Medal of Honor

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Landy91

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Ran into a Virginia Tech grad yesterday (class of 1960) who told me many interesting facts about VPI and their Corps of Cadets. He called his “VPI” the “old corps” and said VPI just built new barracks for the Corps. It was interesting to hear his knowledge on several VPI, Texas A&M, and VMI graduates who have been awarded the highest award in the military, the Medal of Honor. I knew VPI had several but unsure about the others... What are the numbers on SMC MoH recipients?
 
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Around here we call it Tech. I occasionally use Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in conversation and people don't know what I'm talking about. That's a mouthful though. I usually just call it Tech.
 
I've also heard old timers use VPI. They probably wouldn't know what Tech is.
 
At our house, we call it VAH-TEK. It’s short and sweet, and distinguishes it from the many other places that could go by “Tech.” And only because DS decided to apply there, after we made a quick visit to Blacksburg before Thanksgiving.

I wasn’t expecting much, to be honest. And that anticipation was reinforced when we hit town around dusk. Not much to see, and what there was to see wasn’t much. We even had a hard time finding a “local” place to eat (blame that on the pandemic). And the students had cleared out, told to return in 2021, so the typical vibe was missing.

But the next day, under a cloudless sky and amid brisk breezes, we were so impressed by the campus. Beautiful vistas, vast yet compact, bold and uniform architecture, seemingly endless greenery. And if you stood near the Corps’ gray stone building, facing the war memorial and the plain beyond, you could squint and swear you were at that military academy along the Hudson.

That first and lasting impression, plus VPI&SU’s strong STEM programs, hooked DS. He also applied to Mr. Jefferson’s University, a first-rate school to be sure, but I get the sense that ROTC is a bit more highly valued and well respected at VAH-TEK.
 
MidCakePa said:
At our house, we call it VAH-TEK. It’s short and sweet, and distinguishes it from the many other places that could go by “Tech.” And only because DS decided to apply there, after we made a quick visit to Blacksburg before Thanksgiving.

I wasn’t expecting much, to be honest. And that anticipation was reinforced when we hit town around dusk. Not much to see, and what there was to see wasn’t much. We even had a hard time finding a “local” place to eat (blame that on the pandemic). And the students had cleared out, told to return in 2021, so the typical vibe was missing.

But the next day, under a cloudless sky and amid brisk breezes, we were so impressed by the campus. Beautiful vistas, vast yet compact, bold and uniform architecture, seemingly endless greenery. And if you stood near the Corps’ gray stone building, facing the war memorial and the plain beyond, you could squint and swear you were at that military academy along the Hudson.

That first and lasting impression, plus VPI&SU’s strong STEM programs, hooked DS. He also applied to Mr. Jefferson’s University, a first-rate school to be sure, but I get the sense that ROTC is a bit more highly valued and well respected at VAH-TEK.
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The visit and overnight my son did in Fall 2019 sealed it for him. Before that, he had his heart set on UVA. One year later, he's been accepted ED at VAH-TEK for the Class of 2025. Waiting on the second AROTC board now!
 
Gotta love that hokie stone. A rather monastic environment but on i would have liked to attend.
 
Landy91 said:
Ran into a Virginia Tech grad yesterday (class of 1960) who told me many interesting facts about VPI and their Corps of Cadets. He called his “VPI” the “old corps” and said VPI just built new barracks for the Corps. It was interesting to hear his knowledge on several VPI, Texas A&M, and VMI graduates who have been awarded the highest award in the military, the Medal of Honor. I knew VPI had several but unsure about the others... What are the numbers on SMC MoH recipients?
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In answer to your question on MOH recipients from various SMCs - there are 7 VMI alumni who are recipients of the MoH. https://www.vmi.edu/archives/geneal...n-the-military/vmi-medal-of-honor-recipients/
 
Thanks Bruno. Looks like we posted right about the same time!
After some research found this: VAH-TEK, Texas A&M, and VMI all have 7 alumni that are Medal of Honor Recipients. Impressive and the stories are fascinating.
Note:
VAH-TEK has a cenotaph in a war memorial with all 7 names listed on it (suppose it’s the stone referred to by Kinnem). One VT recipient is considered the first Virginian awarded the medal for WWI and one VT recipient, Robert Femoyer, is the only navigator ever awarded the medal.
Texas A&M had 3 classmates (1943) who were awarded the medal. One recipient, LT Leonard ‘42, who was KIA had his ring returned to the school by a German officer in 2000. The officer’s father found the ring 60 years prior.
One VMI recipient was a surgeon and another VMI recipient, Gen Kilbourne, was the first American to hold the nation’s 3 highest military awards for valor.
Didn’t find info from the other SMCs...
 
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Landy91 said:
Thanks Bruno. Looks like we posted right about the same time!
After some research found this: VAH-TEK, Texas A&M, and VMI all have 7 alumni that are Medal of Honor Recipients. Impressive and the stories are fascinating.
Note:
VAH-TEK has a cenotaph in a war memorial with all 7 names listed on it (suppose it’s the stone referred to by Kinnem). One VT recipient is considered the first Virginian awarded the medal for WWI and one VT recipient, Robert Femoyer, is the only navigator ever awarded the medal.
Texas A&M had 3 classmates (1943) who were awarded the medal. One recipient, LT Leonard ‘42, who was KIA had his ring returned to the school by a German officer in 2000. The officer’s father found the ring 60 years prior.
One VMI recipient was a surgeon and another VMI recipient, Gen Kilbourne, was the first American to hold the nation’s 3 highest military awards for valor.
Didn’t find info from the other SMCs...
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I suppose it's made from hokie stone, but do not know. Most of the stone buildings are made of hokie stone which comes from the area. Hence the VATech Hokies.
 
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