Alvin N. Hockaday oral history, 2019-07-17

File

Staff Only

Dates

2019-07-17

Creator

Gallahan, Maxwell R. (Interviewer, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Manuscript collections in the VMI Archives are made available for non-commercial educational and research use. The VMI Archives should be cited as the source. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any copyright holders. Materials from our collections may not be redistributed, published or reproduced without permission from the VMI Archives. Contact the VMI Archives for additional information.

Extent

1 items : DVD

Additional Description

Biographical / Historical

Seargeant Major Alvin N. Hockaday, United States Marine Corps (Retired), was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. After completing high school in 1960, he enlisted in the Marine Corps where he was trained as a Marksmanship Instructor and Rifle Team Member. In 1965, Hockaday served his first tour of duty in Vietnam until he was wounded in 1966. From 1966 to 1968 he served as an instructor at Marine Corps Officer Candidate School. He returned to Vietnam in 1968 and was wounded again in 1969. Seargeant Major Hockaday returned to the United States in 1974 and was assigned as the first enlisted Marine Instructor at the Virginia Military Institute. In 1977, he was assigned to The Marine Corps Ceremonial Units at Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. Following his retirment from the Marine Corps in 1990, Hockaday became the first Seargeant Major to the Corps of Cadets at VMI, a position he held until 2003.