CLASS NOTES Thomas Jefferson Cadet Corps Alumni Band. had two management job offers in hand and was Charlotte Alumni Chapter meeting, a young Last year they performed 13 times, once at leaning towards a position up in the Washington, alum asked Tom if he knew someone from the the Byrd Theater. Not only does he have fun D.C., area. Thanks to all who donated to help class of 1949. Ouch! Shattered ego notwithplaying the sax again, it gives him a great opendow our scholarship. We still have a long way standing, he attended the VMI/Gardner-Webb portunity to check out the numerous old folks to go fully endow the scholarship as a full ride for football game. However, at the post-game homes in the area. He says it seems to make the its recipient.” There are many high quality young alumni chapter barbeque, several discrete people who hear them happy. I’m not quite sure people just like Damiso for whom our class queries surfaced concerning the tall man with how to break this to you, Hayroll, but they can’t scholarship can literally make a life-changing the brown paper bag over his head. hear you! difference. It sure would be great to have this Meanwhile, somewhere in the skies above the Dick Knight continues to support The Insti- scholarship fully endowed by our 45th Reunion, West Texas prairie, Tom’s former roommate, tute in numerous ways. He has volunteered to which is a mere four years away. Tom Clingerman, is fighting wild fires for the be class agent for the class of 1935, since their In late January, Tom and Sarah Massey U.S. Forest Service. Like so many other of our numbers are unfortunately down to six men and visited their daughter-in-law and two grandcadet pilot BRs, he credits his skills to the many 22 widows. Also, on Feb. 19th, he and Linda daughters (2-1/2 years and 3 months) at Fort hours spent hovering over Mary Baldwin as the hosted a VMI brunch at their Nashville home. Lewis, WA. Unfortunately, son Tom was TDY young ladies sunbathed on the rooftops. Back This week I had the pleasure of forwarding an e- at Fort Benning, GA, at the time, so they on terra firma, Tom and Karen’s older son is mail to Dick from Capt. John Downs ’00, who is missed seeing him. Provisional appointments in school in Arizona and is due for promotion currently serving as a special operations medical for the young lassies have been duly obtained. to sergeant in the Marine Corps, while their officer and flight surgeon in Iraq. Capt. Downs Tom, the elder, still trains fledgling pilots for younger son has graduated from Iowa State wanted to give him an update, since Dick was the USAir, and he and Sarah spend as much time University and lives in Iowa City. person who presented him with his VMI Institute as possible at their mountain retreat in Western From Conyers, GA, Chip Hatcher and I Scholarship at Gallatin High School in Tennessee North Carolina. While attending a monthly commiserated via e-mail about the recent deciback in 1996 that allowed him to sion to add women’s water polo as attend VMI. After graduating from the 7th Title IX-mandated women’s VMI as a Distinguished Academic sport at VMI. Chip pretty much Graduate and a Distinguished brought me around from favorMilitary Graduate, Downs earned ing women’s tennis to supporting his medical degree with honors women’s rugby as the seventh from the Uniformed Services sport. However, no one seems to be University School of Medicine in screaming for either of our humble Bethesda, MD. He married a Roaopinions. noke College graduate, whom he While on the sports theme, Gormet during his cadetship, and she don Williams sent in some photos and their 4-year-old daughter live of Reggie Williams ’08 in action in Tennessee awaiting his return in December with the Golden State this summer. Quite a good story! Warriors against the Bulls in ChiEver the wanderer, Dick will head cago. Reed and Carol Heddleston’s out in late February to Yellowstone son, Tom, lives in the Bay area and National Park to check out the says that Reggie’s strong work ethic winter scenery and then onward to and humble manner have made him Class of 1970: Above: Bill O’Connor and Ralph Costen Portland and Sacramento to visit a favorite among Warriors fans. in Palm Springs, California. Below: Shootout particirelatives. Other travel plans include Closer to home, Waite Rawls adpants at the golf outing in Palm Springs were, from left, an ice fishing trip to Maine with a vises that his dyke, G.G. Gray ’73, Bill Paulette ’69, Bill O’Connor, Ralph Costen and Jim stopover in Boston and a June trip has joined the board of directors Chapman ’69. to Normandy. at the Museum of the Confederacy Speaking of the significance of in Richmond. Son Garland Gray VMI scholarships, Bill O’Connor ’10 is working at the MOC on sent a nice write-up and pictures an interim basis while awaiting a from the December graduation of Coast Guard commission. Soda is the Class of 1970 Academic & Athpondering whether or not such a letic Scholarship recipient, Cadet hiring constitutes a gray area. Damiso Alexander ’10. Damiso Zipping right along, Ned Haley earned his degree in economics and Fricka are purchasing a large old and business and was named to the home in the Church Hill section of 2010 All Big South second team. Richmond and will be spending the “Damiso expressed his sincere apnext few months doing enough renopreciation to the class for the finanvations to make it livable. That will cial assistance that the scholarship be followed by several years’ worth provided and also for the support of work restoring her to her previous he received from many members glory. I’m thinking “Party Central” of the class. At graduation, Damiso for future VMI-Richmond football
Annual Class of ’69 vs.’70 Golf Shootout
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VMI ALUMNI REVIEW