Founders Day, Veterans Day

By Lt Col P

I hope you all recognized Veterans Day with the solemnity and import it is due. I did. (Read below.)

We must also recognize today as VMI Founders Day, as on 11 Nov 1839 the first cadet sentinel relieved the old arsenal guard. This act is well recorded in the annals of the Institute, and the name of that cadet-- John B. Strange, shown below as CO, 19th Virginia Infantry, in which post he was killed in action during the Civil War-- is memorized by all.

(I wonder when the first fight occurred between the cadets and the students of W&L, then Washington College? That date is lost to history, although we can safely guess the outcome.)

I celebrated the day in the most appropriate manner I could think of, that is, the joyous discharge of firearms at the local indoor range. I put another hundred rounds through the Smith & Wesson M&P15T, and about fifty through the old Springfield Armory .45. Altogether a satisfying day.

Let us not forget those alumni who are downrange today, among them Our Man Slab, Our Man '91 in Kabul, and two of my own BRs. "Ready in every time of deepest peril..."

November 11, 2007 05:32 PM VMI ~ Veterans

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Comments

I pray for my fellow alums in harms way and everyone else for that matter in harms way in the war against islamic extremism. Thank God for you all and those who have gone before us.
From the VMI side, let us not forget Maj. Jamie Edge and Maj. Paul Syverson. You will not be forgotten.

Seg · November 11, 2007 06:48 PM

I only put about 20 slugs through the 12-ga. Saturday morning after spending a few hours in the tree stand.

Saturday night was the AH Hirsch Reserve--whiskey for the USMC.

Sunday was the Glenmorangie--I figured whisky for Founder's Day/Veteran's Day.

'Course today is a work day for me...

bullnav · November 12, 2007 07:34 AM

Rubber Bat-- 20 12-ga slugs is a lot! No wonder you needed a drink afterwards!

LtCol P · November 12, 2007 07:42 AM

They were only the Remington 3" Magnum High Velocity 7/8 oz. slugs. NOTHING compared to the 3 1/2", 2 oz. turkey loads I shoot.

Plus, the new Limbsaver buttpad I put on the shotgun helped some...

The drink was only to honor the USMC.

bullnav · November 12, 2007 11:14 AM

Bullnav: AHH is an excellent choice, but all that Hirsch will be gone someday. This site is helping me find worthy substitutes: straightbourbon.com

Solomon2 · November 12, 2007 12:12 PM

Thanks for the info that Col Strange was a VMI grad. Many of my family served in the 19th Va and I have a photo of their flag over my desk. Little war story. My Great great uncle Ed of the 19th was hit several times at G'burg,picked up by the Yanks who amputated his leg. After reconstruction he ran for office with the slogan "Vote for the man with two left legs - one left on his body, one left at Gettysberg" Of course, he won by a landslide.

Possum · November 12, 2007 12:59 PM

One of my philosophy professors at Washington & Lee referred to the W&L-VMI division as Athens versus Sparta.

Actually, during the entire time I was at W&L I was not aware of a single significant incident of fisticuffs between our two peoples. Cadets were always welcome in my fraternity house, at least. (Of course, given my fraternity was founded by VMI cadets, we could hardly be inhospitable to the same.) Anyway, lest we forget, in the Civil War my fellow alumni fought alongside yours, probably in the same brigade.

And as I and several of my friends from W&L wound up in the military just the same as many of you VMI grads have, the tradition of Lexingtonian unity fighting against a common enemy continues...

Norman · November 12, 2007 03:33 PM