We have all heard stories of the uncommon heroism by members of the VT community during the April 16 tragedy. One that resonates with me is that of Cadet Matthew La Porte, who I did not know personally but was a close friend to people important to me. The Corps tradition at VT is a foundational one, and La Porte's actions in attempting to save lives that day deserves special attention. If you do not know his story, I am here to share it, as best I can tell it. Please add your recollections in the comments if you have them.
The CT tells Matt's story in this nice article:
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/a-road-not-taken-the-story-of-april-...
He was a college kid, like the rest of us.
Perhaps La Porte might have opted for the later section of the class that starts at 12:20 p.m. La Porte loved to sleep. In fact, he preferred the comfy confines of his rack to the amazement of his hall mates and frustration of his superiors.
"You couldn't move him easily," said Cpt. Chris Andersen of Air Force ROTC Detachment 875. "Myself being a former drill instructor, there were multiple times where I needed to get him motivated."
It was usually to no avail, his hallmates attested. Waking him up to be on time for formation was often an exercise in futility.
And he would have made Wyatt Teller proud.
La Porte had already earned a reputation for being tardy - or even missing - from some of his commitments in the Corps. He had a free spirit that occasionally carried him on 3 a.m. Taco Bell runs, where he'd return with his arms full of burritos, and his lips pursed on a gigantic soft drink straw.
But La Porte set his mind to important things and was a success.
Cadet Josiah Donaldson is convinced to this day that La Porte could not feel pain. It was easy to believe considering the kind of grueling training he was subjected to while joining AFSOPT. La Porte and Donaldson became friends while they both "tapped," or rushed, to be members of AFSOPT in the fall of 2006. AFSOPT is considered one of the elite training groups cadets can join while at Tech. During a three week "tap" period, cadets submit themselves to a physical training regimen modeled after the Navy SEAL program. They wake up every morning at 5:30 a.m. and convene at different locations for physical training.
...
Eighteen cadets tapped AFSOPT that fall, all attempting to earn the honor of the Gray Beret signifying membership in to the elite squad. But those "just going for the Gray Berets don't usually make it," Donaldson said.
"They would see him running, and it was like nothing affected him," Nesbit said. "He could just keep going no matter what they doled out. And they were all like 'we have to keep up because how are we going to look if goofball La Porte over there makes it and we don't?'"
Only four, including La Porte and Donaldson, made it to AFSOPT that semester.
Matthew La Porte was killed on April 16 as he charged the shooter in an attempt to save lives. And not only did he attempt to save lives, but he did. For his heroism, he was posthumously awarded the Airman's medal.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/heroism-of-air-fo...
Yet the citation, read by one of La Porte's Air Force ROTC's officers, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Keith Gay, was reminiscent of those earned in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead of telling a story from a distant battlefield, Gay spoke of a 20-year-old sophomore in his intermediate French class who, even after the professor told the class to hide in the back of the room, ran to the front to help other students barricade the door.
"When the shooter forced his way into the classroom, Cadet La Porte, in complete disregard for his own safety, unhesitatingly charged the shooter ... drawing heavy fire at close range and sustaining seven gunshot wounds," Gay read. "He sacrificed his own life in an attempt to save others."
While we normally do not advocate for personal causes on TKP, I believe an exception is warranted in this instance. An effort is being made by VT students to have the new Corps dormitory building named after Matthew La Porte. If you are so inclined, please add your name to the petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/867/098/250/
May Matt rest in peace, as well as all the 32.
Go Hokies.
Comments
Thanks for this.
I didn't know Matt, but he was born a week after me and was also from New Jersey. The ROTC marched for him the week after the shooting to celebrate his life and I happened to be at the same place at the same time. I'm not sure if it was his actual funeral or something else. And then he received the Air Force medal in my parents home town. His story always resonated with me. I know he has a younger sister and his family seemed like great people. I hope they are well. RIP.
I didn't know this story, but I'm glad I do now. Thank you.
