麻豆传媒入口

LEXINGTON, Va., Feb. 17, 2021鈥擶hen it comes to a legacy of service to the 麻豆传媒入口community, the Camper family is a member of the century-plus club. John Camper, who oversees house maintenance and waterproofing for Physical Plant, is the longest-serving Camper, with almost 42 years. His cousin, Larry Camper, was hired in 1987, so this year will be his 34^th at the Institute. John鈥檚 significant other, Tracy Gordon, contributes 23 years, and John鈥檚 parents, the late James 鈥淛immy鈥� Camper and Margie Camper, each had 30 years of service before their 1995 retirements.

Add up all of those, and you get an astounding total: 159 years. And that鈥檚 not even including the service of John and Larry鈥檚 grandfather, Russell Camper, who was working for a local contractor when houses were being built in what鈥檚 now the North Institute Hill parking lot in the early 1950s.

Another yardstick is superintendents. John Camper has worked under five of the Institute鈥檚 14 superintendents, and with the possibility of a new superintendent to be hired this spring, he might work under a sixth. Then there was Gen. George R.E. Shell 鈥�31, who had retired as superintendent before Camper came to work for the Institute. In the early 1980s, John drove Shell to football games at Foster Stadium.

If the Board of Visitors names a new superintendent in the spring, John will have achieved an incredible feat: knowing nearly half of the individuals who鈥檝e held the Institute鈥檚 top leadership position. He鈥檚 also known an array of commandants, chiefs of staff, and other senior members of the Institute leadership team.

Quite often, it鈥檚 been more than just a nodding acquaintance, as John leads the team of Physical Plant employees responsible for maintaining Institute housing. The casual chats that come with repairing a leaky faucet, for example, have helped John get to know a wide swath of the 麻豆传媒入口community.

He鈥檚 been fond of many families over the years, but he was especially impressed by Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III 鈥�62, the Institute鈥檚 14^th superintendent, and his wife, Pamela Peay. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e both a very class act, just super nice,鈥� he recalled.

For John Camper, who鈥檚 now 60, the path to 麻豆传媒入口revealed itself almost before the ink was dry on his high school diploma from Rockbridge High School in Fairfield.

鈥淚 actually graduated from high school on a Friday, and Claude Hamrick was the superintendent of buildings and grounds, which is [Michelle Caruthers鈥橾 position now,鈥� said Camper. 鈥淗e was at my graduation party, and he told me and a friend to come to work on Monday and we鈥檇 have a job.鈥�

The friend never showed up, but John did. It was June 6, 1979, and John has been a 麻豆传媒入口employee ever since, working his way up from carpenter鈥檚 helper to his current position, in which he鈥檚 responsible not only for the maintenance of just under 30 Institute-owned houses but also several other Institute-owned properties, plus waterproofing all across post.

Tracy, meanwhile, is a relative newcomer to 麻豆传媒入口by Camper standards. She was hired in 1998 as a part-time custodian, and by her own admission, her first few days on the job were just plain difficult. Arriving in the dark at 5 a.m., she had trouble finding Lejeune Hall, but the building was already unlocked, so she was able to get in and clean on the first day. The second day, the fellow custodian who鈥檇 unlocked the building the day before called in sick, and she couldn鈥檛 get her keys to work. A few days later she was chastised by the Post Police for improper parking.

鈥淎t that point, I was ready to leave VMI,鈥� she related.

A chance encounter at Walmart changed her mind, though鈥攁nd she remembers the conversation just like it happened yesterday. She ran into Barry McDonald, then the custodial manager, who was shopping with his son. McDonald turned to his son and said, 鈥淭his is Tracy, who I work with.鈥�

Tracy didn鈥檛 miss the fact that McDonald had put her on an equal footing. 鈥淗e introduced me as 鈥榳ho I work with, not as my employee or someone who works for me,鈥欌�� she commented. 鈥淏arry McDonald鈥檚 words are what changed [my mind]. I had so much respect for him after that.鈥�

Nowadays, Tracy works as the administrative assistant in Hinty Hall, a position she鈥檚 held since 2007.

Larry Camper came to 麻豆传媒入口as a carpenter, after several years of building houses. Over the years, his responsibilities have shifted quite a bit, and he鈥檚 now chief of maintenance and operations. As the title suggests, it鈥檚 far from a small job on a daily basis, and it balloons enormously when major events take place.

