Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech baseball has announced it will begin an online auction that will start today and run through the next 10 days and features the Hokies’ “VPI” jerseys.
Last worn in honor of Military Appreciation Night at English Field on April 3 – a 13-4 victory over Wofford, the jerseys bare the names of Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets alumni who had made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The list of the numbers and individuals and more information on them can be seen below.
Anyone wishing to make bids on the jerseys should visit the following site http://www.hokiesports.com/auction/.
The minimum bid is $75 and the orders will be shipped (with an additional $25 fee) from the baseball offices. Credit cards will not be accepted, but checks can be mailed to: Virginia Tech Baseball Office, Attn: VPI Jersey Auction, 210 Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Va. 24061.
All proceeds from the auction will go to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Va.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE INDIVIDUALS
2. N. L. AIGNER ’39
CAPT. Aigner, Norman Louis, ’39 – Parach. Glider Pilot
France – June 6, 1944
Capt. Norman L. Aigner ’39 was a glider pilot, based in England, he met his death in operations over France. Capt. Aigner entered Virginia Tech from Roxbury, Va., in 1935 and was awarded a B.S. degree in agronomy four years later.
3. M.H. BAKER ’38
SGT. Baker, Meade Hite, ’38 – Infantry
Normandy – D-Day – June 6, 1944
Sgt. Meade Hite Baker, Jr. ’38 entered Virginia Tech from Columbia, Va., and was a student in the animal husbandry department for two years.
4. C.E. BLAIR ’46
C. E. Blair '46. Charles Edward Blair came to Virginia Tech in 1942 but left early during WWII. He served in the war as a navigator on a B-17 crew during the final stages of the air war against Germany. Ed Blair came back to Virginia Tech in 1946 and graduated in 1949. After graduation he became and Air Force pilot, flying the F-94 Starfire from Japan during the Korean War and other aircraft afterwards including the F-86 Sabre Jet, F-100 Super Sabre, and the KC-135 aerial tanker. His final aircraft was the O-1 Bird Dog which he flew as a forward air controller during the Vietnam War, the third war he fought in. He was shot down and listed as Missing in Action on 19 March 1968. Some 20 years later his remains were identified and returned to the United States where they were interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
5. A.N. BODINE ’35
CAPT. Bodine, Albert Norman, ’35 – Infantry
Normandy, France – July 5, 1944
Capt. Albert N. Bodine ’35 was killed in action in France July 5. He was serving with and infantry unit at APO 83 at the time of his death. Capt. Bodine, who entered Virginia Tech from Bowling Green, Va., in 1931, obtained the B.S. degree in mechanical engineering in 1935.
7. J.G. CLOWERS ’03
J. G. Clowers ’03 had an active student career and he showed that special Hokie spirit as a member of the Virginia Tech cheerleading squad. After graduation he chose to enter the military to better prepare himself for the future and to follow in the footsteps of his father. Sergeant Clowers, United States Army, proved to be an outstanding soldier until his death on August 12, 2007 when he lost his life to an improvised explosive device in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.
8. J.H. DOWNING ’39
SGT. Downing, James Howard ’39 – Infantry
Normandy, France – June 22, 1944
Sgt. James Howard Downing ’39 was killed in France June 24. He was survived by a week-old son, several brothers and sisters, his mother, wife, and John R. Downing ’37, a twin brother who was within two miles of the place where Sgt. Downing was killed.
9. N.O. DODSON JR. ’41
SGT. Dodson, Noel Osmond, Jr. ’41 – Infantry
France (wounds) – July 12, 1944
Sgt. Noel O. Dodson, Jr. ’41, Nathalie, Halifax County, Va., died as a result of wounds suffered in action in France July 12. He volunteered for service February 3, 1941, after graduation from Virginia Tech in agricultural education. Training was received at Fort George G. Meade, Md., A.P. Hill Reservation, and Camp Blanding, Fla. He had been overseas for 22 months. Surviving were his parents and a sister, Mrs. Herbert Cunningham, Lynchburg.
10. C.L. WEAVER ’02
C. L. Weaver ’02 completed his education at Virginia Tech less than a year after 9-11 and almost immediately enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He deployed to Iraq in 2004 and on 26 January 2005, Corporal Chris Weaver lost his life in a firefight that resulted from an ambush in Anwar Province. He was deployed as part of the Marine Corps Reserve’s 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division, headquartered in Lynchburg, VA.