I don't even think a petition should be required, but I will gladly sign. Rest in Peace, Sir.
Signed. Rarely have I been prouder of my roots in the VTCC than after reading this story. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing GuitarMan. I had not heard this story before and appreciate you sharing this. This part especially stood out to me:
Wow. What a great example. This is what Ut Prosim is.
RIP Matt. Gone but never forgotten.
I was a freshmen AFROTC cadet in 2007, Matt was my run group leader from time to time but never really knew him personally since I was a freshmen. From friends in the Corps the described everything the papers wrote about him. Besides the love for sleep, he was top of his class and poised for a great future in the Air Force. His selfless actions speak volumes about his true character and soul. I never knew Matt personally, but I always think about him and his sacrifice for others. The hardest thing to cope with this tragic event is the fact that all 32 students/staff that we lost were all set for great things in the future...
Came to VT and the Band a few years after most who knew him first hand had graduated but still was lucky to hear some of his oral history. And was in every sense a great Hokie and terrible loss. And if every HT and Hokie could aspire to be even a tenth as dedicated as he there would be nothing out of reach. Some of the most meaningful moments at my time were when the Band would attend the 4/16 vigil as a group in Dress B. It was never required and never really talked about as an expectation, it was just done.
That said I am actually against naming the new Brodie for him. There is something unfortunate about such important building names being auctioned off even to Corps alum. And I would caution this as a case of recency bias. There are many other very deserving names who have never been so honored. Including 4 of the 7 Medal of Honor recipients. Sgt Gregory for instance was the first native Virginian to be awarded it, and the Gregory Guard is not quite the same. Or in the same vein Col Wes Fox, a Mustang Marine Officer who was awarded the medal in Vietnam then came to VT as a staff member for decades and still today signs a copy of his book on leadership for each new cadet.
There are great ways to honor him, naming the Band's room in the new Mil Science building would be perfect, or the AFROTC classroom. Or make an exception and add his name to the Pylons. But the Corps' rolls of Honor are long and we should remember all in balance.
I agree that auctioning off building names is unfortunate but I wouldn't call naming it after someone who died trying to protect his fellow Hokies "auctioned off."
This is the single biggest tragedy that our camps has ever or, God willing, will ever have to face.
Now don't get me wrong, I understand the argument your making about honoring the Corps' fallen equally. To take it further, we should honor the victims of April 16 equally. This argument I'll listen to and could be persuaded by.
Sorry, I'm really not trying to jump in your shit but it irked me that after saying you were against naming the building for him you're very first reason was that you're against auctioning off building names in general. Again, to me it read like you were saying naming the building for Matt would be auctioning it off. Apologies if I misinterpreted that.
So I believe you did misunderstand my point. They are two separate thoughts. I would not call potentially calling it La Porte Hall as auctioning off. What the process is going to be is though.
Look at the other dorm that replaced Rasche. Pearson Hall, named because the Pearson family wrote a big enough check. He did graduate from the Corps and I did hear him come and speak and he does heavily credit the Corps for the success of his giant trailer company. But in the spectrum of anyone we could name the building for is the check worth the lost opportunity of another name. I am unconvinced.
My primary critique of selecting Matt for the name now, in most raw terms is that he would be jumping the line of names just as deserving who have waited for decades.if he were chosen I would caution on those grounds but I would be more happy over an auction to the highest bidder as it would have been selected based on more appropriate grounds I think.
My sincerest apologies then and I think we're in agreement.
Nothing to apologize for, I should have made it a bit more clear.
In this discussion, this is worth a look.
Virginia Tech Medal of Honor recipients.
https://www.vt.edu/about/buildings/war-memorial-chapel-honor.html
The MOH is not won.
Well, in the case of the second Gaujot brother... It kinda was.
Otherwise, yes, I always say Recipient or that it was "awarded".
Unfortunate choice of words on my part. Typing faster than thinking. Corrected.
