Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets' freshman class trip to the National D-Day Memorial in 2009
BLACKSBURG, Va., Sept. 16, 2010 – For the fourth consecutive year the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets’ freshman class will travel to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Va., on Saturday, Sept. 25.
This is always a motivational trip that allows the newest cadets to learn about the special relationship Virginia Tech has with the Bedford memorial.
Twenty Virginia Tech alumni made the ultimate sacrifice on the beaches of Normandy and the surrounding area on June 6th, 1944, and the weeks immediately afterwards. Eight alumni died on the beaches on the first day of the invasion, including alumnus 1st Lt. Jimmie Monteith, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his valorous actions in securing a position on Omaha Beach. Monteith served in the corps of cadets as a member of the Class of 1941 in K Company. He led his troops on D-Day on Omaha Beach and repeatedly organized numerous assaults against the enemy despite heavy fire. Monteith was killed in action and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Virginia Tech's Monteith Hall is named after him and houses the 3rd Battalion of the corps. A commemorative plaque now hangs at the D-Day Memorial recognizing these 20 alumni of Virginia Tech.
Through the generosity of Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets alumnus Raymond Reed, Class of 1957, and his wife Peggy, the freshman cadets visit the memorial to gain an understanding of this special place. The Reeds have funded the transportation costs each year, and the memorial grants the cadets free admission.
In addition, the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets continues its strong support of the National D-Day Memorial with its annual collection at Corps Homecoming, this year held in conjunction with the James Madison game on Sept. 11. The collection effort this year was coordinated by Cadet Adrien Wilkins of Apple Valley, Calif., a junior majoring in English in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and pursuing a minor in leadership studies. Wilkins is a member of the Marine ROTC program and is a recipient of an Emerging Leader Scholarship. Thanks to the generosity of Virginia Tech fans, $3,370 was raised bringing the total the corps has collected to over $181,300.
The corps started supporting the memorial in 2001 when then Cadet Anthony Madeira, who earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering in 2005, read that the memorial was facing bankruptcy and felt someone needed to step up and help. Madeira started the effort as a company service project and his company raised $6,000 the first year and $10,000 the next and by Madeira’s senior year it had developed into a corps-wide annual service project. The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets is the largest, non-corporate sponsor of the memorial and the relationship with the memorial continues to grow each year.
The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets has produced military, public, and corporate leaders since the university was founded in 1872. It is one of just two military corps within a large public university. The corps holds its members to the highest standards of loyalty, honor, integrity, and self-discipline. In return, cadets achieve high academic success and a long-lasting camaraderie with fellow members. Virginia Tech, the most comprehensive university in Virginia, is dedicated to quality, innovation, and results to the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.