HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- For this four-star general, his path to success started with education.

"A passion for reading and learning is the foundation everyone needs to be successful," Army Materiel Command's Commander Gen. Dennis L. Via said as he visited four schools in Huntsville, March 8.

Via and his wife, Linda, started the day at Louis J. Morris Elementary and McDonnell Elementary, where the couple read one of their favorite Dr. Seuss books, "Green Eggs and Ham," and talked to the students about the importance of reading.

"Make me a promise because reading is so very important as you continue school. Promise me you will reach back to your little brothers and sisters and read with them," Linda Via asked of the first-grade students at Morris.

"Dream big dreams and read, read, read," Via wrote in a copy of "Green Eggs and Ham" the couple left with the school.

The engagement was a part of Read Across America, a nationwide celebration in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday.

Following the couple's visit to the elementary school, Via traveled to Grissom High School and Lee/New Century High School. At both schools, he met with JROTC cadets and spoke about his keys to success.

"You've got to set your mind to it if you want to be successful," he said. "When your preparation meets an opportunity, that equals success. You can't sit back and wait for an opportunity. You need to be preparing yourself so when that train comes, you already have your ticket."

Speaking to the high school students, Via shared his personal story from having no plans to attend college to becoming a four-star general, and the teacher who inspired him along the way, particularly his brick masonry teacher, Edward Fontaine.

"Mr. Fontaine told me, 'I think you should go to college. You are a leader,'" Via said. "It was the first time I was ever called a leader."

He encouraged the students to look to their own teachers and recognize the important role they play in your life.

"It all starts with a good education and your teachers," he said. "What you are doing here today is your preparation, which is critically important for your future."

Photos of the event are available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/armymaterielcommand/albums/72157665571075231