Class Notes
Submit news about your deployments, job and rank changes, awards and honors, family announcements, photos, and other news at vtcc.vt.edu/classnotes.
1960s
Col. Robert “Bob’ Archer ’69 was among the 2021 inductees into Army ROTC Hall of Fame, which honors graduates who have distinguished themselves in military or civilian pursuits and made lasting, significant contributions to the nation, the Army, and the history and traditions of the Army ROTC program.
Archer was commissioned into the Adjutant General Corps of the U.S. Army. His initial assignment was with the 82nd Airborne Division. He deployed to Vietnam in October 1971 and served as platoon leader and executive officer for the 544th Replacement Company, 22nd Replacement Battalion, Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam until 1972.
In 1973, Archer left active duty and entered service with the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1983, he transferred to the Selective Service System.
In 1999, he retired from the U.S. Army Reserves and the Selective Service System after 30 years of military service.
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In early October 1963, 60 freshmen stood in the lounge of Lane Hall. They had two things in common: They had all been accepted at Virginia Tech and they all played a musical instrument. They were going to be in the Corps of Cadets Class of 1967 (remember, the Corps was mandatory back then) and were trying out for the Virginia Tech regimental band. They all made the Highty-Tighties and marched in one of the greatest marching bands in the country.
Fifty-four years after they graduated, 16 of those Highty-Tighties got together in Melbourne, Florida, for their annual reunion hosted by Bob “Butch” Boswell, Nov. 5-7. The Highty-Tighty Class of 1967 has held a reunion (real, not Zoom) every year since our 45th reunion in 2012. Every year we designate someone to host the next year.
The fact that 15 guys who met 58 years ago still get together every year speaks volumes about the camaraderie developed in the Corps of Cadets and the Highty-Tighties, says Lonnie Brooks HT’67.
1970s
As enrollment in the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets fell in the late 1960s, the number of military units was reduced by merging pairs of companies, squadrons, battalions, and groups. One such merger combined N and O Squadrons to form a new G Squadron. Coincident with this year’s Virginia Tech Reunion Weekend (including the special recognition of the Class of ’71 alumni), members of the “rat classes” from N and O Squadrons organized a two-day, in-person reunion of their own at Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia. Eleven alumni and their spouses from the two squadrons attended the event. Special certificates were presented to the N and O Squadron Class of ’71 alumni in recognition of the 50th anniversary of their class, as well as a number of other special recognitions, such as longest married couple, couple with the greatest number of grandchildren, etc. In addition, we were fortunate to have Homer Hickam ’64 join in virtually, and share his experiences with the creation of Skipper, the Corps canon, and his path to enrollment at Virginia Tech, says Ross Haines ’70.
Members of Golf Company held a mini reunion in June in Midlothian, Virginia. The event was primarily for the Class of 1970, but the group invited any and all Golf alumni from the years 1967 to 1973. So many couldn’t be there but were able to connect through email and a letter. Some of these guys had not seen each other in 50 years, says Jim Archer ’72.
1980s
John Tilton ’89 was hired in April as the information technology service and support manager for the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech.
1990s
Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Douglas K. Clark ’90 is serving as the deputy commander and chief of staff at the NATO Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger, Norway. He joined the Joint Warfare Centre on Aug. 30, 2020. It is a multi-national and multi-service NATO organization with nearly 270 military and civilian personnel from 17 nations providing NATO’s training focal point for full-spectrum joint operational-level warfare.
Simon Emanuels ’90 attended the Archbishop Spalding High School college fair, representing the Corps and the Annapolis (Maryland) Virginia Tech Alumni Chapter.
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Daniel T. Curry HT’96 graduated from George Mason University with a doctorate in U.S. history. His dissertation explored the fate of Spanish and Mexican land grants in California and New Mexico between 1848 and 1925.
From left, Cmdr. Nate Brown ’98, Rear Adm. Michael Steffen ’92, and Cmdr. Greg Grubbs ’03 take a photo in June on Steffen’s last day as the deputy commander of U.S. Second Fleet in Norfolk, Virginia. Steffen is now commandant of Naval District Washington.
2000s
Ericke S. Cage ’01 in September was named the interim president of West Virginia State University, serving until a new permanent president for the university is selected. Cage joined the university in July as vice president and chief of staff and had been serving as the university’s chief operating officer charged with managing day-to-day operations.
Marine Corps Lt. Col. Joe McAlarnen ’01 (right) and U.S. Space Force Maj. Chris Rose ’07 participated in an air planning conference at the NATO Allied Air Command Headquarters at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. McAlarnen serves at Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO in Oeiras, Portugal, while Rose serves at Joint Force Command Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia. Both are NATO commands. “Hokies are everywhere and you never know when and where you’ll meet,” McAlarnen says.
Maj. Matthew Johnson ’05 (left), commander of the 58 Operations Group, Detachment 2, and operations officer Maj. Joseph Ferrante ’06 stand in front of Kirtland Air Force Base’s first HH-60W combat rescue aircraft. The unit is charged with standing up Air Education and Training Command’s formal training of the Air Force’s first new rotary wing aircraft in over 40 years.
2010s
Lt. Patrick Bates HT’11 and Lt. j.g. Brendan Craig ’16 serve as P-8A Poseidon pilots for the U.S. Navy. They are assigned to the Fighting Tigers of Patrol Squadron Eight and deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of operations.
Capt. Ben Isaacs I’12 (left) relinquishes company command to Capt. Danny Deardorff E’15. Both alumni commanded Charlie Company, 204th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Reconnaissance) at Fort Bliss, Texas, which has the Army’s only deployable RC-12X Guardrail Common Sensor aircraft. Both were in Ranger Company while they were at Virginia Tech.
Maj. Nick Roland C’07 (left) promoted 1st Lt. Scott T. Fisher E’17 to captain in a ceremony on May 26 in Lynchburg, Virginia. Roland is the battalion executive officer, and Fisher is the S-1 for the Red Dragons, 1-116th Infantry Regiment, Virginia Army National Guard.
Jordan Bliss ’18 and Ashley (Burris) Bliss ’20 were married Oct. 11, 2020, in Lexington, Virginia. Photo courtesy of Melissa Diane Photography.
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Parker Stowe Manning C’18 started his legal career at Midtown Law in Raleigh, North Carolina, in September. He graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in May and moved back to his hometown of Cary, North Carolina, to start post-Army life. His areas of practice includes residential and commercial real estate.