Post View Unavailable:
Post View is currently unavailable due to technical difficulties. More information.Last Updated: 01-08-2026 09:42 AM»
Notice:
VMI.edu has recently been updated and upgraded. Please note that some URLs may have changed. Visitors are encouraged to use the new, expanded site menu and site search to navigate through these changes.
New Website Launched»
Virginia Military Institute’s Office of Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion will celebrate International Dance Day with a performance of Irish dance by Blue Ridge Irish Music School (BRIMS), Saturday, April 11 in Marshall Hall. The event is free and open to the public.
The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a complimentary Irish-themed dinner catered by Parkhurst Dining in the Hall of Valor. Reservations are required for the dinner by April 3 and may be made by going here.
The dance performance starts at 7 p.m. in Gillis Theater. No reservations are required for it.
Located in Charlottesville, BRIMS is dedicated to carrying on the music and dance traditions of Ireland. The BRIMS Traditional Ensemble plays lively dance tunes on fiddles, flutes, guitar, penny whistles, and accordion for the BRIMS Irish Dance Ensemble. More about BRIMS may be found on their website.
Plutarch, the 1st century Greek philosopher, historian, and author wrote, “Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.” Two Virginians — one a poet and the other a painter — have united in blending visual and literary art forms to enhance their creative expressions and to celebrate Virginia 250.
Mattie Quesenberry Smith, Ph.D., instructor in the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies at Virginia Military Institute and Virginia’s poet laureate, has collaborated with acclaimed artist, Andras Bality, for his exhibition at Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA) in Farmville. The exhibition titled, “Close to Home: Andras Bality’s Virginia,” celebrates the breadth and beauty of the Virginia landscape and includes 25 of Bality’s paintings.
Smith was commissioned by LCVA to write a poem in response to Bality’s work. The poem, “Twilight in Bath County, Virginia,” was written in memory of Alden Smith Shriver and her husband, Beverly R. Shriver, longtime residents of Bath County, now buried in Warm Springs Cemetery. Its opening stanza describes the breaking of dawn in Bath County: “Across the oceans, breeze-blown eastern light rises — just like the bright morning sun. It slips across the Atlantic’s rankled edge, spills onto the Piedmont’s fallow fields, and crests Shenandoah.” The entire poem is displayed between two of Bality’s paintings; “Rockbridge Longhorns,” and “Brownsburg View” at LCVA.
The exhibition opened Feb. 20 and will run through Sept. 6. In tandem with the display, a book by the same name of the exhibition has been published highlighting the paintings as well as Smith’s poem. Additional information may be found on LCVA’s website.
The Center for Leadership and Ethics (CLE) at Virginia Military Institute will host a return performance of “11 Days: The Story of Operation Pineapple Express,” Monday, April 6, at 7 p.m. in Gillis Theater, Marshall Hall. The event is open to the public.
Written and performed by retired U.S. Army Green Beret Lt. Col. Scott Mann, the gripping one-man, one-act stage production uses storytelling to explore the human cost, moral courage, and leadership displayed during the final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Adapted from Mann’s New York Times bestselling book, “Operation Pineapple Express,” the play offers an emotional, firsthand look into the volunteer-led efforts that helped evacuate nearly 1,000 at-risk Afghan interpreters, commandos, and their families.
Some scenes of the show contain strong language, intense emotional themes, and trauma-related material, which may not be suitable for children.
Tickets will be available at the door, payable by cash or check only. Price of general admission is $10, and $5 for veterans and senior citizens. VMI cadets, faculty, and staff are admitted free with VMI ID. Reservations are not required. Immediately following the performance, the production team will hold a discussion with the audience.
Virginia Military Institute welcomes photographer Anna Gage Norton, Thursday, April 2 at 4:30 p.m. in Pogue Auditorium, Marshall Library. Norton will discuss her forthcoming book, “On Nochaway,” a long-term photo-documentary project about her family’s efforts to reestablish the longleaf pine ecosystem on their ancestral farm in South Georgia. The event is free and open to the public.
Norton’s work deals with her relationship to place and centers around questions of historical and geological time, the animate and inanimate, permanence and transience. She exhibits in solo and group shows regionally and throughout the United States.
Norton received her Master of Fine Arts in photography from Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University in Philadelphia. She earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Tulane University in New Orleans.
