The Virginia Military Institute (VMI), located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States.
Although VMI has been called the "West Point of the South," it differs from the federal service academies in several respects. For example, while all VMI cadets must participate in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), they are not required to serve in the military upon graduation. Instead, VMI graduates may either accept a commission in any of the US military branches or pursue civilian endeavors upon graduation.
Virginia Military Institute in The Guns of the South[]
Following the Battle of Rivington and the disbanding of America Will Break, some of the captured time travel terrorists had their death sentences commuted, in exchange for helping to reverse-engineer future technology at Virginia Military Institute. At least two of these men committed suicide. One of them, Hendrik Nieuwoudt, left behind a note saying "I can't stand being watched anymore."
When the AWB's papers and books were captured in Richmond by the C.S. Army, much of their contents was found to be in an incomprehensible language. A professor of German was summoned from the Institute by the Confederate government, but he made no progress and soon returned to Lexington.
Virginia Military Institute in Southern Victory[]
The Virginia Military Institute in Lexington was the CS Army's leading and most prestigious military college, though it was not their official academy as West Point was to the United States Army. Nevertheless, a great many Confederate officers were graduates of VMI, and it was seen the same way as West Point was for young men in the United States - an ideal place to prepare for a career as a commissioned officer in the armed services.
Thomas Jackson was once a professor of artillery there before the War of Secession, when its cadets aspired to become officers in the US Armed Forces.
Literary comment[]
VMI's fate following the US bombing of Lexington is not revealed.
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