VMI at Inaugural Parade

bjkuds

5-Year Member
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The VMI Corps of Cadets have been selected to march in the Presidential Inaugural Parade on January 21st 2013.
I just think it is cool. What an honor.
 
The VMI Corps of Cadets have been selected to march in the Presidential Inaugural Parade on January 21st 2013.
I just think it is cool. What an honor.

You're right, it's awesome! It's basically a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and what better place to represent? :thumb:
 
You're right, it's awesome! It's basically a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and what better place to represent? :thumb:

It is a big deal- typically lost on Cadets until well afterwards but they will remember it later as a big deal. I marched in Jimmy Carter's inaugural & my son in Obama's first inaugural parade. It was pretty exciting to be a part of it- though as with everything Presidential- it will take hurry up and wait to a whole new level for the Cadets, and it was pretty tough to avoid the horse bombs that littered the parade route:eek:. But there will be some very cool pictures to share. Your Cadet will be the one in grey (trust me there is no way you will recognize anyone unless they are in the front rank of this 1500 man mass formation:wink:
March well Keydets!
 
Norwich's Band Company will be there too, just got word today!
 
Norwich's Band Company will be there too, just got word today!

Have fun! :thumb:

In 2009, it was 27°F during the Inaugural. That was warm compared to our practice parades. With windchill, it ended up below zero for two of the practice parades. They actually ended those practices early :)eek: :eek:) because the brass section was literally freezing. I'm sure this is standard for Norwich, but we weren't used to it in Virginia.

The nice part about technology today is that it'll be all over YouTube long before you get back to Vermont!

-jmb-
 
As a member of the Regimental Band at The Citadel, I was fortunate enough to play at Reagan's first inauguration. If I had to play at Obama's inauguration, I'd go AWOL.
 
Col Keith Gibson narrates a pretty good short video on the parade. Keith is the director of the VMI museum and like me- marched in the Carter Inauguration parade.
It's a pretty exciting event - and will be more so as time goes on.
And between now and then- MERRY CHRISTMAS!

http://www.vmi.edu/Content.aspx?id=10737423536&libID=10737423532
and I found a picture of me marching in the Inaugural Parade in 1977- you will recognize me - I'm the one wearing the Grey with the Red Cape and looking left:wink:.
0333905.jpg

That by the way was a hard parade to march in. In typical Jimmy Carter fashion- Carter couldn't do what everyone else had done and review the parade from a stand that was parallel to the street. He clearly had forgotten the joys of parading from his days at Annapolis because the reviewing stand was set at an angle to the street so we had to dress not only to the front and sides, but to the oblique as well, all the while avoiding ice and horse droppings. I had visions of slipping and impaling one of my Brother Rats with my bayonet, or worse- being impaled:eek:. (Just one of many things I held against Carter. The next week he made it far worse with his pardoning of the draft dodgers and deserters.) Still- the parade was a pretty exciting event and quite an honor for us to be a part of as representatives of Virginia. It will be an honor for the Cadets this time that they too will remember for a long time to come.
 
Unlike Bruno, I don't have any awesome pics in which you can clearly see me within the sea of grey marching in President Obama's first Inaugural. But with modern technology, I do have a YouTube video. Although you can't really pick me out, every time you hear the cymbals crash, you're totally hearing me. :thumb:

Jackie M. Briski
VMI Class of 2009
Bloodthirsty Band Co.
 
My 3rd will be there and I know that although I won't see him-he is part of the grey wave....recently promoted to Regimental Staff, he is not sure where he will be but he'll be there....DH taking time off just to watch, me I'll be youtubing...
 
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