Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Homecoming to feature C-17 flyover at James Madison game
The 58th Airlift Squadron, part of the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., will conduct a military flyover with a C-17 Globemaster III during the National Anthem prior to the Virginia Tech versus James Madison University football game on Saturday, Sept. 11. The flyover is in remembrance of the ninth anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, and in honor of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Homecoming.
The flyover is expected barring weather or operational factors. Scheduled as crew on the aircraft are Lt. Col. Chris Maddox, U.S. Air Force from Lynchburg, Va., and Capt. Chris Ford, U.S. Air Force who earned a degree in industrial and systems engineering from the College of Engineering and is a 2001 graduate of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.
In addition, the Sept. 11 football game is the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Homecoming. The weekend’s events will kick off on Friday, Sept. 10 at 5 p.m. when the regiment will hold a formal retreat ceremony in remembrance of Sept. 11, 2001, and to honor our returning alumni. The ceremony will be held at the flag pole on Upper Quad. The regiment will be formed between Lane, Brodie, and Rasche Halls. The Color Guard will lower the flag, Skipper, the corps cannon, will fire, and the Highty-Tighties, the Regimental Band, will play.
Friday night will continue with the cadet leadership dinner where cadet commanders speak to the alumni about their cadet experiences. On Saturday morning alumni who have endowed corps scholarships will attend a breakfast with the cadets who are the recipients of their generosity.
In addition, over 250 cadet alumni will join the cadet regiment on the field for the pre-game march-on ceremony at the football game. After the game the annual corps homecoming meal will take place at which Homer Hickam, who earned a degree in industrial engineering and operations research from the College of Engineering and is a 1964 graduate of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, will be the keynote speaker. Hickam will also speak to the entire regiment on Thursday as part of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Leaders in Action series which is sponsored by the Maj. Gen. W. Thomas Rice Center for Leader Development.
Also, as part of corps homecoming weekend and to honor the special relationship between Virginia Tech and the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Va., cadets will be collecting for this worthy cause at each of the entry gates to Lane Stadium. To date over $178,000 has been collected by the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets for the National D-Day Memorial. The corps is the largest non-corporate sponsor of the National D-Day Memorial.