12. R.E. FEMOYER ’44
Robert E. Femoyer, Class of 1944, an Eagle Scout, graduated from Saint Joseph Catholic High School in Huntington, West Virginia. Robert Femoyer studied Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech. During World War II he enlisted in the Army Air Force and is the only navigator awarded the Medal of Honor. On a bombing mission over Germany, he was wounded by enemy aircraft fire, which seriously damaged his B-17 bomber. Despite extreme pain and great loss of blood he refused morphine in order to keep his mental faculties clear. For two and half-hours he guided the lone bomber through six changes in course around enemy antiaircraft concentrations. Bleeding steadily he worked with amazing clarity despite pain described as "almost beyond the realm of human endurance". As the crippled aircraft crossed safely over the English Channel, Lieutenant Robert Femoyer finally allowed an injection of morphine. Thirty minutes after landing he died of wounds.
13. W.F. FITZGERALD ’43
2LT. Fitzgerald, Wilbur F. ’43 – Infantry
France – July 7, 1944
Lt. Wilbur F. Fitzgerald ’43 was killed in action in France July 7. Lt. Fitzgerald matriculated at Tech from Cheriton, Va., in 1939 and obtained the B.S. degree in agronomy in 1943. He was station at APO 15247 when killed.
14. A.M. GAUJOT 1901
Antoine A.M. Gaujot, Class of 1901 and Julien E. Gaujot, Class of 1894 are two of the few brothers ever awarded the Medal of Honor and only pair to receive the Medal for actions in different wars. Antoine Gaujot received the medal for actions as an army corporal at the Battle of San Mateo during the Philippine Insurrection. He made persistent effort under heavy enemy rifle fire to locate a ford in order to help his unit cross the swollen river to attack. Unable to accomplish this he swam with a companion again under fire and against a dangerous current across the river to the enemy side. There, he secured an enemy canoe and returned it to the friendly side of the river. Julien, his brother and a regular army officer, became obsessed with his brother's achievement. Referring to Antoine, Julien said "He wears it for a watch fob, the damn civilian, I got to get me one of them things for myself if I bust." Julien Gaujot received the medal for actions on the Mexican Border in 1914. He is the only soldier ever awarded the Medal for actions of a peacekeeping nature. In Douglas, Arizona, stray bullets from fighting among Mexican rebels and government troops caused American casualties. Julien Gaujot crossed the border under heavy fire. He moved between the two groups of belligerents for an hour, amongst heavy fire. This secured the safe passage of the Mexican soldiers and American prisoners over the border to the United States. His actions saved five Americans taken prisoner by the Mexicans, 25 Mexican soldiers plus Americans and Mexican rebels who would have died in continued fighting.
15. J.E. GAUJOT 1894
Antoine A.M. Gaujot, Class of 1901 and Julien E. Gaujot, Class of 1894 are two of the few brothers ever awarded the Medal of Honor and only pair to receive the Medal for actions in different wars. Antoine Gaujot received the medal for actions as an army corporal at the Battle of San Mateo during the Philippine Insurrection. He made persistent effort under heavy enemy rifle fire to locate a ford in order to help his unit cross the swollen river to attack. Unable to accomplish this he swam with a companion again under fire and against a dangerous current across the river to the enemy side. There, he secured an enemy canoe and returned it to the friendly side of the river. Julien, his brother and a regular army officer, became obsessed with his brother's achievement. Referring to Antoine, Julien said "He wears it for a watch fob, the damn civilian, I got to get me one of them things for myself if I bust." Julien Gaujot received the medal for actions on the Mexican Border in 1914. He is the only soldier ever awarded the Medal for actions of a peacekeeping nature. In Douglas, Arizona, stray bullets from fighting among Mexican rebels and government troops caused American casualties. Julien Gaujot crossed the border under heavy fire. He moved between the two groups of belligerents for an hour, amongst heavy fire. This secured the safe passage of the Mexican soldiers and American prisoners over the border to the United States. His actions saved five Americans taken prisoner by the Mexicans, 25 Mexican soldiers plus Americans and Mexican rebels who would have died in continued fighting.
16. E.D. GREGORY ’23
Earle D. Gregory, Class of 1923, a native of Chase City and graduate of Fork Union Military Academy, studied Electrical Engineering at Virginia Tech. As a senior at Virginia Tech he was a Cadet Captain and company commander, President of the Corps of Cadets, and selected as Most Popular Cadet. Earle Gregory received the Medal of Honor for actions as an army sergeant during the Meuse Argonne Offensive in World War I. He is considered to be the first WWI Virginia Veteran to receive the medal and often called the Sergeant York of Virginia. Earle Gregory armed with a rifle and a mortar shell used as a hand grenade, single handedly captured a machine gun and three enemy soldiers. Continuing his advance he captured a howitzer and 19 enemy soldiers.
17. T. GREIG ’36
CAPT. Greig, Thomas ’36 – Infantry
France – June 8, 1944
Capt. Thomas Greig ’36 died June 8 from wounds suffered in action in France. He received the B.S. degree in business administration in 1936. He entered Tech from Covington, Va. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Greig of that place.
