Читать книгу Shoes: Tails from the Post - R.A. Comunale M.D. M.D. - Страница 4

Ducks and dykes.

Y’all sure use some strange terms.

Yes, I freely admit that I am not an alumnus of Virginia Military Institute, nor have I ever attended.

That was my loss.

My Rubenesque body would not have survived the tough discipline and workouts.

My introduction to VMI—my personal Virgil—is an alumnus who chooses to be known only as Leonidas. Like the Spartan king of old, he soon conquered my reservations about visiting a campus dedicated to both education and military preparedness.

Leonidas approached me one day with a suggestion for a novel centered on VMI. On his own time he conveyed me to the Post, showed me the landmarks, and recounted his own experiences as a young Rat. He showed me the farm, where the great battle of New Market took place, and related what I only knew briefly: the bravery and courage of an entire Corps of Cadets.

He also related some of the historical background of Lexington and Buena Vista, Virginia.

He then wisely told me, “It’s all yours. Run with it.”

I hope you enjoy it.