Norton’s photographs have been published widely in such major journals as the Oxford American and Southern Cultures. She is on the leadership team of Kinship Photography Collective and a member of the executive committee of Slow Exposures. She currently lives in Highlands, North Carolina, where she continues her photography and videography for her personal and professional work.
The event is sponsored by the Institute Honors Program and the Dean’s Academic Speakers Program.
Gen. George S. Patton, VMI Class of 1907, is credited with saying, “The supreme measure of a man, is what he would risk his life for.” By Patton’s gauge, retired U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. William “Kyle” Carpenter [held rank of Lance Corporal at Medal of Honor action date], who humbly stands at 5 feet, 5 inches, is a giant among men.
Carpenter, the youngest living recipient of the Medal of Honor (MOH), participated in a moderated interview at Virginia Military Institute March 9 in Cameron Hall before the entire Corps of Cadets, faculty and staff, and members of the community. His appearance was part of the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics’ (CLE) Courageous Leadership Speaker series and H.B. Johnson, Class of 1926, Distinguished Lecture series. Col. David Gray, executive director of the CLE, served as moderator. The CLE’s leadership theme this academic year is “American Values,” and explores honor, integrity, service, and character as the nation prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary.
The MOH is the U.S. armed forces’ highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, guardians, and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. President Barack Obama presented the MOH to Carpenter in 2014 for the heroic act of throwing himself on a grenade to save his best friend and fellow Marine, Nick Eufrazio.
In 2010, the two were manning a rooftop security post in Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, during a chaotic battle. A grenade was thrown on the roof by enemy forces, and instinctively, Carpenter covered the grenade with his body to protect Eufrazio. Carpenter’s Kevlar body armor took the brunt of the explosion, which blew a hole through the roof. Marines and medics immediately came to his aid, and were able to medevac him to a hospital within 40 minutes. He was resuscitated multiple times, his heart stopped twice, and he remained unconscious for five weeks.
Incredibly, Carpenter stirred back into consciousness with optimism. “I woke up thinking that I would never wake up again. I could never not be thankful or hopeful, because no matter how banged up I was, I experienced the alternative. It wasn’t a deep sleep, it was nothing. Clearly, I didn’t fully commit,” he quipped to the delight of his audience. Indeed, not only did Carpenter not commit to death, but he has fully embraced life, and accepted his path and purpose of sharing his message of hope to others.
The grenade blast left Carpenter with deep scars all over his body and took out his right eye. He stayed in the hospital three years and endured 50 surgeries. The pain and adversity most people would use as an excuse to give up on life, Carpenter sees as tools toward growth. He told his audience, “Without adversity and sometimes extreme adversity, you can never reach your ongoing full potential. You can never be perfect, but adversity is the path to becoming the best version of yourself. Growth and comfort cannot coexist. Through those most difficult times, I learned the greatest and most powerful, optimistic lessons.”To the cadets, who daily live a Spartan life and don’t always appreciate the significance of their discomfort he said, “Embrace the adversity. Understand that the most difficult lessons, the most difficult past, the hardships, struggles, and those roads less taken, will teach you more about yourself and the world, and in turn, allow you to help and lead those around you, much more than you ever would have had you taken the easy or the already paved road. You can have the right people around you. You can have people that push you. You can have professors that care, that try to teach you day in and day out, but ultimately, it is up to you to accept what you’re being taught and apply it today and every day for the rest of your life.”
Of the medal itself, which he graciously allowed to be circulated among the cadets, the soft-spoken Carpenter shared he has a love-hate relationship with it.
A cadet admires Carpenter’s Medal of Honor in Cameron Hall during the moderated interview.—VMI photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.
“I’m honored and deeply humbled to be a recipient, to be recognized by our great nation, but it’s difficult to wear. The weight of it is immeasurable. It is a medal and a recognition for us all. It’s not an individual award. It seems like it, but it never has been and it never will be. It represents all Americans. It represents those that never made it home.”
Following a standing ovation, Carpenter lingered to sign copies of his book, “You Are Worth It: Building a Life Worth Fighting For.” Hundreds stood in line to purchase the manuscript and to meet the author.
