LEXINGTON, Va., Jan. 31, 2025—The Virginia Military Institute Corps of Cadets was scheduled to make their 16^th appearance in a presidential inaugural parade Jan. 20, but word reached VMI the Friday evening before that because of the extraordinarily cold weather forecast for inauguration day—the coldest since President Ronald Reagan’s 1985 inauguration—all events would be moved indoors, precluding VMI and other large groups from participating. The news was extremely disappointing, but more than that, it slammed the brakes on the locomotion set in place by teams of staff members across multiple departments throughout post that had banded together working extra hours, completing tasks outside their purview to ensure the 1,500 cadets arrive to Washington, D.C. prepared to show the world the polish and precision that is uniquely the VMI marching Corps.

VMI made its first appearance in a presidential inaugural parade in 1909 when William Howard Taft was sworn in as the 27^th President of the United States. They returned to the nation’s capital for both of Wilson’s inaugurations in 1913 and 1917, Truman’s in 1949, Eisenhower’s in 1953, Kennedy’s in 1961, both of Nixon’s in 1969 and 1973, Carter’s in 1977, Reagan’s in 1981, George W. H. Bush’s in 1989, George W. Bush’s in 2005, both of Obama’s in 2009 and 2013, and Trump’s in 2017. While some may assume it is a tradition for the Corps to march in every presidential inaugural parade, it is not a given. All organizations wanting to participate must apply and be selected.

According to Col. Gary Bissell ’89, assistant superintendent in the Office of Operations and Planning, his office placed the presidential inaugural parade on the VMI calendar two years ago. Bissell explained, “We also made sure there were no classes scheduled for that day. Planning in earnest began this past October in anticipation of being accepted, and we submitted the application before Thanksgiving. It included a video, photographs, and a letter of endorsement from Governor Youngkin, secured by VMI’s government relations director.” The wait to hear back began.

Winter furlough had begun Dec. 20. Cadets had gone home, and faculty and staff members were well into their break from work, focused on celebrating the holidays. Bissell finally received the acceptance email from the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) on the evening of Dec. 22. He was thrilled that VMI’s aspiration had been realized and immediately spread the good news to all other pertinent VMI staff members. From that time on, Bissell’s office had continuous coordination and communication with the PIC.

In order to get the Corps to D.C., there were still a series of mandated requirements to be completed with firm deadlines that included security clearance; coordinating transportation; scheduling inspections of weapons, uniforms, and musical instruments; scheduling parade practices; planning for all three meals for the day; and coordinating media coverage.

Bissell asked many staff members to cut their holiday short and assist in the tedious task of credentialing with the Secret Service, all cadets and staff members participating in the parade. Each cadet and staff member’s name, date of birth, social security number, phone number, and email address had to be entered onto a secure Secret Service portal, as well as uploading their photo.

The Office of Global Education had to provide passport and visa information for the approximately 30 international cadets.

The commandant’s staff held briefings for the cadets on the first day of their return from winter furlough. Practice parades were conducted each afternoon that week, perfecting the wide turns required to smoothly march down Pennsylvania Avenue. Cadets made multiple circuits down the snow covered Parade Ground, up Letcher Avenue, to the front of barracks, practicing their “eyes left” to the George C. Marshall Statue, serving as a stand-in for President Trump. An additional mandate from the Secret Service required that the bolts be removed from the rifles taken to the parade. The commandant’s staff conducted inspections of the rifles to make sure that task was completed. Following the cancellation of the parade, they conducted another inspection making sure the bolts were restored.

Lt. Col. Matthew Halligan, director of the Regimental Band, and Maj. Brian Donaldson, director of the Pipe Band, held extra rehearsals, perfecting their musical repertoire of VMI’s fight song, “The Spirit” and “Shenandoah,” a song closely associated with VMI. In addition, Halligan created a marching formation for both bands to perform flawlessly, even though they were spaced between a battalion of cadets. He also inspected the instruments to make sure they were polished to a gleaming shine.

Halligan was also tasked with making passenger rosters and loading plans for all 29 buses. Some upper class cadets were designated as bus captains, responsible for 47 personnel, their Secret Service credentials necessary to march in the parade, all uniform items, rifles with bayonets, sabers, food, and water.

The impeccable appearance of the Corps required an inspection of uniforms. Some overcoats needed minor repairs, and several pairs of spats worn by the Pipe Band needed buttons moved and Velcro attached to ensure a proper fit. The VMI Tailor Shop was responsible for those repairs.

The Military Store, the office responsible for providing all uniform items for the Corps, made sure the cadets would not be missing any part of their uniform by packing a box of commonly forgotten items including shoes, laces, socks, hats, gloves, sashes, rifle straps, and brass.   

As Napoleon Bonaparte famously said, “An army marches on its stomach,” and Lee Clark ’93, director of Auxiliary Services, ensured that the cadets would be well fed while away from post. By the time the trip was cancelled, 900 boxed lunches had already been assembled for Inauguration Day, including special meals for cadets with allergies or dietary restrictions. Arrangements had been made for the cadets to stop at the New Market Battlefield Museum to have supper after the parade. Parkhurst Dining, VMI’s catering provider, was to drive up to New Market to meet the buses at 8 p.m. to distribute the meals. Brittney Phillips, site manager of the museum, planned to position extra lighting in the parking lot for Parkhurst. She arranged for staff members to direct the buses entering and exiting the park to ensure a smooth flow. The New Market town manager, police chief, and maintenance director had all been notified of the arrival of the 29 buses. “When we heard about the impending weather, we discussed the clearing of the George Collins Parkway, the entrance road to the battlefield museum, with the maintenance director and town manager. The parkway is considered a secondary road, so it is normally plowed last, but the maintenance director ensured me it would be open and ready for the arrival of the buses Monday evening, and he would correspond all this with VDOT. Our maintenance team was also preparing for the extra work to get our lot cleared quickly,” said Phillips.

Staff in the Office of Communications & Marketing worked with members of the media in producing news coverage of the parade practices as well as VMI’s history with inaugural parades.

As a consolation to the cadets for missing the ceremonies in D.C., and since the buses were still at their disposal, and meals had already been boxed, the commandant’s office arranged for alternative activities off post Jan. 20.

Though the cadets did not experience firsthand the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47^th President of the United States, they will always be heartened by the memory of the many people at VMI who worked above and beyond and banded together in the unified goal to get them there. 

Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE