Jonathan Daniels, VMI '61

Fifty years ago Jonathan Daniels Virginia Military Institute Class of 61 was shot supporting Civil Rights demonstrations in Alabama.  

Comments

[William R. Cumming]

Thanks P.L. for a poignant reminder! SELMA?

[Edward Goldstick]

Thank you for sharing your personal experience via this this poignant tribute...

... and for reminding us not to forget the unsung heroes from all azimuths.

[oofda]

Thanks for reminding us of this. A great lesson.

[optimax]

Here;s the wiki on Mr. Daniels. Well worth reading. He gave his life saving the life of a young woman. and his murderer was aquitted by an all-white jury.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Daniels

[The Twisted Genius]

A moving and inspirational essay by Jeff Shapiro. VMI and her graduates have ample reason to be proud of Jonathan Daniels and his demonstrated decency and nobility. It says a lot that his classmates selected him as their valedictorian. Colonel Lang, he was just a year ahead of you and a fellow New Englander. What do you remember of him?

[turcopolier]

TTG

He was a New Englander. I lived there four years when in high school, left and never returned. We were both English majors and in several courses together. I saw him at departmental functions but there is not or was not any social interaction between people of different year classes unless you are relatives or some such thing. I gave him a ride once returning from leave in Maine. I had been up there to visit my future wife. He was from Keene, New Hampshire. I had a rental car and arranged to pick him up and carry him to Virginia. He did a heroic thing that was in the best tradition of VMI, but I can't say I liked him. I will let it go at that. pl

[RCR4]

Hayneville.