Memorial to Captain Jack Casey USMC '19

On February 7th, 2024 Capt. Jack Casey '19 and four other Marines perished during a helicopter training event. Commissioning into the Marine Corps following his graduation from VMI, he served the nation for nearly five years, just recently promoted to the rank of Captain. While at VMI Capt. Casey served the Institute, his BRs, and all Cadets well. Hailing from Dover, New Hampshire, Capt. Casey graduated with a physics degree and held positions on Cadre all three years, first being the India company clerk, First Sergeant, and eventually India company's Commanding Officer. His bio from VMI's The Bomb reads: My Parents and Family, thank you for always being there for me even when I said I didn't need it. My Roommates, I'll always want one more room lift, but I will never want to wake up next to four other naked dudes everyday ever again, especially Mike. I'm always grateful that if I ever needed to, I could bring a straight up meat squad to a fight. To the rats of 154, VMI is toxic and your medicine is the friends that you make here. Do not let VMI get to you, its designed to beat you down and see how you get back up. Trust me on that one. "When in doubt. Flat out." - Colin McRae. To honor Capt. Casey and his service, VMI held a ceremony at TAPS on Tuesday, February 13th at which Amazing grace was played by the pipe band. VMI continues to honor the fallen from within their ranks, this ceremony playing a small part in the immortalization of VMI Cadets and their unparalleled character. Capt. Casey embodied this to the full as espoused by all of those who knew him, once such account being from one of his Rats in the Class of '22: Jack Casey was one of my uncle dykes at VMI and a role model for all of us in India Co. He was a strong and passionate leader, an utterly ferocious commander on the line and the goofiest personality in the room. He was a man that made memories as a matter of course, and took sincere pride in training us and leading his team. From the legendarily inspirational speeches about Alexander the Great and Napoleon at the end of every day during our hell week, to enthusiastically leading us at our breakout charge with his saber forward, he played a key role in shaping us into who we are- and who I am- today. Even 3 years later when we became dykes ourselves we were still telling stories of the things he did or said that stuck with us throughout our entire cadetship... and now beyond. Rest in Peace Jack, I wish I could have thanked you one last time. Rah 1-9 Quinn Hart '22