From July 1943 to October 1945, Emory & Henry College hosted the U.S. Navy’s V-5 and V-12 officer training program, an intensive course of education and physical training that provided the Navy with strong, capable leaders during World War II. In July 1998, former V-5 Navy Air Force student Donald W. Tendick, Sr., and his wife Rosemary committed funds to purchase land and buildings in downtown Emory and begin a long-needed renewal. Donald W. Tendick, Sr., and the men of the U.S. Navy program at Emory & Henry went on to serve their God, country, and fellow man.