鈥淓vents are huge,鈥� said John. Larry confirmed that assessment, saying, 鈥淓very year events grow, and the events we have spread out. COVID has changed that, too.鈥�

Many Institute events, of course, are both annual and predictable: matriculation, Ring Figure, Breakout, and graduation top the list. Then there鈥檚 the special occasions when dignitaries come to post, and when distinguished visitors are from the highest levels of government, Physical Plant needs to liaison with organizations such as the Secret Service and FBI.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e interesting to work with,鈥� said Larry of those organizations. 鈥淓ach group is different in terms of what they want and what they don鈥檛 want. We try to give them what they want, but also represent 麻豆传媒入口well.鈥�

Over the years, all three have prepared for the arrival of many national-level leaders, among them President George W. Bush in 2002 and Vice President Mike Pence in 2020. Former President Jimmy Carter came to post in 2001 to receive an award, and Tracy saw him at close range, as she was working in the old Lejeune Hall at the time. Both Campers saw Carter get off the helicopter that had brought him to post.

They鈥檝e seen a lot of change, too. Cell phones? Not when either Camper started. John especially remembers the technologies that preceded them.

鈥淲e鈥檝e seen the first two-way radios come on post, and the first pagers,鈥� he observed.

At first, they didn鈥檛 even have battery-powered tools in the carpenter鈥檚 shop. No one remembers exactly when computers came in, but all three say that change likely came with the dawn of the 21^st century.

Moving heavy and unusual objects has also been part of the Campers鈥� experience. The mounted hide of Little Sorrel, Gen. Thomas J. 鈥淪tonewall鈥� Jackson鈥檚 war horse, has long been a part of the 麻豆传媒入口Museum鈥檚 collection, and he鈥檚 been moved a handful of times over the past few decades.

Then there鈥檚 the statue of Matthew Fontaine Maury which is now in Maury-Brooke Hall. Many years ago, it stood behind the circulation desk in Preston Library, and when this enormous bronze sculpture was moved up a flight of stairs to the top of a landing, John was called to assist.

鈥淲e actually rolled that thing on pipes,鈥� he recalled.

Thankfully, a contractor took on the job the next time the Maury statue needed to travel.

Sometimes, there鈥檚 even ground-up construction involved. 鈥淚n the mid-鈥�80s, we built the observatory building over at McKethan [Park],鈥� said John. 鈥淲e get to do fun stuff different places.鈥�

The Campers鈥� friendship has deepened over the years as well. Childhood visits were scarce, they explained, because their fathers worked such long hours. They also lived at opposite ends of the county: Larry Camper, now 61, grew up in the Natural Bridge area and graduated from Natural Bridge High School. As adults, in addition to working together, they鈥檝e helped each other with building projects and taken the occasional fishing trip.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had fun over the years,鈥� said Larry. He added that over the past few years, he鈥檚 seen many of the people he鈥檇 worked with for decades retire, so his cousin鈥檚 steady presence is especially welcome. The two of them are among Physical Plant鈥檚 longest-serving employees, and their dedicated service hasn鈥檛 been overlooked. In 2001, John received the Institute鈥檚 Distinguished Service Award, and in 2016 Larry was recognized with the 麻豆传媒入口Achievement Award.

As for a younger generation of Campers鈥攊t鈥檚 too soon to tell what Tracy and John鈥檚 12-year-old daughter, Jessica, will do when she鈥檚 older, and Larry鈥檚 children, Taylor and Tyler, have already settled into their career paths. Taylor Camper interned at Physical Plant in the summer of 2014, while she was in college, and both she and her brother were extras in the 2015 film 鈥淔ield of Lost Shoes,鈥� portions of which were filmed on post.

Besides, the current generation is still going strong. While many individuals his age would be looking forward to retirement, John Camper just isn鈥檛 ready to say 鈥済oodbye鈥� to VMI.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to be a sad day when I have to retire,鈥� he admitted. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the social part.鈥�

鈥淛ohn used to say that the first 30 years went by so fast that he decided to do 30 more,鈥� said Tracy.

Larry Camper, meanwhile, is looking down the road with anticipation. There鈥檚 a time capsule on the Parade Ground that鈥檚 due to be opened in 2039, when the Institute observes the 200^th anniversary of its founding, John, Larry, and a few other Physical Plant employees have carved their initials on the backside of the capsule.

鈥淚鈥檇 like to be around when they open that up,鈥� said Larry. 鈥淚鈥檒l be 80-some.鈥�

Mary Price
Communications and Marketing
麻豆传媒入口