18. L.D. HARLEY ’61
L. D. Harley ’61 was from Danville, Virginia and born on 21 January 1940. He was 35 and married when he was officially declared as Killed in Action on 31 July 1975, after being listed as Missing in Action for nine years. Lee “Duff” Harley was a Gombey Forward Air Controller assigned to the 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB in Thailand on 18 May 1966. Captain Harley and Senior Master Sergeant Andre Roland Guillet, a Combat Control Team Instructor, were flying an O-1F Bird Dog observation plane over a recently discovered section of the Ho Chi Minh Trail near Ban Karai Pass in Laos when their aircraft was hit by .50 caliber gunfire and crashed. His body was not recovered and he was promoted while missing. In the mid-1970s, Virginia Tech added names of our war dead from WWI, Korea and Viet Nam, and Duff Harley’s name was not included because he had not yet been declared KIA. We added his name to the Pylons in October, 2011, during the Class of 1961’s 50th class reunion. The ceremony was attended by many of Harley’s classmates and his two sisters.
20. G.B. HARRIS ’43
2LT. Harris, Giles Barnard ’43 – CWS
France – June 17, 1944
Lt. Giles B. Harris ’43, was killed in action June 17 in France where he was a member of the chemical battalion. Lt. Harris entered the service in the spring of 1943 immediately after graduation from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in chemical engineering.
21. H.F. HATCHER ’46
PVT. Hatcher, Henry Frederick ’46 – Infantry
Normandy, France (missing) – July 13, 1944
Pvt. Henry F. Hatcher ’46, infantry, was killed near Carentan two days after going into the lines as a replacement. A native of Washington, Pvt. Hatcher attended Randolf Macon Academy and Fishburne Military School. He entered VPI in 1942, but left in January, 1943, to volunteer for army service.
22. R.R. HENLEY ‘43
PVT. Henley, Ronald Repass, ’43 – Infantry
France – July 11, 1944
Ronald Repass Henley ’43 was killed in action in France July 11. He was inducted into the army at Fort George G. Meade, Md., October, 1943, and received training at Camp Blanding, Fla., before going overseas in April, 1944. He was an excellent student in agricultural education and upon his graduation in March, 1943 was employed as an agricultural instructor at Ivy, Va., until inducted that fall. Surviving were his parents, two sisters, and two brothers.
23. E.B. HUTCHISON JR. ‘42
1LT Hutchison, Edwin Barbour, Jr. ’42 – Infantry Paratroop. Off.
France – Summer 1944
Lt. Edwin B. Hutchison ’42, who had been reported by the war department as “missing,” has now been reported as killed in action. A friend of Lt. Hutchison has written his parents that he died at the hand of a German sniper after he and a number of other paratroopers had made a safe landing behind the lines.”
25. N.C. MASON ‘06
N. C. Mason ’06 came to Virginia Tech as a member of the Virginia National Guard, and like so many of the names engraved on our War Memorial, was called to duty before he had the chance to graduate. Nick Mason answered the call and was killed by a suicide bomber in Mosul, Iraq before he could return to Virginia Tech to complete his sophomore year. When his name was unveiled on the War Memorial, his parents were presented with a class ring by the president of the Class of 2006.
26. E.L. MCKESSON ‘41
S/SGT McKesson, Elmer Lewis, ’41 – Infantry
France – July 12, 1944
S/Sgt. Elmer L. McKesson ’41 was killed in France July 12, 1944. He was inducted into the service in October, 1942, and trained at Atterbury, Ind., and Breckenridge, Ky., going overseas during the early part of April, 1944. According to word received from the chaplain, Sgt. McKesson was killed outright in what is known as the “hedge country” in France. He received the Good Conduct Medal, Sharp Shooter’s and Expert Rifleman’s Medal and has been awarded posthumously the Purple Heart. Sgt. McKesson entered VPI in 1937 and was a student here for two years and later attended Clemson College for one year. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. E. R. McKesson of Petersburg. Mr. McKesson ’15 served as associate professor of civil engineering and instructor in mathematics at VPI from 1916 to 1919.
28. J.W. MONTEITH ‘41
1LT. Monteith, James Watters, Jr. ’41 – Infantry
D-Day Normandy Beach – June 6, 1944
Anative of Richmond and graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School, studied Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. While at Virginia Tech Cadet Monteith played football. Jimmie Monteith received the Medal of Honor for actions as an army lieutenant at D-Day during World War II. Without regard for his own safety he led the assault over exposed beach to the cover a narrow ledge. Leaving cover he moved toward two tanks. Exposed to intense artillery and machine gun fire, he led them through a minefield and directed the tank fire, destroying several enemy positions. He then returned to his men and he led them in the capture of an advantageous position. Against vicious enemy counterattacks he repetitively crossed open terrain under heavy fire to strengthen his unit's defense until he was killed.