In an evening event held in Memorial Hall, VMI has announced ranks for the 187th Regiment of the Institute. The following members of the Class of 2027 will take charge of the Corps for the 2026-27 academic year:
Regimental Staff
Regimental Commander (RCO) – Kimlong Nguyen Regimental Executive Officer (XO) – River Smith Regimental Chief of Staff – Gabriel DuPlessis
Commander (CO) – Katelyn Redlinger Executive Officer (XO) – Alejandra Knoedler Lieutenants: S1 – Lucienne Ashmore S2 – John Stotler S3 – Samuel Hart S4 – Hans Ryerson S5 – Hayden Barrett S6 – Adam Serfass S7 – Adam Brinkley S8 – Meagan Riding S9 – Amari Benjamin
Alpha Company
Bravo Company
Charlie Company
CO – Cameron Jones XO – Donovan Blake 1st PL- Kevin Shank 2nd PL – Thomas Maxwell 3rd PL – Nicko Lamm 4th PL – Da Ke
CO – Aiden Psczulkoski XO – Joshua Lyman 1st PL – Austin Knott 2nd PL – Aiden Reese 3rd PL – Fang-Yu Zhuo 4th PL – Sean Upshaw
CO – Jacob DeMarco XO – Alexander Riley 1st PL – Caleb Donaghey 2nd PL – Jun Xin Liu 3rd PL – Aslyn Litton 4th PL – Quinn Layman
Delta Company
Echo Company
Foxtrot Company
CO – Connor Roche XO – Emily Ward 1st PL- Nicholas Collins 2nd PL – Denizhan Cakar 3rd PL – Dylan Poley 4th PL – Jack Webb
CO – Trygve Bloom XO – Jacob Thorpe 1st PL- Colton Shirk 2nd PL – Michael Colin 3rd PL – Michael Jorgensen 4th PL – Alden Watts
CO – Daniel Duke XO – Hunter Salomon 1st PL – William Espinoza-Morales 2nd PL – Barrett Callejo 3rd PL – Paul Belmont 4th PL – Aidan Carman
Golf Company
Hotel Company
India Company
CO – Nathan Brinker XO – Lucas Edwards 1st PL- Brendan O’Neil 2nd PL – Gabrielle Hedges 3rd PL – William Cockrill 4th PL – Kyle Kemp
CO – Brentton Fentress XO – George Sullivan 1st PL – Samantha Uschold 2nd PL – Carla Feaster 3rd PL – Riley Finck 4th PL – Zih-Yi Wang
CO – Lucas Cosby XO – Steven Parkinson 1st PL – Adam Trongard 2nd PL – Syed Shah 3rd PL – Patrick Davey 4th PL – Alexander Hemminger
Band Company
CO – Jackson McDonald XO – Louis Marangoni 1st PL – Noah Webb Regimental Drum Major – Hyon Min Kim Regimental Pipe Major – Caleb Swanson 2nd PL – Joseph Reynolds 3rd PL – Liam Dougherty 4th PL – William Sloane
CO = Commander | XO – Executive Officer | PL = Platoon Lieutenant
Col. J. Patrick Rhamey, professor in the Department of International Studies and Political Science at Virginia Military Institute, was a contributor to a recently published article on Ukraine in the peer-reviewed academic journal, International Studies Review (ISR). ISR is a journal of the International Studies Association and provides a window on current trends and research in international studies worldwide.
“Politicians and cable news talking heads repeatedly granted Russia the mantle of a great power organizing their geographic space, though as we discussed in the article, Russia has not deserved that mantle since it was the Soviet Union. Consistently overlooked, however, is the role domestic politics and Putin’s internal political machinations play in Russia’s attack and continuing assault, as well as the power of Ukraine’s politics and identity in withstanding the Russian onslaught. International politics is not a big game of ‘Risk.’ The internal politics of countries has a dramatic impact on their foreign policy choices and, in war, their potential for victory,” explained Rhamey.
Virginia Military Institute honored one of its own on a chilly and foggy morning March 4. Jonathan Daniels ’61, alumnus and Episcopal seminarian who sacrificed his own life to protect that of another, was solemnly remembered during an annual wreath laying ceremony held in the Daniels Courtyard.
The service was attended by the entire 4th Class and moderated by Garrett Maye ’28.
Col. Ley Havird ’90, commandant, offered encouraging words to the cadets on Daniels’ selfless service. “He chose the hard right over the easy wrong, and when called upon, he had the courage to step forward.” Havird urged the cadets to honor Daniels’ sacrifice by never tolerating bigotry, always defending the helpless, and extending dignity and respect to all.
Col. John Casper ’04, Institute chaplain, offered the benediction as the wreath was laid by Devin Auzenne ’26, regimental commander; Maximus Ankrah ’26, 1st Class president; and Havird. The ceremony concluded with the playing of “Amazing Grace” by bagpiper Alden Rhodes ’26.
