Race of 2025 in San Diego, California! She placed third overall, and the Navy team won

Boy, oh boy, is it cold outside here in North Carolina! Hello, brother rats, good to see you again! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and is having a great start to the new year. This set of class notes encompasses the period of Aug. 15–Nov. 15, 2025, and do I have a lot of exciting things to share!

On Sept. 19, the Institute welcomed retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87 as its

Our class remains busy as ever! On Aug. 23, Taylor Morton and his wife, Alexandra, welcomed their first daughter, Elaina Grace. On Sept. 7, Kellen Reeves got engaged to his fiancée, Nicole. On Sept. 14, Jackie Rodriguez got engaged. On Sept. 11, Adrian Sison ’19 and Leslie Sison welcomed their first son, Tate James. Tyler Haiges married his wife, Maggie, Sept. 21. Noah and Madison Cook welcomed their first daughter, Elizabeth James, Sept. 18. James Booth graduated from the Army’s Sapper Leader Course. On Sept. 28, Simon Dietrich married his wife, Kalie, and Devin Roberts married his wife, Madison.

In October, Seth Whitehurst married his wife, Emma, Oct. 4. On Oct. 10, Jack Stann was promoted to Navy petty officer third class. Jacob LaMountain emailed me to say that he got promoted to captain and moved back to Fort Sill to attend the Army’s Captain Career Course. Hayden Grimmett married his wife, Makaela, Oct.18.

2023

Jacob

C. Sekerak

DennisonC.Kelly

overall for both men’s and women’s teams! That’s not all: Nov. 8, Anna competed in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship Race in Marbella, Spain. Yes, that’s right, 70.3 miles! She placed 45th in her age group out of 281 participants and 165th overall out of 2,234, making her a top 8% finisher. She told me the bike ride portion had a 5,800-foot elevation. A huge congratulations to Anna Armfield!

Brother rats, be on the lookout for information regarding our 5th Reunion, which will be coming up soon. I will be posting updates on our Facebook page, VMI Class of 2021, and to our Instagram page, vmiclassof2021. Please update your information on VMI Ranks so I can accurately send you emails and other information in the mail. That’s all I have for you this time around. Until next time, keep the updates coming! Whether it’s a family or personal milestone, a professional move, or just a quick note, every story you send helps to keep us connected.

Mizpah,

Jonathan and Levi

Happy New Year, Brother Rats!

We’re happy and blessed to be at the start of another year! Per usual, we like to mark milestones each Review—this time around, 2026 marks the graduating year of our rats! That’s right, the last immediate dyke-line tie our class has left in barracks is just mere months from joining us within the ranks of VMI alumni past and present. Nonetheless, our legacy and connections to the Institute will remain for many more new years to come.

Starting off this edition’s notes is Xavier “X” Frederick, who recently graduated Army OCS. He is currently at Fort Benning awaiting the start of FABOLC. Congrats and wishing you the best on the start of a great career as one of the Army’s finest officers!

Back in September, seven of our BRs met up for what we like to call a “mini reunion!” Present at the gathering were Tristian Kneas, Brock MacGregor, Ryan Marconi, Anthony Ona, Will Pendleton, Charles Scherff, and Fuma Ueno We’re glad to see the Echo Company and brother

rat bond keeping you all close!

Lastly, Aidan Simmons shared that he got engaged Nov. 1, 2025. Congratulations to you and your fiancée. We look forward to seeing the photos from the wedding!

That’s all for this quarter, brother rats—keeping it short and sweet during this shortest month of the year. Thanks to all who shared! We always enjoy hearing your updates and are honored to share them with the rest of the class. Don’t forget to share stories and posts online between each quarter’s notes with our class Instagram @vmi_2023 as well. Rah ’23!

Mizpah, Denny and Jake

Editor’s Note: We did not receive notes for the Class of 2022.

2024

Justin Peterson

Brother Rats,

It’s crazy to think that another year has gone by! We hope that 2025 was filled with great adventures and gratifying experiences. As we embark on yet another year away from VMI, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the amazing things our class has been up to!

On July 2, 2025, Jace Thompson married his wife and began their lifelong journey together! Zheng Tang and Justin Collin ’25 were there to celebrate alongside them!

Congratulations to Bryson Minear for getting married Sept. 28, 2025! May your life be blessed with joy and adventure!

On Oct. 17, 2025, Justin Peterson hiked Half Dome at Yosemite National Park. The hike has an elevation gain of about 4,800 feet and is 17 miles round-trip!

Let’s also congratulate Allen Stewart for getting married Oct. 25, 2025. Congratulations to you and your wife!

In November, Ethan Wise graduated from Ranger School! Rangers lead the way!

Finally, if you haven’t reached out to a BR in a while, send them a text. Just because we are across the country or overseas doesn’t mean we can’t stay in touch. Thank you all for sending your updates, and we can’t wait to see you all soon! If anyone has anything they want to share in the next Alumni Review, please send them to us on Instagram @VMI_24. God bless and rah ’24! Proverbs 3:5-6.

2025

Emma Kennedy

DanO’Neal

2-5,

We hope you’re all doing well, staying hydrated, and avoiding decisions that will end up in the Alumni Review. Unfortunately for some of you, we have eyes everywhere, and people do send us screenshots. Welcome to another round of class notes.

Please join us in welcoming the newest addition to the Pendleton family—and the first child born to a Two-Fiver—future (possible) rat Theodore Pendleton, born Oct. 21, 2025. Congratulations to John and Taliyah Pendleton on both your son and your recent marriage! No matter where life takes him, the world can only benefit from another Pendleton bringing smiles to humanity.

Your class agents deeply apologize for neglecting to include the wedding of Justice and Rebecca Rozic in the last edition—who iconically skipped graduation to get married. #worthit

Other newlyweds include Jude and Alyssa (’24) Roberts—congratulations on your recent nuptials!

Anyone who still cares about their rats’ mental health will be delighted to hear that Connor Cherry’s “reign of terror” as a member of the commandant’s staff will come to an end in January 2026.

In other Institute news, Alexis Gonzalez has begun her job with the Alumni Agencies as the

director of alumni engagement! If you believe this means your class agents will be any less annoying, you’d be sorely mistaken.

I have been notified by an anonymous source that Owen Clarke is now an RV mechanic. I am almost positive that at least one member of our class will become a “prepper,” so I have no doubt this venture will be successful.

Another anonymous tip informed us that Walker Garner assisted in rescuing a family from a car crash. This man truly embodied the “retreat &*(^” spirit!

Danny O’Neal has moved to Arlington to pursue politics full-time (zero people were surprised by that statement). We all look forward to his presidential campaign in ~2048.

Congratulations to some of our recent U.S. Army BOLC graduates: Rachel Roberson, Daniel Tuloss, Chas Downs, Eleyah Armstrong, Derek Gyimah, Jack Roberts, Alexei Royar, Sam Chopper, Erik Gottman, Ethan Fogle, Vincent Cyrus, Victoria Phillips, Jesse Duke, River Carroll, and likely many others. Safe travels, and we wish you well at your first duty station.

Good luck to recent IBOLC graduates Kevin Garroway, Cody McGuire, John Kennedy, Nathan Franchebois, and Jonah Jurack—all headed to Ranger School. Lead the way!

On the more “oorah” side of things, Elijah Alberti became the first in our class to graduate from TBS in December 2025, earning infantry as his MOS. I can’t imagine a better individual to close with and destroy the enemy.

Many of our U.S. Marine Corps brother rats looked incredibly spiffy during the Marine Corps birthday celebrations, putting all the other branches and their dress uniforms to shame.

As always, if you have updates, accomplishments, engagements, babies, or exist within a 10-mile radius of a mildly interesting event, please tell us— otherwise we will continue to rely on anonymous sources and gossip that are sent via Instagram DM.

Stay Classy, Emma and Daniel

Marriages

VMI’s 10 Most Senior Alumni

According to the records of the VMI Alumni Agencies, the people listed below constitute the 10 senior alumni of the Institute. Please contact the Alumni Review staff if any errors are noted.