I disagree about what it would mean for new Brodie to be named LaPorte Hall as a shove for the rest of the Hokies that gave their life or received a high military honors. Their names are on pylons in the center of campus if they make the ultimate sacrifice while serving. For Matthew LaPorte he did not get that honor, and for a cadet to take those heroic actions and give his life for fellow classmates, which all happened just 250 yds away... I think a building is not much to ask. I'm VTCC C '10, 3rd Generation Cadet, 3rd Generation Gregory Guard and I know names like Earle D. Gregory would come to mind before LaPorte but their names are already in the center of campus. Just my 2 cents.
No I do think that is a perfectly reasonable opinion and I certainly wouldn't be sad to see him get that honor. Just not my preferred resolution.
A Matt La Porte Rehearsal Room would be a perfectly topical and meaningful distinction I would support as well to through out another option.
Respectfully... I think that's a bit self-serving. I know Matt La Porte was a member of the HT's, but he was also a member of the Corps and a student of the university above all. I understand it'd be a great honor to have that room named for him, but I'd argue the manner of his ultimate sacrifice is absolutely worthy of ANY university building bearing his name.
This topic has raised conflicting feelings and opinions within myself this week. I was in the HT's when it happened and thinking of him and how he must have felt overwhelms me whenever I think about it. Seeing his sister post in the Remembrance group on Facebook has me imagine how my sisters and parents would have been affected if I'd been in his place.
On the one hand, I am intensely proud that he decided to fight in those critical moments and want everyone to know of who he was and what he did. I want him to be unceasingly recognized for it.
Then again, there were so many victims that day; not just killed, but wounded and traumatized, too. I think of their stories and don't think it would be right for one person to be elevated above the others. If he wasn't a cadet, would we be having this conversation about naming this new hall for him?
Perhaps one of his buds will offer their perspective, but I am also not sure how LaPorte would feel about having a residence hall named after him. From all accounts he was a very understated and humble person. The Band paid tribute to him by marching in a "Missing Man" formation for every performance until his bud class graduated. I loved that memorial for him and felt it very appropriate.
Your central argument for the new dorm being named after him is that the MoH recipients already have their names on the Cenotaph and Pylons at War Memorial Chapel and that LaPorte's name is not on the Pylons. LaPorte's name is on the 4/16 Memorial on the Drillfield, though. He is honored in the center of campus. He has been recognized by the Air Force, the Corps of Cadets, and others for what he has done. If the Band named their practice facility after him, I doubt anyone would question it.
If the University names the new hall after LaPorte, I think it'd be a wonderful tribute, I just don't know if it is the best one.
I really wish I had made the effort to know him better. It's horrible how much you find out about people only after you've lost the chance to connect with them.
The Highty-Tighty motto is "Deeds, Not Words", but one of the unofficial ones is, "The Band is a family. We have and always will take care of our own." Take care of each other, guys.
Completely agree. I definitely whiffed on the 4/16 memorial. I really wish they would of put his name on the pylons as he had all aspirations of going Air Force and even received the Air Force honors afterwards. No person aspires to have a building named after them in the scenarios , unless you donate some big $$$ *cough cough*. I think we have nailed down majority of perspectives in this conversation and have gotten into personal opinions by this point. At the end of the day he is 1 of 32 outstanding people we loss and I'm happy to see that even after a decade we carry these people's memories and stories with us.
A very well thought out post that is worth considering on all points. Even if it has a very peculiar spelling of "Don't Fuck With the Band"!
DFWTB shouldn't need to be spoken. It should just be a given. Although, it is enscribed on the inside of my Battle.
Way after my time but I gotta support my fellow cadets, signed the petition
Per WDBJ7 the new building will not be named in Cadet La Porte's memory.
Honestly I can't disagree with this decision. While I do think it would have been a great tribute to a true hero, the point stands that it would single out one victim over the other 32. Either way, his and the other victims memory will always live on.
Officially, perhaps. Cadets do have a tendency to unofficially name things, though.