THE CLASS SIDE
Description:
1. Black diamond for the two blackouts we had in barracks our Rat year.
2. Chain links made up of all the classes in our dykeline.
3. Roman numeral XX for the 20-mile march to New Market.
4. Blood-covered sickle for our Breakout (Operation Grim Reaper).
5. Nine raindrops because of the many times it rained during our Hell Week and ratline activities.
6. The rat riot where we dressed in grey blouse and rescued our Brother Rats from the RDC.
7. “06” for our dyke’s class.
8. The ace of spades, a symbol for Saddam Hussein, who was captured by an Army unit commanded by a member of our dykeline.
9. Latin motto nec aspera terrent; “not even hardships can deter us.”
10. Oak leaves for courage and bravery, and laurel leaves for wisdom and intellect, the ideal virtues of a VMI cadet.
11. Cadets marching in overcoat for the Governor’s Inaugural parade.
12. Statue of George Catlett Marshall ’01, General of the Army and Secretary of State; the most distinguished member of our dykeline.
13. Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a symbol of the history of the Institute and its attachment to the Commonwealth.
14. Master locks for the rat riot where we locked the third class in their rooms before BRC.
15. A cadet officer’s sword with a first class private’s buckle, a symbol of the unity of the Corps.
16. A symbol of our Breakout: the sickle ripping open a sandbag, from which sand pours out. A flaming phoenix rises from the sand; this is a symbol of our rebirth from the sands of Breakout as a class of VMI cadets.
17. “12” for our future rats’ class.
18. chain links made of “09”.