4th Class cadets gather in Daniels Courtyard for the wreath laying ceremony March 4.—VMI photo by Kelly Nye.
In 1965, Daniels responded to the pleas from Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. for clergy to become more actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and traveled to Alabama to assist with voter registration efforts in the South.
In August of that year, Daniels and 22 others were arrested for participating in a voter rights demonstration in Fort Deposit, Alabama, and detained in the county jail in nearby Hayneville. Shortly after being released August 20, Richard Morrisroe, a Catholic priest, and Daniels, accompanied two African American teenagers, Joyce Bailey and Ruby Sales, to a Hayneville store to buy a soda. They were met on the steps by Tom Coleman, a construction worker and part-time deputy sheriff, who was carrying a shotgun. Coleman aimed his gun at 16-year-old Sales, and Daniels pushed her to the ground to protect her, saving her life. The shotgun blast killed Daniels instantly. He was 26 years old. When King heard of the tragedy, he responded, “One of the most heroic Christian deeds of which I have heard in my entire ministry was performed by Jonathan Daniels.”
After a hiatus, Virginia Military Institute welcomed the return of the George C. Marshall Leadership and Awards Seminar Feb. 23-24. Each year since 1978, the U.S. Army Cadet Command recognizes and awards the top-tiered cadets at senior ROTC programs and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, by sending them to the seminar, originally held at VMI, the alma mater of Gen. George C. Marshall, VMI Class of 1901. In addition to being the driving force to get the event back to VMI, the George C. Marshall Foundation led efforts to secure speakers and prepare discussion topics.
Cadets were nominated from their respective programs based on scholarship, leadership, physical fitness, and community involvement, and are designated George C. Marshall Award recipients for their respective year. This year, a total of 65 cadets were selected to attend. Regrettably, the blizzard that hit the East Coast, prevented the nine cadets from West Point and other New England schools from traveling. The others came from all over the country; as far away as Hawaii, California, and Wyoming; and as close as Richmond, Williamsburg, and Lexington.
Over the course of the two-day conference, the award recipients learned of Marshall’s legacy as a soldier and as a diplomat. They heard from and engaged with professionals knowledgeable in the military, geopolitics, and history, including Col. Spencer Bakich, professor in the Department of International Studies and Political Science (IS) at VMI; Brig. Gen. Maurice Barnett, commanding general of U.S. Army cadet command; retired Gen. Gary Brito, former commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, and president of the Brito Group, LLC; Lt. Gen. Johnny Davis, commanding general of U.S. Army recruiting command; George Foresman ’84, former undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security; Dr. Paul Levengood, president of the George C. Marshall Foundation; retired Col. Thomas Linn ’73, professor at the Naval War College; retired Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, former ambassador of the United States to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; retired U.S.M.C. Gen. John Paxton, former assistant commandant; Dr. Philip Potter, professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia; Col. Patrick Rhamey, professor of IS at VMI; Command Sgt. Maj. Darrell E. Walls, command sergeant major of the U.S. Army Cadet Command; and Dr. Clyde Wang, assistant professor of politics at Washington and Lee University.Retired Gen. Gary Brito speaks to the George C. Marshall award recipients in Gillis Theater Feb. 23.
Retired Gen. Gary Brito speaks to the George C. Marshall award recipients in Gillis Theater Feb. 23.—VMI Photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.
The award recipients listened to speakers, attended a panel discussion, and engaged in small group breakout sessions that covered a wide range of topics including how the military reflects a changing society; operating in a multinational environment; drones and the effects on warfare; the integration of artificial intelligence in warfare; and the great power competition in the South China Sea. They established a long reading list, gained advice to use as young officers, studied, engaged in intense physical training, networked with their peers, and formed new friendships.
A highlight for the award recipients was sharing dinner Feb. 23 with VMI alumnus, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, VMI Class of 1990. Following the meal, Caine gave the keynote speech in Cameron Hall in which the entire VMI Corps of Cadets, along with many members of the faculty and staff attended.
Gen. Dan Caine ’90 speaks about George C. Marshall’s leadership in Cameron Hall Feb. 23.—VMI Photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.
