A loyal reader wrote,
„I miss the commentary, as we’re almost two months since the last post. I would be interested in any thoughts about the recent New Market Ceremony. It’s seems as if some pre-emptive watering down / dilution took place yesterday in the name of political correctness and anti-Confederate hysteria, and, as always, I would enjoy hearing what your thought are.“
So let me answer his question regarding New Market, I haven’t gone to the Ceremony in about 5 years. Unless it has radically changed in that time, it is still a reflection of the traditions of the Institute. There has been no Confederate imagery or music in a number of years, well over twenty-five. Good riddance’s in my humble opinion, it is about the Corps of Cadets, fighting under the colors of the Virginia Military Institute. Their service having been requested by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Regarding the blog. Our time may have passed. I have other interest, I know that JPP has other interest. Dave O has written some rather interesting blogs in the past year but nothing recently. Slater has not posted in quite a while. I have been footing the bill for this site for the last several years. As I begin to make the transition to retirement, maintaining the blog site becomes luxury and not a necessity. I hope I have answered our dear readers question.
keydet1976
In The Old Corps 
Thanks for the response.
My“anti-Confederate hysteria“ comment may have been misconstrued. I’m not a flag-waver looking for „Dixie“ to be played or the graves to be adorned with battle flags (even thought I did decorate Gen. Hunter’s grave a few years back, and I involuntarily grinned when they sneaked in „Bonnie Blue Flag“ during the march on yesterday . . .).
But when the roll call was done, VMI alumni from WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the War on Terror were all given a „died on the field of honor, sir!“, in addition to the 10 New Market Cadets. They (all VMI Alumni who died in the field) are all deserving, but the general feeling that I had was that the ceremony was moving away from New Market, and moving toward an all-encompassing recognition of all alumni who have died in action.
The visceral feeling that I had was „someone at Smith Hall decided we need to remember some folks that were fighting on the right side because in 1864 we were fighting on the wrong side“, perhaps to placate the aforementioned anti-Confederate hysteria that has been, among other things, calling for the removal of all questionable monuments (Stonewall Jackson & „Virginia Mourning Her Dead“ being two potential prime on-post targets of this movement).
Personally, I feel that New Market Day should be for New Market, and perhaps some other ceremony could be used for the other VMI Alumni who died in battle. I guess in the Old Old Corps, we were still in session on Memorial Day, so I don’t have any quick answers. I just felt that the New Market Ceremony was being watered down for political reasons, or in anticipation of some movement that was looking to eradicate the recognition of what were (like it or not) Confederate soldiers winning a victory over federal invaders.
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Derek, I will make some calls to Lexington to find out about the New Market Ceremony. It should be and always should be about the Corps of Cadets and the Battle of New Market. Plenty of VMI graduates have given their lives for our nation (both the CSA and USA) but they did so in the service of the military. The Cadets who died at New Market were first and foremost college students, „attached to their native state proud of her fame and ready in every time of deepest peril to vindicate her honor or defend her rights.“ Whether it was a decision of Smith Hall I know not it may have had something to do with awarding the New Market Medal to General John Jumper USAF Retired. I will alert your Brother Rat John Piedmont who has some good connections in Lexington to see if we can find out what is going on.
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