Alumni and Friends of VMI:
Cyber Corps Numbers: 560
Breakout!: The rat breakout is officially
underway. It starts today and if everything goes as expected it
will end Sunday with a 20+ mile march to New Market. I have been
told that the Commandant's Office is urging parents, etc. not to
go to New Market to observe the rats marching in. As soon as rats
(fourth classmen??) arrive at New Market they'll be put on buses
and return to Lexington. I imagine that they'd be a bit tired
after the ordeal.
Death in the VMI Family: I recently received the
following e-mail from Hank Foresman '76.
RB,
Just heard tonight that Colonel Jack Reeves died this day. My
understanding is the family will receive visitors on Friday night
at Harrison's funeral home and the funeral will be Saturday at
2pm at the Oxford Presbyterian Church. The Oxford church is
located in the Collierstown areas of the county.
Keydets Bounced in First Round: Keydets lost in
the first round of the SC Tournament. Apparently they had come
back from a 17 point deficit in the second half to briefly take
the lead but were pretty much shut down during the last 8
minutes. Final score was Furman 57 - Vmi 49.
But, On A Better Note....:
VMI's Bell earns Southern honor
Wednesday, February 24, 1999
ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Virginia Military Institute's Jason Bell has
been selected to the all-Southern Conference first team.
Bell, a 6-1 senior guard averaged 19.2 points and had 74 steals.
He is joined on the team by Sedric Webber (College of
Charleston), Greg Stephens (East Tennessee State), Marshall
Phillips (Appalachian State) and Ian Chadwick (Wofford).
The ABC's According to VMI: I'm sure I'm not the
only alum who never quite understood the meaning behind VMI class
years with suffixes behind them (i.e. the class of 50A, 50B,
etc.) One of our newest Cyber Corps participants provided the
following explanation. Although I must admit that I've had this
explained to me on several occasions, it was during reunion
weekends when I may not have been quite lucid.
Dear Mr. Lane,
Please put me on your address list for the CC updates. My class,
1949B, is returning in late April for our 50th reunion. We go
back to Lexington every five years, and in between, we have an
annual practice reunion at assorted sites around the USA - so
far, Atlanta, Tallahassee, Gulf Shores AL, Marco Island FL,
Austin TX, San Diego, Maggie Valley NC, Charlottesville, Virginia
Beach, and Hampton VA. A "hard core" shows up to each
of them.
Many alumni do not understand the "A", "B",
and "C"(only one C) suffixes for the classes of 1948,
49, and 50. Explanation is quite simple. For a short time during
WW2, VMI operated on a three semester per annum system. A new
class entered each semester during this period, except for a one
semester void between 49B and 50A. Thus, '48B entered in Summer
1944, '49A entered in January 1945, and '49B entered in July
1945. A semester passed (in the Fall of 1945) with no new class
entering, then '50A entered in Spring 1946, and '50B entered in
Fall 1946. This got things back on schedule, and '51 needed no
suffix. The class of '49C was a conglomeration of returned
veterans from several classes and a few academic turn backs from
'49B, and this hybrid class was "plugged in" between
'49C and '50A. An important and distinctive fact is that '49C had
no common ratline. '49C graduated in June 1949, the semester
between '49B and '50A.
A couple of points need emphasis. (1) All cadets who graduated
with a "wartime" or "suffixed" class went the
full eight semesters (at least) before graduation. Some classes
(mine for example) graduated in 3 1/2 calendar years, but still
enjoyed (?) eight semesters. (2) Because each suffixed class had
a separate ratline (except '49C), their brother rat loyalties are
to their class and their class only. i.e., all '49s are NOT
brother rats. Some '49C grads claim dual brother rat loyalties -
to their original class and to their graduation class.
Hope this clears up this question. I get asked about it at most
alumni chapter meetings. You may want to file the explanation for
use in the future.
Warm VMI regards,
Alonzo J. "Lon" Walter, '49B
Austin TX
From the "Great Comeback" Department:
A couple folks sent me the following. Sen. Glenn can be
articulate on occasion.
SENATE SESSION
This exchange between Senators John Glenn and Howard Metzenbaum
is worth reading. Not only is it a pretty impressive impromptu
speech, but it's also a good example of one man's explanation of
why men and women in the Uniformed Services do what they do for a
living.
Senator Metzenbaum to Senator Glenn: "How can you run for
Senate when you've never held a real "job"?"
Senator Glenn: "I served 23 years in the United States
Marine Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My
plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different occasions. I
was in the space program. It wasn't my checkbook; it was my Life
on the line. It was not a 9 to 5 job where I took time off to
take the daily cash receipts to the bank.
I ask you to go with me... as I went the other day ... to a
Veterans Hospital and look at those men with their mangled bodies
in the eye and tell them they didn't hold a job. You go with me
to the space program and go as I have gone to the widows and
orphans of Ed White and Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee and you
look those kids in the eye and tell them that their dad didn't
hold a job.
You go with me on Memorial Day coming up, and you stand in
Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends than I'd
like to remember, and you watch those waving flags, and you stand
there, and you think about this nation, you tell me that those
people didn't have a job.
I'll tell you, Howard Metzenbaum, you should be on your knees
every day of your life thanking God that there were some men-SOME
MEN- who held a job. And they required a dedication to purpose
and a love of country and a dedication to duty that was more
important than life itself. And their self-sacrifice is what made
this country possible. I HAVE HELD A JOB, HOWARD! What about
you?"
VMI Baseball: Ben Bradford drove in four runs
and Eric Walker had three hits and two RBI in the Keydets' 11-5
rout over Davidson.
Wes Barrow (1-1) gave up 11 hits in eight innings for VMI (2-2,
2-2 Southern Conference). Ed Pearson capped the scoring for the
Keydets with a solo homer, his first, in the top of the ninth at
Davidson, N.C.
Southern Conference indoor track and field: VMI's James
Yarborough and Kenny Carmichael finished 1-2 in the men's
400-meter dash to highlight the Keydets' third-place finish.
Western Carolina finished first with 159.5, followed by
Appalachian State (139.5) and the Keydets (108).
VMI's women had four of the top seven finishers in the weight
throw, led by Kelly Sullivan, who finished second. The Keydet
women finished sixth out of nine schools.
Hey, that's it for this week. Congratulations to the almost class
of '02 (which does, by the way, include my nephew).
Yours in the Spirit,
RB Lane '75
Last Updated: October 11, 2009
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