Vernon A. Jackson ’46

M.Eugene Witcher ’50A

Roger P. Rosenfield ’47

Donald T. Doherty ’47

G.Harrison Whitten Jr. ’49A

Arthur D. Violette ’48B

Albert L. Loth Jr. ’48B

Robert A. Lettas ’48B

Charles R. Nixon ’48B

Robert N. Watkins ’49A

Sept. 21, 1925

Jan. 3, 1926

June 16, 1926

July 20, 1926

Feb. 4, 1927

April 19, 1927

June 2, 1927

July 2, 1927

July 4, 1927

Aug. 31, 1927

2030

Knox R. Barr

Colton Guidt

Ryan Cosgrove

Temperance Phillips

2031

Colton W. Nelson

2033

Sophia Barquero

Avigail Blackman

Cameron E. Brodbeck

Lonnie Martin

2034

John Patrick Jacquel Jr.

Maddox H. Nelson

2035

Jackson Ellington

Tucker Ruark

2041

Lucy D. Bane

Emilia Barquero

Harry M. Strauss

2042

Eliana J. Sexton

2043

William H. Reese

Lydia S. Sexton

Austin Whiting

2044

Nora K. Bane

2045

Russell S. Lyons Jr.

Legacy Provisional Appointments

Provisional appointments are ceremonial in nature and do not provide an admissions advantage. Admission to VMI is based solely on meeting the Institute’s established requirements.

Adam J. Barr ’08

Greg G. McDearmon ’99

Travis C. Guidt ’02

Gregory S. O’Hare ’98

Victoria K. Phillips ’25

Nelson C. Trinkle ’64

Guillermo A. Barquero ’00

Robert T. Blackman ’09

Vincent C. Scott Jr. ’66

Richard W. Flowers ’72

Daniel F. Flowers ’40

Daniel F. Flowers III ’16

Edwin A. Thompson II ’84

Rory B. McCormack ’90

Nelson C. Trinkle ’64

Dean A. Kershaw ’68

Shaun Ruark ’12

Terrell Williams ’74

Guillermo A. Barquero ’00

Jeffrey S. Adler ’81

Colin A. Sexton ’11

Father

Uncle

Father

Uncle

Sister

Grandfather

Father

Father

Great-uncle Grandfather

Great-grandfather

Cousin Grandfather

Cousin Grandfather

Lisandro E. Williams

2046

Betty B. Reese

James B. Bradshaw III

Wyatt A. Lamczyk

Sophia J. Sexton

Kai L. Whiting

2047

Theodore D. AdamsArmstrong

John A. Attanasio

Charlotte E. Bazzani

Hatcher G. Burton

Eugene Williams ’74

Terrell Williams ’74

James B. Bradshaw Jr. ’09

James B. Bradshaw ’77

William B. Garber Jr. ’64

Colin A. Sexton ’11

Wayne S. Whiting Jr. ’12

Cameron R. Armstrong ’14

Scott R. Armstrong ’87

Mark I. Armstrong ’16

Chris A. Attanasio ’15

Herman B. West III ’72

Jacob D. Burton ’16

Daniel H. Burton ’85

James E. Burton III ’52

Andrew H. Burton ’22

James E. Burton ’79

Robert H. Patterson III ’79

Douglas B. Burton ’80

James E. Burton V ’12

Grandfather

Great-uncle

Father

Grandfather

Great-grandfather

Father

Father Father

Grandfather

Uncle Father

Grandfather

Father Grandfather

Great-grandfather

Uncle

Great-uncle

Great-uncle

Great-uncle

Cousin

Cousin

Father

Great-uncle

Father Grandfather

Father

Terrell Williams ’74

Colin A. Sexton ’11

Wayne S. Whiting Jr. ’12

Terrell Williams ’74

Nelson C. Trinkle ’64

Tobias H. Peek

Robert S. Crow ’88

Stuart J. Crow ’61

Great-uncle

Father

Father

Great-uncle

Great -grandfather

Grandfather

Great-grandfather

Baker D. Case

Tanner J. Chaulkin

Sloane H. Conteh

Rhodes Clark Elliott

Douglas B. Burton Jr. ’14

Louis J. Burton ’16

Jackson T. Case ’20

Jordan R. Chaulkin ’21

Herold R. Hofheimer ’53

Paul D. Conteh Jr. ’18

Robert C. Elliott ’18

Hunter W. Elliott ’85

James D. Elliott Jr. ’79

Samuel M. Elliott ’14

Edward J. Wiley Jr. ’52

Waylon D.W. Johnson

Thomas K. Kelly

Theodore S. Peek

Samuel F. Thompson

Zachary Johnson ’17

Robert T. Kelly ’08

Robert S. Crow ’88

Stuart J. Crow ’61

Edward F. Thompson ’81

Vester J. Thompson Jr. ’40

Vester J. Thompson III ’79

James F. Russell III ’04

Fletcher S. Thompson ’10

Cousin

Cousin

Father

Father

Great-grandfather

Father

Father

Grandfather

Great-uncle

Cousin

Step-great-grandfather

Father

Father

Grandfather

Great-grandfather

Grandfather

Great-grandfather

Great-uncle

Uncle

Father

Jhené M. Riley

Silas D. Stallings

Lucas A. Williams

Jordan M. Riley ’13

William R. Janis ’84

Eugene Williams ’74

Father

Grandfather

Grandfather

Robert W. Smothers ’44

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Robert William “Bob” Smothers ’44 of San Diego, California, died Sept. 28, 2025. He was 102.

He matriculated from San Marino, California, and spent 3 years at VMI. He earned a Master of Science degree from Stanford University.

He is survived by his daughters, Kerry Freeman and Elizabeth Smothers; eight grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wives, Joan and Hazel, and son, David.

Carl A. Bloesing Jr. ’50B

Carl Albert Bloesing Jr. ’50B of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, died Feb. 3, 2025. He was 96.

He matriculated from Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and spent 1 year at VMI.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara; children, Michael R. Bloesing, Steven C. Bloesing, and Barbara Joanne Rang; and grandchildren, Russell Roen, Karis Bloesing, Ronnie Rang, and Rachael Rang.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Jeanne.

Wilmer K. Paine ’54

Wilmer Killebrew “Bill” Paine ’54 of Dallas, Texas, died Aug. 4, 2025. He was 92.

He matriculated from Jackson, Mississippi, and spent 2 years at VMI. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Garrison Paine; children, Anna Elizabeth Paine Lindigrin Hancock, Wilmer Harrison Paine, Kenneth Whitworth Paine (Angela), and Robert Harvey Paine (Elizabeth); grandchildren, Stephen William Vorlop (Sara), Michael David Vorlop (Emily), Kyle Andrew Vorlop, Samuel Scott Sorrell Jr., Luke Paine Sorrell (Nicole), Benjamin Mark Sorrell (Mary Ellen), Rachel Lindigrin Nichols (Randal), David Randall Lindigrin, Anna Marie Paine, Katherine Alexandra Paine, and Beckett Winfield Paine; great-grandchildren, Clara Elizabeth Vorlop, Charles William Vorlop, Thomas Samuel Sorrell, Eleanor Grace Sorrell, Leigh Edith Sorrell, and Scarlett Frances Vorlop; step-children, Frances Lynn Ferrill Vorlop (Robert) and Jan Meredith Ferrill Sorrell (Samuel); and sister, Ina Carolyn Paine Davis. He was preceded in death by his step-son, Craig Otto Ferrill.

William P. Schubmehl ’54

William Patrick “Bill” Schubmehl ’54 of Richmond, Virginia, died Oct. 17, 2025. He was 93.

He matriculated from Richmond and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Virginia.

He is survived by his wife, Rebecca Quinn Schubmehl; children, Kathleen Cope (David) and William Patrick Schumbehl Jr. (Brooke); and grandchildren, Emily, Casey, Brooke, Sophie, Quinn, and Tilden.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Margaret Versprille.

Robert S. Beale ’55

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Scott “Bob” Beale ’55 of Williamsburg, Virginia, died Sept. 11, 2025. He was 91.

He matriculated from Franklin, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He earned a Master of Science degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Ellen; sons, Scott (Winifred), Mike (Karen), Pat (Kelli), and Jeff (Katie); 16 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and step-children, Page and Kent (Laura).

He was preceded in death by his wife, Audrey Owen Beale, and brother, Donald Keith Beale.

William P. Menefee ’56

Retired U.S. Army Col. William Page “Bill” Menefee ’56 of Luray, Virginia, died Aug. 7, 2025. He was 90.

He matriculated from Luray and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from VMI. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Babson College.

