Retired Col. James Tom Roberts, U.S. Army, (left) Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Class of 1962
BLACKSBURG, Va., Sept. 27, 2010 – Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets alumnus retired Col. James Tom Roberts, U.S. Army, who earned a degree in business administration from the Pamplin College of Business in 1962 has been selected as the Hokie Hero for the Virginia Tech versus Boston College game.
The corps Hokie Hero program started in 2006 by ISP Sports and sponsored by the University Bookstore, honors Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets alumni who are currently deployed. Recipients of this honor are highlighted by Bill Roth and Mike Burnop during the radio broadcast of Virginia Tech football games, on the corps website, on the corps alumni website and in the Corps Review magazine.
Roberts is currently stationed as a Department of the Army civilian at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, in Tikrit, Iraq, as the Law Enforcement advisor to the commanding general, 3rd Infantry Division, providing management advice on police operations and training. His duties take him to various locations in the northern part of Iraq above Baghdad.
Roberts is a 1962 graduate of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, was the executive officer of the third battalion in the corps his senior year, and now serves on the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets alumni board of directors. He is a native of Texas, and currently lives in Savannah, Ga. Roberts says he sends his love to his wife Mary Anne.
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.
Below are the previous Hokie Heroes from the 2010-11 season.