Archive for the 'Naval Academy' Category
Our Hat Is Off To The Naval Academy’s Class of 2008
May 23rd, 2008 Categories: Fun Fridays, Naval Academy
Those Flying Hats Can Only Mean One Thing: Today Was Graduation Day for 233 New Marine Corps Second Lieutenants and 786 New Ensigns
Today is Fun Friday on this blog and for 919 new graduates of the Naval Academy I imagine this was about the most fun they’ve had in 4 years.
To the graduates and their families…to those of us who live in Annapolis and perhaps served in the Navy…this is a very big day and we all take pride in this annual event. We’ve watched these young men and women mature before our very eyes, seen the sportsmanship they display on the football field and in other athletic events - and we can’t help but feel proud to be part of this community.
Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed the graduating class and offered some good advice: learn from your mistakes; be accountable for your actions; and question authority when appropriate. Not a bad code to live by.
The ceremony ended the way it always does, with the hat toss. If you’ve never seen it before, watch this clip - one I just found on YouTube - from this year’s graduation.
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Plebes No More
May 16th, 2008 Categories: Fun Fridays, Naval Academy
Hundreds of Sweaty Plebes, Buckets of Lard and a 21′ Tall Monument Make for a Slippery Conclusion to One Tough First Year at the Naval Academy
It has to be one of the smelliest, most spirited rites of passage in Annapolis, if not the entire country: first year Naval Academy students converge en masse on the Academy’s Herndon Monument in a rush to the top. There’s just one catch: the monument is generously greased with 100 pounds of lard.
Traditionally, the plebe who makes the final ascent removes the plebe “dixie cup” hat (below) on top and replaces it with the midshipman’s cover (or hat) - a move symbolizing the plebes’ completion of their first grueling year.
This year’s climb on Thursday morning saw the Midshipmen finish the job in just under 2 hours and 36 minutes - not bad, though not nearly a record breaking time: no fewer than six plebe classes have come in at under an hour.
It’s Fun Friday on this blog, as always, and we thought you’d enjoy a firsthand look at the excitement from this year, below.
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