General Binford "Binnie" Peay '62 Nominated for New Market Medal and VMI Alumni Association Distinguished Service Medal

&emsp;&emsp;The VMI Class of 1961, during a meeting at its recent 60th reunion, unanimously adopted a resolution nominating General J. H. Binford Peay, '62 to receive the New Market Medal, the highest honor conferrable by the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), and the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award conferrable by the VMI Foundation, in recognition of his long and distinguished service to our country and to VMI. Mr. Salvatore "Sal" Vitale, as the Class of '61 Class Agent, submitted the nominations to the VMI Foundation, on behalf of the Class of 1961 to solicit its support by seconding the nominations of General Peay for these awards. According to his letter sent to VMI Foundation President Joseph M. Spivey III '57 and a similar letter to Mr. Tom Watjen '76, President of the VMI Board of Visitors (BOV), Mr. Vitale wrote, "My class was motivated to take the action it did because it strongly believes that the circumstances under which General Peay resigned as Superintendent in October of 2020 resulted in a stain on the reputation of VMI which could not be cleansed if the results of his 17 years of distinguished service went unrecognized by VMI, his alma mater." Mr. Vitale included a copy of the resolutions adopted by the Class of 1961. According to Mr. Vitale's submission, the first resolution "asks that the Board of Visitors honor General Peay in a manner fitting his service and that the Board also add its imprimatur to our action by circulating the resolutions widely to the public to assure, as the resolution requests, his record of outstanding service become known as widely as possible." The second resolution is more specific and requests General Peay receive "The New Market Medal," VMI's highest award conferrable by the BOV. &emsp;&emsp;Subsequent to submitting the nominations to the VMI Foundation and the VMI BOV, the Class of '61 is contacting all VMI Class Agents, regional directors, and chapter presidents, to request they second the nominations. &emsp;&emsp;Prior to his tenure as the VMI Superintendent, Gen. Peay completed a highly distinguished military career following graduation from VMI and commissioning as a second lieutenant of Field Artillery in 1962. His assignments included aide-de-camp to the Commanding General, 5th Infantry Division; two tours in the Republic of Vietnam. General Peay subsequently served with the Army Military Personnel Center in Washington, D.C., commanded in the 2d Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, graduated the Army War College served as a Senior Aide to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and later as Chief of the Army Initiatives Group in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operation and Plans. Additional assignments included as the I Corps' Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3/Director of Plans and Training, and later became the Division Artillery (DIVARTY) Commander, of the 9th Infantry Division, Executive to the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Assistant Division Commander (Operations), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Deputy Commandant, Command and General Staff College. As the Commander of the Army's elite 101st Airborne Division, Peay led the division through Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf after which he served as the army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans culminating in his appointment as the twenty-fourth Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army. His last active duty position was as Commanding General, United States Central Command, at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, from Aug. 5, 1994 until Aug. 13, 1997. &emsp;&emsp;Peay's awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Silver Star, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star Medal with three oak leaf clusters, and the Purple Heart. He has also received the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, several Air Medals, and the Army Commendation Medal. Additionally, he wore the Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, the Air Assault Badge, the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge, Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, and the Army General Staff Identification Badge. &emsp;&emsp;Peay served as VMI's 14th superintendent from 2003 until 2020 when he was compelled to resign by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam '81. &emsp;&emsp;His legacy to VMI includes the General J.H. Binford Peay III 1962 Endowment for Academic Excellence. In November 2020, following his departure from VMI, the VMI Alumni Agencies purchased full page advertisements in several publications, to include The Washington Post, the Roanoke Times, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and the Virginian-Pilot entitled A Recognition of Service to VMI and Our Nation in which the published article was originally published in November 2020 as a full-page advertisement praising Peay's accomplishments including, in part: "Serving as superintendent since July 1, 2003, Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III '62 celebrated many successes during his time at VMI, reaching 57% commissioning in 2019, building the Corps' capacity to more than 1,700 cadets, focusing on a rigorous yet professional barracks and leadership training experience, increasing the academic excellence in every department with top faculty and facilities, and greatly enhancing the learning, living, and competing environments on post. Peay, a civil engineering major and quarterback of the Keydet football team while a cadet, served in the U.S. Army for 35 years after commissioning from VMI and retired at the rank of four-star general. He was the Institute's third-longest serving superintendent after Maj. Gen. Francis H. Smith and Brig. Gen. Scott Shipp, VMI Class of 1859." &emsp;&emsp;General Peay's family includes his wife, Pamela, two sons, and grandchildren. The Cadet notes that in his resignation letter from October of 2020, General Peay wrote, "It has been the honor of my life to be the Superintendent of VMI for over seventeen years. I always have and always will love the Institute, all of our cadets, alumni and the entire VMI family. Pamela and I pass on our best wishes for the future, and will be cheering you on with great admiration and fondness as your work continues to serve the nation so well." &emsp;&emsp;The Class of '61 has contacted all VMI Class Agents requesting their classes second the nominations.