He is survived by his daughters, Mary Menefee and Alice Paolone (Louis), and sister, Emily Johnston.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Frances Amiss Menefee, and siblings, Jimmy Menefee, Janet Freeman, and Mary Ann Byerly.

Rufus Morison ’56

Rufus Morison ’56 of Bristol, Tennessee, died March 19, 2024. He was 89.

He matriculated from Abingdon, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from VMI.

Bruce D. Dunseth ’57

Bruce Dillard Dunseth ’57 of Orange Park, Florida, died March 1, 2022. He was 86. He matriculated from Dayton, Ohio, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI.

He was preceded in death by his wife, June.

Joseph M. Spivey III ’57

Joseph Marvin “Joe” Spivey III ’57 of Glen Allen, Virginia, died Aug. 17, 2025. He was 90.

He matriculated from Raleigh, North Carolina, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from Washington and Lee University.

( Editor’s Note : An extended obituary for Spivey appears in the In Memory section of this issue.)

C. Ernest Edgar III ’58

Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Charles Ernest “Ernie” Edgar III ’58 of Auburn, Alabama, died Aug. 26, 2025. He was 89.

He matriculated from Mobile, Alabama, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He earned a Master of Civil Engineering degree from Iowa State University.

He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Brown Edgar; children, Charles Ernest Edgar IV ’87 (Mary Ann), Elizabeth Edgar Bole (Mark), and Leverett William Edgar (Cary); grandchildren, Joseph Charles Edgar, Katherine Maryann Edgar, Amelia Elizabeth Edgar, John Leverett Bole, Stephen Edgar Bole, Sarah Nolen Edgar, and Harrison Brown Edgar; brother, Walter Bellingrath Edgar (Nela), and sister, Serena Edgar Willcox.

Stephen S. Hall ’59

Stephen Sterling “Steve” Hall ’59 of Colorado Springs, Colorado, died Sept. 23, 2025. He was 88.

He matriculated from Arlington, Virginia, and spent 1 year at VMI.

He is survived by his sons, John and Tom; grandchildren, Sarah, Aleric, Oliver, and Alexandra; and sister, Sister Suzanne Hall.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Sandra Moore, and former wife, Sylvia Ruth Coll.

Ernest L. Martin ’59

Ernest Lionel “Lon” Martin ’59 of San Antonio, Texas, died Aug. 10, 2025. He was 88.

Taps

He matriculated from Norfolk, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from VMI. He earned a Master of Science degree from Central Texas University.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Mae “Patty” Martin; children, Bradford Lionel Martin (Terri), Susan Jean Martin, and Kimberly Dawn Martin (Todd); grandchildren, Amy Austin Lynch (Ryan), Christina Cheyenne Sommerville (Shye), and William Cody Markle (Kate); and greatgrandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Lori Ann Markle (William); grandson, Ellery Everett Walker; brother, Eugene Vernon Martin Jr. ’58, who died Jan. 1, 2024; and sister, Marilyn Ann Mick.

Chester H. Pate ’59

Chester Harlee Pate ’59 of Chattanooga, Tennessee, died Oct. 1, 2025. He was 88.

He matriculated from Norfolk, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from VMI.

L. Noland Pipes Jr. ’59

Rev. Louie Noland Pipes Jr. ’59 of Memphis, Tennessee, died Oct. 26, 2025. He was 88.

He matriculated from Rayville, Louisiana, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from VMI. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from the University of the South.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Burks Pipes; daughters, Sarah Jordan (Tony) and Marianna Heimbach (Jeff); six grandchildren, Matthew Noland Jordan (Caroline), Emily Margaret Jordan, Hannah Louis Jordan, Marianna Jordan Inman (Joshua), Jeffrey Joseph Heimbach Jr., and Mary Winston Heimbach; and great-grandchild, Mary Margaret Jordan.

John R. Hilliard ’60

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. John Robert Hilliard ’60 of Satellite Beach, Florida, died Aug. 26, 2025. He was 87.

He matriculated from Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from VMI. He earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California.

He is survived by his wife, Linda Ann “Lin” Hilliard; children, Jeffrey S. Hilliard (Chris), John C. Hilliard (Jennifer), and Sharon Fowler (Michael); grandchildren, Carissa Hilliard, Zachary Hilliard, Griffin Hilliard (Cassie), Ryan Lambert

(Allison), John J. Hilliard, Ashley Davis (Brad), Brittany O’Banion, and Daylon King; and great-grandchildren, Garrett Lambert, Aubrey Davis, Tara Marlow, and Evelynne Marlow.

He was preceded in death by his son, Steven C. Hilliard; daughter, Cheryl L. Lambert (Scott); and sister, MaryJo Hilliard.

Dallas E. Smith ’60

Dallas Edwards Smith ’60, M.D., of Williston, Vermont, died May 21, 2025. He was 86.

He matriculated from Tunstall, Virginia, and was a distinguished graduate of VMI, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Johns Hopkins University.

He is survived by his wife, Janet.

Wyatt B. Durrette Jr. ’61

Wyatt Beazley Durrette Jr. ’61 of Urbanna, Virginia, died Sept. 30, 2025. He was 87. He matriculated from Franklin, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in math from VMI. He earned a Master of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Washington and Lee University.

Just prior to his death, he served as Region XIII Hampton Roads regional director.

He is survived by his wife, Dr. Monica Durrette; children, Debbie Williams (Tom), Dawn Fuller (Vance), Dea Hamilton (Jon), Wyatt B. Durrette III ’98, Brandon Durrette (Meredith), Shannon Durrette, Zachery Durrette, and Joshua Durrette; 17 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; step-daughter, Sarah Harvey (Ben Roberts); four step-grandchildren; and two step-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Faye Durrette Parson, and former wife, Cheryn Coller Durrette.

William R. Gibbings ’61

William Russell “Bill” Gibbings ’61 of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died Oct. 17, 2025. He was 85. He matriculated from Princess Anne County, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He earned a Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree from Old Dominion University.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce Stillman Gibbings; daughter, Elisabeth (Doug); son, David R. Gibbings ’88 (Stacey); grandchildren, Jonathan, Thomas, Sarah, and Jordan; granddaughter-in-law, Emma; and great-grandchild, Mabel.

Benjamin P. Lynch Jr. ’61

Benjamin Parrott “Ben” Lynch Jr. ’61 of Suffolk, Virginia, died Sept. 19, 2025. He was 86. He matriculated from Portsmouth, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from VMI. He earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from Washington and Lee University.

He is survived by his daughters, Anne Marston Lynch Wilber (Robert); Martha Lynch Newton (Fred); and Margaret Leigh Lynch; granddaughters, Meredith Leigh Newton and Grace Anne Newton; step-grandson, Jared Thomas Wilber; and sisters, Sarah Jane Lynch Kenyon and Mary Nell Lynch Carroll.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Diane Marston Lynch.

John J. Moorcones ’61

John Joseph Moorcones ’61 of Queen Creek, Arizona, died Oct. 27, 2025. He was 86.

He matriculated from Purcellville, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from VMI. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from American University.

He is survived by his wife, Madeleine.

Howard I. Reynolds ’63

Howard Irvin “Bunny” Reynolds ’63 of Redding, Connecticut, died Oct. 10, 2025. He was 84.

He matriculated from Roanoke, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI.

He is survived by his wife, Judy; sons, Charles and Thomas; daughters-in-law, Deborah and San; and grandchildren, Julia, Chase, Lucy, and River.

Richard F. Ward ’63

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Richard Franklin “Rick” Ward ’63 of Salado, Texas, died Oct. 15, 2025. He was 84.

He matriculated from Winchester, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from VMI. He earned a Master of Arts degree from Temple University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Webster University.

He is survived by his wife, Carole.

Joseph M. Warring ’63

Joseph Michael “Mike” Warring ’63 of Queenstown, Maryland, died Oct. 3, 2025. He was 83.

He matriculated from Silver Spring, Maryland,

and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI.

He is survived by his wife, Elinor.

William A. Cox III ’64

William Albert “Bill” Cox III ’64 of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died Oct. 27, 2025. He was 84.

He matriculated from Virginia Beach and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from VMI. He earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Virginia.

He is survived by his wife, Jeanne Evans-Cox; children, Sarah Cox (Juan Botero) and Margaret Cox (Jeremy Wickman); grandchildren, Amelia, Pablo, and Finley; step-children, Jimmy Evans and Jeff Evans; four step-grandchildren; one step-great-grandchild; and brothers, Michael Cox (Alma) and John “Mo” Cox (Adrienne).