29. F.G. NICKERSON ‘42
T/5 Nickerson, Foster Grant ’42 – Army
D-Day – Normandy – June 6, 1944
T/5 Foster G. Nickerson ’42 was killed on the Normandy beachhead D-Day, June 6, 1944. He was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart posthumously – the first being for ‘gallantry in action’ on the date of his death. He and his brother, Capt. T.S. Nickerson ’42, roomed together at Virginia Tech for two years and then he withdrew his sophomore year and entered the army the following year. His father was Maj. L.A. Nickerson, Arlington, Va.
31. N.J. NYREN ‘95
N. J. Nyren ’95 was only at Virginia Tech for a short time from August 1991 until December of the following year. Nathaniel Nyren’s life path took him elsewhere after that, but he faithfully served his country in the United States Army beginning in 1995, the year he would have graduated from Virginia Tech. He lost his life while on convoy duty in Iraq on 28 December 2004.
33. R.D. RUSSELL ‘41
CAPT. Russell, Robert Dunaway, ’41 – Infantry
France – June 7, 1944
Capt. Robert D. Russell ’41 was killed in action in France June 7, 1944. At the time of his death he was serving with the infantry at APO 4. Capt. Russell was graduated from Virginia Tech with the B.S. degree in agricultural engineering in 1941, having entered the institution from Farnham, Va., in 1937. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. S.S. Russell of that place.
34. R.L. SANFORD ‘45
PFC. Sanford, Raymond Laraway, Jr. ’45 – Infantry
Normandy, France (wounds) – June 9, 1944
Pfc. Raymond L. Sanford died June 9 from wounds suffered in the invasion of France. He entered Virginia Tech from Chevy Chase, Md., in September 1941, and resigned to enlist in the army on Armistice Day, 1942.
36. J.B. SCHENK ‘40
S/SGT. Schenk, John Burwell, ’40 – Infantry
France – June 6, 1944
S/Sgt. John B. Schenk ’40 was killed June 6, 1944, when his infantry unit attempted to make a landing in France. Sgt. Schenk was a son of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Schenk of Bedford, Va., and was a student in business administration at Tech.
37. R.T. SHEA JR ‘48
Richard Shea, Class of 1948, a native of Portsmouth, graduated from Churchland High School. He first studied in uniform at Virginia Tech at the height of World War II. Enlisting in the army, he served as a Sergeant, and entered West Point where he graduated. He was an All American in track and said to have been the greatest track star to attend Virginia Tech (where he ran his first competitive race) or West Point. Turning down the opportunity to attend the Olympics he joined his classmates in the Korean War. Richard Shea received the Medal of Honor for actions as an army first lieutenant at Pork Chop Hill during the Korean War. Fighting outnumbered, he voluntarily proceeded to the area most threatened, organizing and leading a counterattack. During the bitter fighting, he killed two enemy with his trench knife. In over 18 hours of heavy fighting he moved among the defenders of Pork Chop Hill ensuring a successful defense. Leading a counterattack he killed three enemy soldiers single-handedly. Although wounded, he refused evacuation. He was last seen fighting hand-to-hand during yet another counterattack. He left behind a wife and unborn son.
38. W.D. SISSON ’40
SGT. Sisson, Wesley Darby, ’40 – USA
France, Omaha Beach (wounds) – June 6, 1944
Wesley D. Sisson ’40 was killed in action in France June 6, 1944.
39. G.B. TULLIDGE III ’45
SGT. Tullidge, George Bowler, III ’45 – Parachute Infantry
France, D-Day (wounds) – June 8, 1944
Sgt. George B. Tullidge, Jr. ’45 who was serving with the 101st Airbourne Paratroopers, was wounded in France on Invasion Day and died June 8. Entering the service 18 months ago, he trained at Ft. Benning, Ga., and later Kansas.
40. H.J. THOMAS ’41
Herbert J. Thomas, Class of 1944, a native of Charleston, West Virginia and graduate of South Charleston High School, studied Business Administration at Virginia Tech. Cadet Sergeant Herbert Thomas was a legendary football player and is a member of Virginia Tech's Athletic Hall of Fame. His senior year he was the second highest scorer in the Southern Conference and received All American honors. He received the Medal of Honor for action on Bougainville Island in World War II while a Sergeant in the Marine Corps. Through dense jungle and severe machine gun fire Herbert Thomas led his men in destroying two enemy machine gun positions. Halted by a third enemy machine gun, he positioned his men to rush the enemy after he threw a hand grenade. He threw the grenade only to have the jungle vines drop it back among his men. Seeing the danger to his men, he leaped upon the hand grenade, saving their lives with the sacrifice of his own.
42. R.B. WARE JR ’37
CAPT. Ware, Robert Barnes, Jr. ’37 – Infantry
D-Day, France – June 6, 1944