"Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will receive the Distinguished Diplomat Award from Virginia Military Institute when she visits the post on April 28.
“Secretary Clinton’s work throughout her public life representing the United States in numerous venues and on issues of national and international importance makes this award highly appropriate,” said Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III, superintendent of the military college. “It is an honor for us that she is taking time from her busy schedule to come to VMI to address the Corps of Cadets as well as receive this award.”
The presentation of the award to Secretary Clinton and her public remarks are scheduled to begin at approximately 7:45 p.m. on April 28 in VMI’s Cameron Hall. The event is free and open to the public. " VMI Website
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A well deserved award. pl
there are many distinguished people associated with VMI. Instructors, graduates, etc.
Stonewall Jackson, George Marshall, Chesty Puller, W. Patrick Lang, etc.
(May the Col. live in human terms as long as Stonewall Jackson's nag, 36 years.)
Posted by: WILL | 21 April 2010 at 12:31 PM
The Institute will be heard from today.
Posted by: William R. Cumming | 21 April 2010 at 01:11 PM
will et al
Ah! Little Sorrel is his name. He was Jackson's favorite among his saddle string. Jackson's division (then) held the lower Valley in 1861. That is the north end next to the Potomac. His troops stopped a US Army train on the B&O railroad and appropriated the contents and the engine. The rest they burned. Among the booty were a couple carloads of army remounts. Jackson walked around among them looking them over. He noticed after a while that one particular horse was following him around like a dog. He looked at it closely. It was a small rather undistinguished brown creature. It obviously liked being petted. He bought it (typical Jackson) from the Quartermaster's Department intending to give it to his wife to use as a saddle horse. The gelding proved to be as tough as an old boot and with wonderful stamina. The wife never got the horse. On the march Jackson halted religiously ten minutes in every hour, and made the men stack arms in the road while officers inspected feet. This horse would go over to the side of the road and lie down like a dog during the halt all the while watching Jackson. When the halt was ended the horse would "report" without signals to Jackson's side ready for duty. Old Jack was aboard this horse in the dark at Chancellorsville, reconnoitering in front of his lines when Confederate infantry opened fire believing that the staff party were Union cavalry. Jackson was hit in the left arm. Union artillery then opened fire in the dark wood as well. The horse was found several days later wandering slightly wounded in the wilderness. Jim Lewis, Jackson's camp cook led the horse down Broad Street in Richmond in Stonewall's funeral. The newspapers say that Jackson's broken old boots looked strange reversed in the stirrups. The horse's stuffed body is in the VMI Museum, still saddled. Lewis was a free African-American man of Lexington, Virginia. He stayed with the corps' headquarters until Autumn of 1864 when Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Pendleton, the corps CofS was killed. "Sandy" Pendleton was also a Lexington man. He was in his mid-twenties. Lewis went home after that, saying, "General Jackson's dead, Mister Sandy's dead. Now Jim is through." He was dead a month later.
Welcome to Confederate History Month. pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 21 April 2010 at 01:26 PM
Tell us about a "well deserved award" after Iran has a nuclear-tipped ICBM pointed at us.
Posted by: graywolf | 21 April 2010 at 02:14 PM
I really don't like Hillary but she has performed far far better than I ever would have expected. I was thinking that she was far superior to her predecessor but then realized I couldn't remember who her predecessor was. Condi. Ms Rice should be toasting in some level in hell at the present time but I believe she is actually back at Stanford.
Posted by: Phil Giraldi | 21 April 2010 at 03:31 PM
I had the double pleasure of attending two speeches from Ms. Clinton in Dublin and Tanzania.
Great Stateswoman.
Posted by: Cloned Poster | 21 April 2010 at 04:26 PM
greywolf
She doesn't seem at all soft on the Iranians. It will be interesting to hear what she has to say on this subject at VMI in what is likely to be a major foreign policy speech. I will be there. pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 21 April 2010 at 05:38 PM
Thanks Col. for the story of lil Sorrel. Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was quite a character! Another favorite of mine is the Cajun, Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, who did not learn to speak English until he was twelve!
Posted by: WILL | 21 April 2010 at 06:53 PM
Will
My favorite is Jubal Early, perhaps because I am like him. pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 21 April 2010 at 07:03 PM
Col.
To add to the Confederate History Month lesson you could say that the Stonewall Brigade found out just how tough their Yankee counterparts in the Iron Brigade were during their first engagement at Brawner's Farm (preceding the 2nd Battle of Bull Run). (Of course you could twist a Yankee's tail and claim they taught them how to fight).
I think Secretary Clinton has shown she is just as tenacious as the soldiers (of both sides) were then.
Posted by: Fred | 21 April 2010 at 07:19 PM
Col: I want President Obama to nominate her for the Supreme Court and make General Jones Secretary of State...and fire Dennis Ross immediately.
Posted by: Matthew | 21 April 2010 at 07:24 PM
i wish there was a way to search the archives. we had quite an extensive discussion of the battle of cedar creek, sheridan & custer a few years ago.
Posted by: WILL | 21 April 2010 at 07:42 PM
Will
Did you gert my DD 214? We could start a major discussion on the WBS/CW if you like. pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 21 April 2010 at 07:48 PM
Fred
My Yankee ancestors in the 2nd Vermont and 5th Wisconsin gave as good as they got.
At Gettysburg, Harry Heth's men yelled "Oh, no. It's them black hat fellers again," when they saw the Iron Brigade coming through the woods. pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 21 April 2010 at 07:52 PM
Didn't the 26th North Carolina regiment and the Iron Brigade shoot each other to pieces the second day at Gettysburg?
Posted by: John Waring | 21 April 2010 at 10:42 PM
For someone who has historically been characterized by some in the media as having a huge ego--and yes I assume most pols do--she has certainly taken to her job selflessly as a team player, and as a no-nonsense hard worker.
Posted by: steve | 22 April 2010 at 09:59 AM
JW
The first day on McPherson's Ridge. Colonel Burgwyn of the 26th was killed just a few yards from the spot at which MG Reynolds was killed by a sniper. pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 22 April 2010 at 11:29 AM
Col,
Any chance this will be taped? I am unfortunately unable to attend, though I did send the notice to some friends in Blacksburg. Hopefully they will make the drive up.
Posted by: Fred | 26 April 2010 at 11:47 AM
Fred
I was just notified that the vent has been postponed into October for scheduling reason. Stay tuned. pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 26 April 2010 at 12:29 PM
Col. Thanks for the update. I'll pass it along to my friends in Blacksburg. President Obama is speaking at the University of Michigan commencement this weekend. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say.
Posted by: Fred | 28 April 2010 at 01:33 AM