He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia B. Cox, and brother, Frank H. Cox III.

Tom E. Crush ’64

Tom Evans Crush ’64 of Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, died Sept. 15, 2025. He was 83.

He matriculated from Richmond, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI.

He is survived by his wife, Dianne Tate Crush; children, Andrew McDowell Crush (Elizabeth), Matthew Tate Crush (Joy), and Laura Crush Hale (Gideon); grandchildren, Drew Sigler, Amelia Crush, Wyatt Crush, Nolan Crush, and Anna Hale; and sister, Judith Crush.

John W. Ayres II ’65

John Wise “Jack” Ayres II ’65, M.D., of Midlothian, Virginia, died June 15, 2025. He was 82.

He matriculated from Richmond, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from VMI. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Medical College of Virginia.

He is survived by his children, John Wise Ayres III ’94 and Robyn Ayres Barber; grandson, Curtis Ayres Barber; and great-grandson, Tray.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Carolyn Harris Ayres.

William W. Oyler ’65

William Wesley “Bill” Oyler ’65 of Albuquerque, New Mexico, died June 28, 2025. He was 81.

He matriculated from Purcellville, Virginia, and spent just over 1 year at VMI.

He was preceded in death by his husband, Randolph Cary Cook Jr. ’68, who died March 25, 2025.

Charles F. Schmaus ’66

Charles Frank “Charlie” Schmaus ’66 of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, died Oct. 10, 2025. He was 81.

He matriculated from Ford City, Pennsylvania, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from VMI.

He is survived by his children, Karen Lynn Schmaus and Donald Alen Schmaus; grandson, Ethan Schmaus; and former wife, Jean Schmaus.

He was preceded in death by his sister and brother-in-law, Ronnie and Jon Armstrong.

Robert T. Biggs ’67

Robert Thomas “Bob” Biggs ’67 of Daleville, Virginia, died Feb. 25, 2023. He was 77.

He matriculated from Roanoke, Virginia, and spent less than 1 year at VMI.

He is survived by his sons, Robert Drew Biggs (Sandy) and Michael Edward Biggs (Meg); grandchildren, Hannah Biggs, Spencer Greco (Krieg), and Abby Biggs (Ethan Press); great-grandchild, Lulu Jones-Biggs; sisters, Nancy Knudsen (Ray), Alice Amory (Greg Brown), and Suzanne Gavenus (Gary); and sisters-in-law, Willa Burrows (Tony) and Kathy Helm.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Andrea “Andy” Biggs, and grandson, Preston Biggs.

Michael E. Hall ’67

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Michael Edward “Mike” Hall ’67 of Tallahassee, Florida, died Aug. 23, 2025. He was 80.

He matriculated from Claremont, California, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from VMI. He earned a Master of Arts degree from The Citadel.

He is survived by his wife, Anne; sons, Michael (Amy), Richard (Laura Beth), and John (Jenni); grandchildren, Brynn, Houston, Waring, Caroline, Maggie (Turner), McKenzie, and Grayson; and great-granddaughter, Gradie.

Claiborne W. Minor ’67

Claiborne Watkins “Clai” Minor ’67 of

Richmond, Virginia, died Oct. 17, 2025. He was 82.

He matriculated from Richmond and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from VMI.

He is survived by his children, William Randolph Minor (Isabel), John Claiborne Minor (Lynn), and Elaine Claiborne Minor, and granddaughters, Lauren Elizabeth Minor, Caroline Ellis Minor, and Vivian Watkins Minor.

He was preceded in death by his brother, G. Gilmer Minor III ’63, who died May 3, 2023, and father, George G. Minor Jr., Class of 1934, who died Nov. 13, 1995.

Thompson O. Coryell ’68

Thompson Osa “Tom” Coryell ’68 of Fayetteville, North Carolina, died Aug. 15, 2025. He was 80.

He matriculated from Herndon, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from VMI.

He is survived by his wife, Tasha Coryell; children, Tashira Parker, Qwonek Parker, Jeff Coryell (Beth), Matthew Coryell, Marcus Coryell (Tina), and Michelle Smith (Jeremy); grandchildren, Joshua Coryell, Julienne Coryell, Oliver Smith, and Kaiwaun; sister, Joyce Hedrick (Don); and brother, Ned Coryell (Susan).

Donald F. Nelson ’69

Donald Francis “Don” Nelson ’69 of Moseley, Virginia, died Sept. 20, 2025. He was 77. He matriculated from Ridgewood, New York, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from VMI. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.

He is survived by his sons, Chris (Kelli) and Mike (Joan); grandchildren, Sarah, Molly, Rachel, Mary Kate, William, and Lily Beth; and brother, Robert (Susan).

He was preceded in death by his wife, Lois.

James G. Woods ’69

James Gleason “Jim” Woods ’69 of Colorado Springs, Colorado, died Aug. 11, 2025. He was 78.

He matriculated from Louisville, Kentucky, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from VMI.

He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Woods; children, James Woods (Leslie) and Emily Gordon (Mike); grandchildren, Katelynn Woods, Jacob Woods, Hunter Gordon, and Cade

Gordon; and sister, Bonnie Beth Newman (Ken).

He was preceded in death by his brother, William “Bill” Woods Jr.

Thomas G. Ferguson Jr. ’70

Thomas Glen Ferguson Jr. ’70 of Edmond, Oklahoma, died Aug. 16, 2025. He was 77.

He matriculated from Vicenza, Italy, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from VMI. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Washington and Lee University.

He is survived by his wife, Susan; children, Emily Tidwell (David) and Thomas G. “Trey” Ferguson III (Alyssa); grandchildren, Betsy, Laney, Margaret, and Tommy; brother, Jim Ferguson (Judy); sisters, Kathy Barney (Bill) and Mary Hendrick (Alan); and sister-in-law, Debbie Kelly (Paul).

John R. Hill III ’70

John Rutledge Hill III ’70 of DeBerry, Texas, died July 2, 2025. He was 77.

He matriculated from Dallas, Texas, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI.

John A. Ebeling Jr. ’71

John Alan Ebeling Jr. ’71 of South Orange, New Jersey, died Oct. 11, 2025. He was 76. He matriculated from Clifton Forge, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from VMI.

Jon R. DiMarco ’72

Jon Rocco DiMarco ’72 of Richmond, Virginia, died Aug. 4, 2025. He was 75.

He matriculated from Washington, D.C., and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from VMI. He earned a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Virginia. He is survived by his children, Ryan Reynolds DiMarco and Jillian Leigh DiMarco, and sister, Lee Francesca DiMarco “Toni” Robinson.

Jack G. Miller ’72

Jack Graydon Miller ’72 of Cocoa Beach, Florida, died Oct. 20, 2025. He was 75.

He matriculated from Newport News, Virginia, and spent 2 years at VMI.

He is survived by his wife, Donna; children, David, Jack, and Kristy; and grandchildren, Lilly, Logan Kensei, and Taylor.

George T. Hughey ’73

George Timothy “Tim” Hughey ’73 of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died Aug. 23, 2025. He was 73.

He matriculated from Chesapeake, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from VMI.

He is survived by his wife, Kerri Deloach Hughey; son, David Benjamin Hughey (Sarah); grandsons, Alexander William Hatchell-Davis and Nicholas Sawyer “Cole” Hatchell-Davis; sister, Jane Ellen Hughey; and sister-in-law, Janet Chadwick Hughey.

He was preceded in death by his son, Christopher Jason Hatchell, and siblings, Diana Hughey Ewell and Norman Edward “Skipper” Hughey.

Thomas J. Dick ’74

Thomas Joseph “Tom” Dick ’74 of Winchester, Virginia, died Aug. 8, 2025. He was 72.

He matriculated from Winchester and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia M. Dick; children, Sara Wright (Andrew), Julia Caldwell (Gabriel), Leah Dick (Alex Blow), Brian Beck (Anay), and Kyle Beck; nine grandchildren; and siblings, John Dick ’69 (Sally), Anne Clare Morrison, and Cecilia Burton (Neil).

He was preceded in death by his son, Thomas Dick Jr.; sister, Susan D. Turnbull; brothers, C. Gregory Dick and J. Benjamin Dick ’70; and brother-in-law, Alexander H. Morrison II ’66.

Bobby R. Gillespie ’75

Bobby Ray Gillespie ’75 of Vinton, Virginia, died Sept. 6, 2025. He was 72.

