Fishburne Military School to March in VA Gubernatorial Inauguration
Fishburne Military School to March in VA Gubernatorial Inauguration
Virginia’s Oldest and Smallest Military School for Boys Selected to March in 13 Jan Inaugural Parade
Waynesboro, VA — Virginia’s oldest and smallest military school for boys has officially been selected to march in the Virginia Gubernatorial Inaugural Parade in Richmond, VA.
1986 Inauguration of Fishburne Military School Alumnus Gerald Baliles, who served as Virginia’s 65th Governor.
Fishburne Military School has been formally invited by the Northam Inaugural Committee to march in Governor-elect Ralph Northam’s inaugural parade on Saturday, January, 13, 2018.
Northam will become the 73rd governor of Virginia, and take office on January 13, 2018. A 1981 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Northam served for eight years as an Army Medical Officer.
This will mark the second time that the Fishburne Military School Corps of Cadets has marched in the Virginia Gubernatorial Inauguration. The Caissons appeared in the 1986 Inauguration of Fishburne Military School Alumnus Gerald Baliles, who served as Virginia’s 65th Governor.
FMS Superintendent Captain Mark Black USN(Ret) noted “Fishburne Military School is tremendously honored to accept this invitation. As an Army Junior ROTC Honor Unit with Distinction, we pride ourselves upon teaching our young men the importance of honor, citizenship and self-discipline. Being included in an historic moment such as this is something that our Cadets will proudly recall for the rest of their lives.”
In January of 2017, Fishburne Military School marched in their first Presidential Inauguration.
Since its founding in 1879, the Waynesboro, Virginia school has also marched in review for dignitaries such as President Calvin Coolidge, Virginia Governor Harry Flood Byrd, and Secretaries of the Army Generals George C. Marshall and Eric Shinseki.
Fishburne Military School is the oldest and smallest of all military schools for boys in Virginia. Its college-prep curriculum is built upon the structure of an Army JROTC program. FMS is designated as a JROTC Honor Unit with Distinction and may nominate qualified candidates to the United States Service Academies. Fishburne hosts one of only four Summer JROTC programs in the nation, accredited by US Army Cadet Command. For more information visit www.fishburne.org.
