Some memos he wrote caught the eye of Army Chief of Staff (and VMI alumnus) George Marshall, who brought him on staff.

WSJ: Book Review: Making 'Patton'

They got to the championship by defeating Winthrop in the tournament opener and rallied from 5 points down at the half to oust VMI, 71-65.

NPR: Liberty, With 15-20 Record, Earns NCAA Berth

Top holdings include: Valmont Industries ( VMI), Nalco Holdings ( NLC), Tetra Tech ( TTEK), URS Corp. ( URS), Danaher ( DHR), Itron ( ITRI), and Lindsay Corp ( LNN).

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McCarthy also met George S. Patton, another VMI alum.

WSJ: Book Review: Making 'Patton'

In particular, Croft picks Valmont Industries (VMI) as an investment vehicle not just for its farm irrigation system but for its mechanized irrigation equipment that is portable and conveniently transportable.

FORBES: Valmont Industries And Weyerhaeuser: Enticing Value Plays on Irrigation And Timber