He matriculated from Roanoke, Virginia, and spent 3 years at VMI.

He is survived by his wife, Lanae D. Gillespie; daughter, Kristen Dunagan (Ryan); grandson, Owen; and brother, William “Billy” Gillespie.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Katherine “Kathy” Basham.

George A. Gibbs II ’81

George Aaron Gibbs II ’81 of Beaumont, Texas, died Sept. 3, 2025. He was 66.

He matriculated from Dover, Delaware, and spent 1 year at VMI.

He is survived by his children, Katrina Guynn, Casey Gibson, and Sarah Linares; five grand-

children; mother, Deanna Gibbs-Taillon; and sisters, Pamela Couts and Laurie Barnett.

He was preceded in death by his father, George A. Gibbs.

Perry L. Knight ’82

Retired U.S. Army Col. Perry Lee Knight ’82 of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, died Sept. 6, 2025. He was 65.

He matriculated from Buena Vista, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from VMI. He earned a Master of Science degree from the U.S. Army War College.

He is survived by his wife, Lynn M. Knight; children, Philip Lee Knight (Lisa) and Erin Knight (Gregory McKee); grandchildren, Tyler and Emily; parents, Bobbie Lee Knight and Mildred Marie Lotts Knight; and siblings, Jerry Thomas Knight and Virginia Luke.

David A. Santora ’85

David Anthony Santora ’85 of Greenwich, Connecticut, and Naples, Florida, died Aug. 30, 2025. He was 61.

He matriculated from Greenwich and spent 1 year at VMI. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Mount St. Mary’s College.

He is survived by his wife, Susan Amato Santora; daughters, Jessica Santora (Caitlin), Sarah Rapuano (Patrick), and Christina Santora; grandchildren, Everett, Trevor, and Teagan; step-child, Ryan Amato; and siblings, Donna Anderson, Deborah Pennella (Eugene), and Paul Santora (Sally).

He was preceded in death by his step-child, Anthony Salerno, and brother, Joseph Santora (Patricia).

Manuel R. Melendez ’87

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Manuel Robert Melendez ’87 of Bogota, Colombia, died Sept. 18, 2025. He was 61.

He matriculated from San Salvador, El Salvador, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He earned a master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School and completed a fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He is survived by his wife, Christine Melendez, and sons, Manny and Daniel.

Kenan Baluken ’99

Kenan Baluken ’99 of Houston, Texas, died Aug. 13, 2025. He was 50.

He matriculated from Norton, Virginia,

and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies from VMI.

He is survived by his daughter, Vivian.

VMI Family

Vicki D. Adams

Vicki Deborah Adams of Lexington, Virginia, died Sept. 19, 2025. She was 70.

She formerly worked in facilities management at VMI.

She is survived by her sister, Lisa Adams Shafer. She was preceded in death by her brother-in-law, Robert C. Shafer.

Charles C. Caudill

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Charles Clayton Caudill of Lexington, Virginia, died Oct. 22, 2025. He was 93.

He served as chaplain to the Corps of Cadets from 1979–94.

(Editor’s Note: An extended obituary for Caudill

appears in the In Memory section of this issue.)

James B. Davis

James B. Davis, Ph.D., of Lexington, Virginia, died Sept. 13, 2025. He was 92.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Spring Hill College, a master’s degree from Tulane University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Virginia.

He taught English at VMI for 31 years.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce; son, Greg (Beth); daughter, Liza Davis; granddaughter, Sarah Davis Masters (Chas); and great-granddaughter, Charlie.

Benny J. Morant

Benny Joe Morant of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, died Sept. 2, 2025. He was 81.

He formerly taught military science at VMI.

He is survived by his wife, Vernelle; sons, Eric Zachary Morant and Benny Alexander Morant (Aimee); grandchildren, Kal-El, Kyro, and Kobe; brother, Charles B. Morant; and sisters, Ruthena

Ford, Eva Davie, Dorothy Knox, and Mary Louise Harrell.

Elsie Smith

Elsie Smith of Lexington, Virginia, died Aug. 8, 2025. She was 92.

She formerly worked in the laundry at VMI. She is survived by her daughter, Janet Willis. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Henry Smith; brothers, Otis Cash and Harry Cash; and sisters, Stella Bayne, Della Fix, and Beulah Ramsey.

Fred C. Swope

Fred C. Swope, Ph.D., of Decatur, Alabama, died Oct. 7, 2025. He was 90.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Michigan State University. He taught biology and chemistry at VMI for 30 years.

He is survived by his daughters, Caroline T. Swope and Laura Swope Hottel.

Mowton L. “Tony” Waring ’56

On July 6, 2025, our father, retired U.S. Army Col. Mowton LeCompte “Tony” Waring Jr. ’56, passed away. Our family knew our father as a loving but firm husband, father, son, and brother. Without bias, we can say he was the quintessential VMI man, with direct ancestors dating back to the VMI Class of 1894. He retired after 30 years in the Army with tours in Germany, Korea, Vietnam, and across the United States, including a tour as a ROTC instructor and tactical officer at VMI from 1964–66. We knew he was a decorated soldier with a Silver Star, Bronze Star with V Device, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry from actions while serving in the Military Assistance Command—Vietnam in Tay Ninh. But our father was a very private person, never sharing with us his combat experiences, keeping a small group of close friends, and not joining any type of organization or group unless directed to by our mother—his “commander” or “command sergeant major,” if you will—until he retired. Through two very thoughtful and moving tributes, we gained insight into what our father did in his retirement. One was a tribute written by his friend Henry Hull in the Rappahannock Record, and the second was a tribute written up in the Historic Christ Church volunteer newsletter. Having retired from the Army, our parents relocated to Irvington, Virginia, moving

By Jim Waring ’81 and Matt Waring ’83

into the home of our grandfather, Mowton LeCompte “Count” Waring Sr., Class of 1927. Our grandfather had the house built so that it was on the first hole of what would become the Tide’s Lodge Golf Course. The problem for our father was that he was not a golfer. His challenge was what he would do to stay engaged.

Unlike his time in the Army, our dad started joining organizations and clubs. And he did not just join; he became an officer within the organizations. He joined the Sons of the American Revolution and served as a member of their Scholarship Committee; he joined the Lions (Club) and served as their sergeant at arms; he was active in the Military Officers Association of America, serving as the local president; he served as the president of the local VMI alumni chapter; he served on the building and grounds commission in the establishment of Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury retirement community; and he was a docent for and later president of the Foundation for Historic Christ Church. While at the reception after his funeral service, we learned how big an impact he had on the local community. We had no idea how extensive his influence had been.

While staying engaged in all these activities, he still found time, with our mother (his VMI Ring Figure date), to host multiple grandchildren at “sports camp,” where they learned golf,

Joseph M. Spivey III ’57

tennis, and sailing. They hosted our annual Waringpalooza gatherings, where our extended family would gather, growing to four generations’ worth, for gift exchanges and a holiday feast. He was a leading participant in beer exchanges, Jimmy Buffett and sport-team themed events, and sing-alongs (reminiscent of his VMI Glee Club days). Well into his 80s, he legally visited Prague and Czechoslovakia, a bucket list event for him, as well as seeing the terracotta warriors and the Holocaust Museum. He stayed engaged through his family as long as his health allowed him.

Tony Waring was preceded in death by his parents, Mowton LeCompte Waring Sr., Class of 1927, and Sarah Chase Waring; wife, Constance Croke Waring; and two brothers. He is survived by his daughter, Carroll Waring Reed (Paul); and sons, retired U.S. Army Col. James Mowton Waring ’81 (Catherine), retired U.S. Army Maj. Matthew LeCompte Waring ’83 (Susan), and Anthony LeCompte Waring (Nancy); 11 grandchildren, Erik, Daniel (Kerry), Courtney (Marc), Benjamin, Andrew (Elizabeth), Megan (Abbey), Kailey, Elizabeth, Charles, Rachel, and Sarah; and 12 greatgrandchildren, Paige, Ally, Joeseph, Lily, Calvin, Owen, Anne, Jacob, Jamie, Mary Catherine, Rosyln, and Claire.

Thanks for everything, dad. We miss you.

By Joseph M. Spivey IV ’85, Timothy A.W. Spivey ’86, and Thomas N.C. Spivey ’89

Joseph M. Spivey III ’57 was born Aug. 10, 1935. He stacked arms Aug. 17, 2025. Born in Richmond, Virginia, he spent his youth in North Carolina. He attended Sewanee Military Academy before matriculating at VMI. While at VMI, Joe studied civil engineering and was a swimmer, serving as co-captain in his 1st Class year.

Graduating as a distinguished military student in 1957, he served in the U.S. Army field artillery branch and briefly worked as an engineer for Procter & Gamble before realizing engineering was not his calling. He went to the Washington and Lee University School of Law, serving as the

editor-in-chief of the Washington and Lee Law Review in his senior year, and was honored with membership in Omicron Delta Kappa and the Order of the Coif.

After receiving his law degree in 1962, he worked nearly 40 years for Hunton, Williams, Gay, Powell, and Gibson (now Hunton Andrews Kurth). During his law career, he was admitted to the bar in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Among his many accomplishments, he was a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, a member of the American Bar Association, the Virginia Bar Association, and the Richmond Bar Association,

where he served as president in 1982–83. After leaving Hunton and moving full-time to Lexington, he taught law and moot court procedures at W&L Law School from 1997–2001. He also developed a legal practice, accepting cases from attorney friends in the Shenandoah Valley and Eastern West Virginia. He loved this work, never handling more than two cases at a time. His opposing counsel was usually a young lawyer trying to establish himself or herself, with a strong desire to settle the case as soon as possible. Joe, on the other hand, took his time. He would travel to meet with the case’s presiding judge and discuss the merits and

demerits of each case. This process usually ended in a more favorable settlement for his client. He enjoyed backpacking with his family, hiking the Appalachian Trail; the Wind River Range, Wyoming; Yosemite, California; and British Columbia, Canada. He and wife Ann spent many enjoyable summers in Nova Scotia. In 2002, they retraced the Lewis and Clark Trail, hewing to roads and established trails closest to the Missouri and Columbia Rivers from St. Louis to Fort Clatsop near present-day Astoria, Oregon. They visited every state in the U.S. and traveled to Europe, the Caribbean, Australia, and

New Zealand. They greatly enjoyed spending time with his roommates and brother rats, John St. George ’57 (Betty), Joe Moody ’57 (Sue), and John Quillen ’57 (Judy).

Joe enjoyed playing golf and reading, particularly historical books about World War II. He was a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. He was a member of the Country Club of Virginia, the Commonwealth Club, the Bull & Bear Club, the Lexington Golf & Country Club, and Lexington’s Fortnightly Club. He and Ann were charter members of the Owners Club at The Homestead. He served as an active member in the Shenandoah

Valley Civil War Roundtable, was a member of the Stonewall Jackson Foundation, served on the board of Southern Sem, and was a member of the George C. Marshall Foundation. VMI was foundational to Joe. The code of a gentleman, honor, hard work, academics, perseverance—these attributes exuded from him. He will be greatly missed by his lovely and talented wife, Ann Dare, of 67 years; their sons, Jake ’85 (Suzanne), Tim ’86 (Beth), and Tom ’89 (Susanne); and eight grandchildren, Peyton, Austin, Josh, Tori, Liza, Heather, Mary Moncure, and Thomas.

Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. C. Ernest Edgar III ’58

By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer

Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. C. Ernest Edgar III ’58, the 43rd VMI commandant of cadets and deputy chief of engineers for the U.S. Army, died Aug. 26, 2025. He was 89.

Matriculating from Mobile, Alabama, Edgar was a corporal and first sergeant of Delta Company, and, in his 1st Class year, he commanded the 2nd Battalion. He earned his varsity letter as a member of the rifle and pistol teams and was involved in many activities, including the Floor Committee, the Hop Committee, the Class of 1958 Ring Figure Committee, and the Bomb. A civil engineering major, Edgar was a distinguished military graduate and commissioned in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Lee McCown ’58, Edgar’s brother rat, said, “I remember him as a regular guy, humble but confident and with a voice that could be heard from one end of the Parade Ground to the other. Ernie was well liked by all.”

Charles E. Edgar IV ’87, Edgar’s son, explained, “My father’s cadet experience was both foundational and integral to the man and leader he became after graduation. Mentors like then-Col. James M. Morgan Jr. ’45, one of his professors, and Col. Glover S. Johns Jr. [Class of 1931], who was commandant of cadets from 1957–60, both shaped the trajectory of his professional life and remained friends and confidants for the rest of their lives.”

In his 34-year military career, Edgar served in various engineering units, Corps of Engineers districts, the Corps of Engineers headquarters, and the Pentagon. He was assigned to the 237th Engineer Battalion in Germany from 1958–61 and commanded one of its companies from

1960–61. He served with the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam from 1964–66. He would return to Vietnam and lead the 577th Engineer Battalion from 1969–70. He was the commander and district engineer of the Little Rock Engineer District for 3 years before returning to VMI as commandant of cadets and professor of military science in 1978.

His son remembered that VMI announced his father’s assignment during the Class of 1958’s 20th Reunion. “We thought dad had won the Heisman: One of the most important positions at one of the greatest military schools in the world.”

Charles also remembered, “The commandant’s job is essentially a people job, and that part of it, the relationships with cadets, he cherished the most. Certainly, a few of those relationships were difficult, but regardless, he helped cadets get through difficult times.

“He relished his relationships with class officers, cadet captains, and the Honor Court, as each year brought a fresh roster and new challenges through which the Corps would learn the art of leadership,” he continued. “He and mom invited every 1st [Class cadet] to their quarters for dinner each year, a brilliant idea that gave each an opportunity to see the other in a relaxed setting ‘away from the arch.’”

Edgar’s devotion to the job was such that he read every permit. “There was a stack of them every night on our dining room table—and he returned those with spelling or grammar errors as ‘not approved.’”

While he acknowledged the job’s challenges, his son asserts, “he more often recalled the better times, whether it was cadets coming together

to accomplish something extraordinary or the individual cadet who eluded then-Captain Roger Lodi ’72 during a marathon after-taps chase through post.”

After VMI, Edgar commanded the New England Engineer Division and then was a senior executive fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. From December 1982–August 1985, he was the deputy director of civil works in the Office of the Chief of Engineers. During this time, retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Phillip Anderson ’70, then a major serving as the executive officer to the chief of engineers, met Edgar. “Ernie was an exceptional leader and mentor to me. He had my best interests in mind and readily offered guidance or counsel to help ensure my success. His fatherly overwatch and words of encouragement were most appreciated and reassuring.”

From 1985–88, Edgar commanded the Atlanta-based South Atlantic Engineer Division, which then had responsibilities for the Southeastern United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. In June 1988, Edgar returned to Washington, D.C., as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for mobilization planning requirements. His service culminated with his service as deputy commanding general and deputy chief of engineers from July 1990 until his retirement in September 1992. It was during this assignment that he also served as the acting chief of engineers.

Edgar’s military decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Army Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit, the Bronze

Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Air Medal. He held a Master of Science degree in civil engineering from Iowa State University and graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval War College. He was also a registered professional engineer in Kentucky and Alabama.

Following his military service, he held leadership positions with firms in Georgia and Virginia, including Horne Engineering Services, which was established by Darryl K. Horne ’82. He continued to serve the Institute as a member and chairman of the board of VMI Research Laboratories, Inc. His son recalls he was “especially proud to be part of the effort to rename the Nichols Engineering Building Annex as Morgan Hall, in honor of his mentor, Major General James Morgan.”

In his retirement, Edgar was always willing to

help others. McCown related one instance of this, “I asked him to come to Fort Benning for the commissioning of Gary Cutler ’04, who I had encouraged to come to VMI and who was going into the Corps of Engineers. He agreed, and we attended the ceremony together. He then stayed in touch with Gary and was as proud as I was when Gary took command of the 16th Engineer Battalion this past summer.”

Anderson, who, like Edgar, became a major general and served as the head of the South Atlantic Division, remembered Edgar’s enduring interest in him and his family. “As previous commanders of the South Atlantic Division, Ernie and I got to know each other more socially during the annual meetings of former commanders. He was always interested in my family as he shared stories about Elizabeth and his family, along with

Michael E. Hall ’67

By J.I. Orrison ’67

the latest news from VMI. We became very close and trusted friends because we shared so many common bonds and experiences.”

