Continuing a legacy
I enjoyed your article in the Winter 2002 issue of Virginia Tech Magazine, "Legacies leave their mark on Virginia Tech." My wife and I, both VT graduates, live in Rhode Island now and dearly miss Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. We proudly display our VT flag outside of our house year-round, and have educated a few New Englanders that "VT" stands for Virginia Tech rather than Vermont.
After reading your article, I began to think about my family and their proud legacy at Virginia Tech. It was actually quite amazing when I finally wrote it all down, so I thought I would share it with you.
My count [including family members with multiple degrees] shows 12 degrees from Tech in my immediate family...thus far. We have eight grandchildren in the family who are no doubt ready to continue the Virginia Tech legacy that we are all so proud of. Go Hokies!
Bruce Heterick '85
Barrington, R.I.
Ranking the Peace Corps
As a Hokie abroad I try to keep myself informed about what is going on at Tech. I am very pleased with Tech being among the Peace Corps top 25 universities. [Editor's note: See news item on page 4.]
Although I am not an American, and therefore I cannot be a formal Peace Corps volunteer, I work with volunteers in many different ways. As a matter of fact, I recently received the Leadership Award 2002 presented by the Andy Hernandez Foundation. The foundation was created for the first volunteers that came to the Dominican Republic in 1962. As part of the 40th anniversary celebration there was a huge convention--more than 400 former and current volunteers showed up.
I grew up in a very small town called Villa Elisa in the Northwestern part of the Dominican Republic. Since the late '60s we have had five volunteers in our community; one of them is from Roanoke. To show our gratitude to the Peace Corps, we have built what may be the only monument worldwide to honor the men and women of the Peace Corps.
I got my degree in agricultural economics, so I had the opportunity to benefit from the experience of George Norton (my advisor), Jim Peace, Judith Stallman, Jeff Alwang, the late Paul Driscoll, and all the other professors whose involvement with the Peace Corps made them better understand the life of international students.
Thanks for what the Peace Corps does and what you do.
Pedro Pena '91
Santa Domingo,
Dominican Republic
Airborne Hokies
I read with great interest your column featuring Norman Bruce Adams '82, the graduate who now flies the B-2 Bomber. I spent a career in the Air Force and did my flying as a navigator and bombardier in the B-52. It's interesting to note that we have another VT Corps grad in the bomber world. Major Jeff Menges '89 has been flying the B-1 bomber out of Robins Air Force Base, Ga., for the past few years; he flew one of these aircraft over Lane Stadium during the pre-game show at the Rutgers game in 2000. Thanks to Lt. Col. Adams, his friend Lt. Col. William Overbey '83, Major Menges, and all the Hokies who serve our nation.
Rock Roszak '71
Blacksburg, Va.
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