Caine opened his speech simply and sincerely, “It is nice to be home. I cannot tell you how overjoyed my inner child is to be back here in Lexington. It’s just a very, very special place.” He immediately bonded with the Corps of Cadets by good-naturedly teasing their superintendent, Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87, reminding the Class of 2026 of the advice he offered them when he spoke to them at their Ring Figure in 2024, and congratulating the Class of 2029 for their recent Breakout of the Rat Line. He referred to both the VMI cadets and the visiting cadets as teammates.
He recalled how when he was a cadet, he helped with the Marshall seminar when it was previously held on post. To the award recipients he said, “It was striking to me then, and it’s striking to me now, how lucky we are to have you entering into the service. We are proud of you and grateful for you.” To all the cadets in the arena he said, “Your path and service will not always be easy. You will be tested and challenged. You will be asked to make tough decisions. From time to time, you will find yourselves at a crossroads where you simply don’t know what to do… I encourage you at that point in time to ask yourself the question: ‘What would Marshall do?’ There are many leaders that I’ve learned from in my career, but there is only one George Marshall.” Dr. Phil Potter and Gen. Jay Paxton participate in a panel discussion at the George C. Marshall Leadership and Awards Seminar in Gillis Theater.
Caine stated that leadership for Marshall was a passion, and something he studied his entire career. “It all started and stopped with people; how to properly lead them, how to connect with them, how to care for them, and how to love them. Marshall was humble. It was never about him. It was about doing the right thing. It was always about the deed and never about the glory. He believed, as I do, that every day we have a responsibility to get out of bed and earn it, in a quiet, humble way.”
Caine confessed that after he graduated from VMI, he didn’t always wear his class ring. But as he started to grow in responsibility, he returned to wearing it again.
“Because it reminded me every time I looked at it, ‘What would Marshall do?’ The most precious thing you have as a leader is the people you are blessed to lead. People were everything to Marshall, so I became a people person. I encourage you to do the same thing. Relationships are essential in your path of service, in or out of the military. It means asking folks a simple yet beautiful question, ‘What’s your story?’ Sometimes they’ll tell you good things. But every once in a while, they’ll tell you when they need your help. Listen carefully to the answers to that question. Marshall was a master at this.”
Caine closed by asking the assembly to remember the members of the Joint Force doing the nation’s business, the deployed and their families, and most importantly, the fallen and their families.
“They show us what courage looks like. It is through all of them and Marshall that we find the gift of a perfect example. Thank you. Congratulations to our Marshall award winners, and to the Corps Cadets. It’s nice to be home with you.” Caine’s audience gave him a standing ovation, and he returned the affection as he left the arena, with a smile and wave.
Matthew Kleinschuster ’26, a VMI cadet, was one of the award recipients. Kleinschuster is an applied mathematics major with a business minor, from Richmond. He is commander of Foxtrot Company, as well as Battalion commander of VMI’s Blue Ridge Battalion, the largest ROTC program in the country. Upon commissioning, he will branch in explosive ordnance disposal. He shared attending the seminar was a huge honor.
“Learning about all of Marshall’s accomplishments has given me confidence, and I am excited to join the Army and hopefully carry out his legacy. I have learned so much during our civil discussions, and hearing all the perspectives of very successful AROTC cadets. I plan to take everything I have learned and implement it into my approach in becoming a future officer.”
Medal of Honor (MOH) recipient, retired U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. William “Kyle” Carpenter, will appear for a moderated interview at Virginia Military Institute, Monday, March 9 at 10:30 a.m. in Cameron Hall. The event is part of the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics’ (CLE) H.B. Johnson, Class of 1926 Distinguished Lecture Series, and Courageous Leadership Speaker series. His visit supports the CLE’s 2025–26 leadership theme, “American Values,” which explores honor, integrity, service, and character as the nation prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary. The event is free and open to the public. The Cameron Hall clear bag policy will be in effect.
The MOH is the U.S. armed forces’ highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, guardians, and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. President Barack Obama presented the MOH to Carpenter in 2014, for the heroic act of throwing himself on a grenade to save a fellow Marine in Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in 2010. He is the youngest living recipient of the MOH.
Carpenter lost his right eye, has had over 40 surgeries, flatlined twice, and learned resilience through small victories. He is author of “You Are Worth It: Building a Life Worth Fighting For.” Copies of the book may be purchased in advance at the VMI Bookstore, and will be available to purchase at the event for $20 with cash or credit card. A book signing will follow the interview.
For more information, contact Lt. Col. Kim Connolly at connollykv@vmi.edu.
The event is part of the VMI