Edgar faithfully attended VMI events, especially his class reunions. “At each reunion,” McCown related, “we would fall in at Ernie’s command and march into barracks wearing our ‘uniform’ of blue blazers and khakis for our Old Yells, which he would lead with our class president, Stirling Williamson [’58].”

Edgar’s survivors include his wife of 61 years, Elizabeth Brown Edgar; children, Charles Ernest Edgar IV ’87, Elizabeth Edgar Bole, and Leverett William Edgar, and their spouses; and seven grandchildren, as well as a brother and a sister. Those who want to honor him should donate to the Maj. Gen. C. Ernest Edgar 1958 Scholarship at VMI.

One of the cherished traditions at VMI is our connection to the history of the Institute and the sense of our role as part of the VMI family. The knowledge that we are walking in the footsteps of our forebearers is a part of the fiber of a VMI graduate. The life of retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Michael Edward Hall ’67 is a classic example.

Mike’s connection was to one of VMI’s most famous graduates, Sir Moses Ezekiel, Class of 1866. Both were VMI cadets. Both saw combat as soldiers in the service of their countries, and both were artisans of great renown.

The works of Sir Moses are evident in the

museums of the world. As cadets, we saluted his statue of Stonewall and paused in reverence to Virginia Mourning Her Dead in front of Nichols Engineering Building.

Mike became a full-time artist upon retiring from the Army. In 1990, he began restoring paintings for a firm in Tallahassee, Florida. His reputation grew, making him highly sought by insurance companies and private organizations to restore damaged art. In the late 1990s, he was engaged to restore more than 30 paintings from the Ukrainian Holocaust and Holodomor periods by Teodora Verbitskaya. These pieces

became part of a traveling educational exhibit of that time. Ironically, the exhibit was in the Florida state capitol a few weeks before Mike’s passing. He was also a sculptor and painter of military miniature figures. Like Sir Moses, Mike was adamant that his works be historically accurate. His studio looked like a massive library of reference materials. In 1993, he became the first grand master of the Atlanta Military Figure Society. Mike, thank you for carrying on the VMI spirit. You will be missed, but your legacy of artwork will continue to grace those who remain for generations to come.

The International Tennis Federation World Tennis Number for Weldon A. “Arlie” Eddins Jr. ’62 is No. 1 among all U.S. players in the Masters 85-men’s singles. Additionally, Eddins will be invited to play for the U.S. national team at the ITF Masters 85-and-over World Team Championships in Crete, Greece, in 2026.

In the past year, Eddins, who did not begin playing tennis until his 40s, played his first-ever singles in two of the four national grand slam events in the 85-plus year-old division, which has approximately 32 players hailing from the U.S. and other international countries at each competition. Eddins won the hard-court event in Laguna Beach, California, in May 2025, and the grass-court event at the prestigious Longwood Club in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, in August 2025.

Matriculating from Arlington, Virginia, Eddins graduated from VMI with a Bachelor of Science degree in math. He played both basketball and baseball and is honored in the VMI Hall of Fame for his performance in baseball. Eddins earned a Master of Science degree in computer science from American University in 1967 and a Doctor of Science degree in operations research from Grand Canyon University in 2015.

On Oct. 14, 2025, the U.S. Army Public Affairs Association awarded retired Col. David R. “Rick” Kiernan ’66 the Joe Galloway Lifetime Achievement Award for his exceptional lifetime of accomplishments and contributions to the Army Public Affairs community.

The Joe Galloway Lifetime Achievement

Award recognizes a lifetime of sustained extraordinary support to the U.S. Army and to the Army Public Affairs and Visual Information community. It is presented to a practitioner whose accomplishments broke new ground for Army Public Affairs, who gave selflessly to the community of practice, and who made major and lasting contributions to the profession.

Following a distinguished early Army career with a variety of infantry assignments across the globe, Kiernan first became involved in the field as an Army Public Affairs officer in 1977. His 26-year Army career, which spanned the Cold War, Vietnam, and the Gulf War, afforded him the opportunity to serve his country both in war and peace. In his final assignment in military public affairs, Kiernan served as chief of public affairs for U.S. Army Pacific. He also served an additional 15 years in private military service as the senior vice president and strategic communications and corporate spokesman for Military Professional Resources Incorporated, America’s first private military company.

Kiernan matriculated from Valley Stream, New York, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from VMI. He received a master’s degree in mass communications from the University of South Carolina. He is also the author of “Headlines from the Frontline: The Military and Media Relationship ... An Uneasy Truce.”

The Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, is featuring the artwork of U.S. Army Col. Michael P. Solovey ’96 from November

Solovey ’96

2025–May 2026. The Virginia War Memorial preserves the stories of veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice and honors all veterans and active duty military, serving to inspire a love of country through education.

Solovey, an ordnance officer with 30 years of active duty service, has a long history of producing military art, with an oeuvre totaling more than 200 original fine art pieces and lithograph sets.

To date, his most significant work is the watercolor lithograph depicting soldiers from the Revolutionary War through the 21st century in celebration of the Army’s 250th birthday and his upcoming retirement.

Matriculating from Williamsburg, Virginia, Solovey graduated from VMI with a Bachelor of Arts degree in modern languages (French, German, and Spanish) and a minor in fine arts. As a 2nd Class cadet, Solovey studied overseas in France at the Marchutz School of Art, Aix-en-Provence. Following graduation, Solovey commissioned into the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps. His military career has included 10 deployments to Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Kuwait, as well as numerous assignments between Germany and Italy. Currently, he serves as the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command G4 assistant chief of staff. Solovey’s military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, three Bronze Stars, six Distinguished Meritorious Service Medals, four Meritorious Service Medals, and both the Joint Service Commendation and Achievement Medals.

Book Announcements

100 Things to Do in the South Carolina Lowcountry Before You Die by Lynn Seldon ’83 and Cele Seldon. Reedy Press, 2025. ISBN: 9781681065960. Available via Amazon.

Nestled between Charleston and Savannah, the South Carolina Lowcountry is steeped in rich history, lush natural landscapes, Gullah culture, and oh-so-Southern charm and hospitality. This makes “100 Things to Do in the South Carolina Lowcountry Before You Die” the perfect travel companion for a visit to this popular destination. For outdoors lovers, explore Hilton Head Island’s miles of beaches, bike the rails-to-trails Spanish Moss Trail, kayak the meandering waterways and salt marshes with one of the Lowcountry’s outdoor outfitters, climb to the top of a lighthouse, or stay overnight in a cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in one of South Carolina’s state parks. Immerse yourself in the Reconstruction era and Gullah culture of the region at St. Helena Island’s Penn Center, Beaufort’s Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, or on a trip out to Daufuskie Island. Learn all about the region’s literary legend at the Pat Conroy Literary Center. And take a bite out of the region at Lowcountry Produce, Harold’s Country Club, and many other tasty restaurants. Whether they’re offering classic Lowcountry adventures or off-the-beatenpath experiences, a deep dive into the culture of this historically rich area, or trendy things to see, do, eat, and buy, the Seldons have the local knowledge to reveal this burgeoning coastal tourism gem.

About the Author:

A VMI graduate and U.S. Army veteran, Lynn Seldon ’83 is a longtime writer with more than 500 magazine and newspaper credits, including USA Today, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, TrailBlazer, airline inflights, several AAA publications, and dozens more. He is the author or coauthor of six nonfiction books and the author of two fiction books, “Virginia’s Ring” and “Carolina’s Ring.”

Seldon lives in Beaufort, South Carolina, with his fellow writer, coauthor, and wife, Cele Seldon. Seldon matriculated from Winchester, Virginia, and was a distinguished graduate of VMI, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and business.

Strength in Chaos: The Ultimate Leadership Blueprint for Mastering the Uncontrollable by Kevin Black ’99. Black Dingo Press, 2025. ISBN: 9798988310402. Available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and other major retailers.

“Strength in Chaos: The Ultimate Leadership Blueprint for Mastering the Uncontrollable” by Kevin Black ’99 is the first book to measure chaos at the leader and team level. Chaos—often invoked to describe stress, disorder, or dysfunction—has never been clearly defined or structured for leaders. This book changes that, offering an objective framework that organizations can apply directly to their teams. The outcome is a clear, practical blueprint that helps executives and middle managers gain a competitive edge in the very areas that drag most teams down. Black reveals that chaos isn’t vague, random, or opaque; it has a shape and follows patterns specific to leadership and team performance. His Chaos Model identifies four levels of Constructive Chaos and four levels of Destructive Chaos, giving leaders a revolutionary way to pinpoint where their teams are, predict what’s coming next, and prepare accordingly. Grounded in behavioral profiling, history, military strategy, and high-stakes leadership, this book provides a blueprint for mastering chaos. Readers will encounter vivid case studies, ranging from ancient campaigns to modern boardrooms, each clarifying how chaos unfolds and how leaders can turn disorder into strength. According to the author, this book does what most solutions miss: It names the root cause of team dysfunction and provides a system to address it directly before time, money, and energy are wasted chasing surface-level fixes.

Whether you are a middle manager striving to stabilize your team or a senior executive seeking an edge in an unpredictable marketplace, “Strength in Chaos” delivers the clarity, tools, and direction you need. It’s more than a leadership book—it’s a revolution in how individuals understand power, control, and success in the face of the uncontrollable.

About the Author:

Matriculating from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Kevin Black ’99 graduated from VMI with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.

In addition to authoring “Strength in Chaos,” Black is the founder of a new domain, Chaos Studies in Leadership. Drawing on a decade in uniform—6 years of active duty in the U.S. Army and 4 years at VMI—and two decades in the private sector, Black integrates military history, leadership, strategy, behavioral science, and business into a new level of clarity for understanding chaos and its impact on leader and team performance.

After leaving the Army, he earned a liberal arts master’s degree from Arizona State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the ASU W.P. Carey School of Business. In 2005, Black became an entrepreneur, launching a consulting practice that has supported startups, midsize companies, and even Fortune 500 companies. His work spans industries from medical device manufacturing to identity theft, helping to create more than $500 million in value for clients. His services include executive coaching, strategy development, and his renowned Controlled Chaos workshops that fuse behavioral profiling with computer wargaming.

Black has written for Forbes and USA Today and taught American military history at Scottsdale Community College for 10 years. His insights blend battlefield lessons with boardroom realities, making his work practical, engaging, and impactful for leaders at every level.

Black lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with two Australian Cattle Dogs and one American dingo.

Johnson ’79 Retires, Bissell ’98 Named New Alumni Association COO

Ed Johnson ’79, Alumni Association chief operating officer, retired in December 2025, and Brandon Bissell ’98 was named the new Alumni Association chief operating officer in November 2025.

During Johnson’s 3-year tenure, the Alumni Association saw increased alumni engagement.

“Working with our alumni volunteers, including the Alumni Association Board of Directors, I am proud of all we have accomplished in the past 3 years,” said Johnson. “We came together to reinvigorate chapter activities, increasing events by over 40%, brought back the Volunteer Leaders Conference, providing opportunities for our volunteers to learn from each other, and rejuvenated Legacy Day to provide a fun experience for our legacy children and families, increasing the number of attendees to over 300.”

Johnson’s leadership also focused on building meaningful connections between alumni and cadets with signature events and programs such as the 1st Class BBQ, which gives alumni the opportunity to mentor cadets as they prepare for the future after graduation; the Pass in Review program, which aligns 50th Reunion classes with each class in barracks; and, the Cadet–Alumni Career Networking Forum, which promotes alumni mentorship regarding resumes, internships, summer jobs, and career opportunities for all cadets.

“Ed was the right person at the right time,” said David Prasnicki, VMI Alumni Agencies chief executive officer. “His steady guidance helped the Alumni Association move forward on important initiatives, and his insight has been valued throughout his tenure.”

Prior to joining the VMI Alumni Agencies, Johnson served in the U.S. Navy for 27 years as a nuclear-trained submarine officer and spent 16 years as a federal civilian employee. He has served on the Keydet Club Board of Governors and looks forward to continuing his support for the Institute in retirement.

Stepping into the role as chief operating officer, Bissell brings 3 years of experience within the Alumni Agencies and a deep personal connection to the Institute.

Over the past year, Bissell has served as a major gift officer, following 2 years as the Alumni Association director of alumni

outreach. As chief operating officer, he will oversee the strategic and operational functions of the Alumni Association, foster alumni engagement, and support the long-term mission of the VMI Alumni Agencies. In this capacity, he will be responsible for the comprehensive, self-governed Alumni Association of nearly 26,000 graduates and provide support to Matthew Hemenez ’90, VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors president.

“I have had the privilege of working with Brandon when he was director of alumni outreach for the Alumni Association prior to his joining the VMI Foundation as a major gifts officer,” said Hemenez. “In both capacities, I have seen him operate as a highly effective leader. We are glad to have his background, experience, and positive energy leading the Alumni Association. Our alumni membership sets a high bar of expectations, and we know that Brandon will exceed them.”

Bissell matriculated from Lexington, Virginia, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from VMI and a Master of Business Administration degree from Liberty University.

During his cadetship, Bissell played on the football team and was a member of the Army Aviation Association of America chapter and the Big Red Club. Upon graduation, he commissioned in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant and commenced aviation officer basic course and flight training. In October 2018, Bissell retired as a lieutenant colonel following a 20-year military career. He’s married to his high school sweetheart, Rebecca L. Bissell, and they have two daughters.

“It is my honor to welcome Brandon Bissell, Class of 1998, back to the Alumni Association as the chief operating officer,” said Johnson. “His previous experience in the Alumni Association and current position as a major gift officer make him well-suited to lead the team into the future.”

Reflecting on Bissell’s role as chief operating officer, Prasnicki said, “Brandon has a unique set of skills and experience that ensures a strong transition in leadership. I am looking forward to his leadership and vision as we begin a new chapter for the VMI Alumni Association.”

de Venoge ’88, Gonzalez ’25 Join Alumni Agencies Staff

Frank de Venoge ’88 joined the VMI Alumni Agencies as a major gifts officer Oct. 27, 2025.

Matriculating from McLean, Virginia, de Venoge graduated from VMI with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. After graduation, he commissioned into the U.S. Navy as a surface warfare officer serving aboard the USS Peleliu (LHA5). Most recently, he has worked for the past decade as a relationship manager with Harris Williams, an investment bank in Richmond, Virginia.

Gonzalez ’25 de Venoge ’88

de Venoge is a resident of Richmond, where he resides with his wife of 31 years, Amy. They have three children.

“We are excited to add Frank to the development team,” said Andrew Deal ’12, Alumni Agencies chief development officer and Keydet Club chief operating officer. “Frank shares a strong passion for the Institute, and we look forward to him representing the Alumni Agencies and VMI in the proud work that we do on behalf of the Corps of Cadets.”

Alexis Gonzalez ’25 joined the VMI Alumni Agencies as the Alumni

Association director of alumni engagement Nov. 3, 2025. Gonzalez is originally from Arlington, Texas. Throughout her time at VMI, she developed her leadership abilities through numerous roles in the Corps of Cadets. Gonzalez served as an emergency medical technician and as the Cadet Equity Association president during her 1st Class year.

A proud VMI graduate, Gonzalez holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and possesses a substantial background in emergency medical services, including experience as an instructor and curriculum developer in addition to her role as an EMT.

“After spending 4 years in barracks and graduating in the Class of 2025, Alexis brings extensive experience in collaboration and working as a volunteer,” said Ed Johnson ’79, recently retired VMI Alumni Association chief operating officer. “Her background working as a cadet EMT for the Lexington Fire Department demonstrates her ability to support the Alumni Association in working with our 99 chapters around the world.”

Saturday, April 11, 2026

7:30 a.m.–1 p.m. | Ages 5-18

Don’t miss your chance to enroll your future rats in Legacy Day 2026! You can do so via the link below or by scanning the QR code to the left with your smartphone or tablet camera.

In-State Out-of-State

12 Foreign Countries Represented

Student to Faculty Ratio

States & Territories Represented (in addition to D.C.) 10:1 $33,016 18 23% 84%

Cadets Received ROTC Scholarships

Average Cost

NCAA Division I Athletic Teams

14 28 Majors Minors

STEM non-STEM & Academic Breakdown

Cadets Received Financial Aid

“I was so impressed with the VMI leadership journey. ... I think we should take the example we have seen here today and consider how can you interpret this kind of model into the life of other institutions. ... They have set a high bar here. ... We have talked so much at SCHEV about the importance of civic leadership, civic responsibility, leadership, [and] ethics—how you teach that in the 21st century. Here is a very compelling model, and one that we should consider how to apply in other contexts.”

Mr. Jason El Koubi, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Board Member