Posted on 01/19/2008 7:35:00 AM PST by radar101
Hundreds of Naval Academy plebes attempt to climb the Herndon monument in an annual tradition marking the end of their freshman year in Annapolis. (Sun photo by Doug Kapustin / May 17, 2007)
It's one of the Naval Academy's most enduring traditions: Hundreds of shirtless plebes mark the end of their first year by swarming a grease-slicked, 21-foot-obelisk, climbing over one another in a race to the top.
Now, academy officials are asking: Is this safe?
In a terse statement this week, academy officials said they will assemble a student committee to study changes to the Herndon Monument Climb.
"Like many customs and traditions, they evolve, they change over time," said Cmdr. Ed Austin, an academy spokesman. "We're taking a look at this one and trying to make a decision on whether we make some adjustments to it."
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...
No More Plebes! Our class had the hat on top before I could even run from the field house the Herndon Monument..
Keep the tradition..lots of things are dangerous, but they still do them. There are lots of broken limbs on the playing fields there every year.
You summed it up well. War is risk.
That mine picture gives me the willies.
“This reminds me of some jokes I learned about the Navy while I was in the Army.”
They must have been really simple jokes. :)
Squidley
OH MY GOD! Young soon-to-be-naval officers may face some DANGER! This CANNOT be permitted!
I mean, once they are on ships, subs and jets, they will be PERFECTLY SAFE for the rest of their careers.
Maybe OSHA will declare military service to be unsafe.
Not that there's anything wrong with that...
Make that two posters. And the writer gets it wrong. It’s not a matter of plebes climbing over one another in a race to the top; it’s an exercise in teamwork and cooperative problem solving. The final opportunity to demonstrate the class’s worthiness to claim membership on a world class team. Beat Army!
And the writer gets it wrong. It’s not a matter of plebes climbing over one another in a race to the top; it’s an exercise in teamwork and cooperative problem solving.
Yes it's a team building exercise. I'm not so sure it was a case of the reporter "getting it wrong." Instead trainees "climbing over each other to get to the top first" sounds more like the image they want to convey. The ene-media doesn't wan to convey messages of our troops working together.
Perhaps our Navy FReepers, active and retired, should contact their VFWs and other Fraternal Orders and let the Department of the Navy know what you think.
It’s a sad day when we ban teamwork.
when are we going to see a "women's" study at Annapolis? I'm sure President Hillary will make sure that happens and there will be some b#tt kissing Admiral or General to insure that it does happen.
Absodamnlutely right you are, Paratrooper -- and you can expect a lot more of this PC nonsense since Rumsfeld/Pace were sacked in favor of Gates/Mullen. The Lions are out, and the Lambs are back in charge of the Pentagon.
As for the Naval Academy... the Marine Corps drew the line back in the early 1990s under CMC General Mundy (a USNA grad), when we required all midshipmen to successfully complete OCS in order to receive a Marine commission. The Corps had become saddled with junior officers from Annapolis -- with regular commissions and five year contracts -- who had excellent engineering educations, but who lacked the necessary leadership skills backed up by physical and moral toughness. By diluting the once-fierce standards of the Naval Academy to accomodate the physical limitations and prevailing sensibilities of female midshipmen, a general pussification resulted which degraded the quality of both male and female midshipmen -- and their value to the Marine Corps. Ever since, Middies who have aspired to become Marine Corps officers have had to prove themselves to Marine Corps standards at OCS.
And I like your name, ABN 505. Back in the 1980s, my Marine infantry battalion developed a sister relationship with 1/505, with each hosting the other for field exercises at Fort Bragg and Camp LeJeune. They were excellent soldiers, and we enjoyed some good fights in the woods. Semper Fidelis...
Actually the change is in the shirtless part since girls are now part of the plebes.
I see you noticed the two guys in the picture who are holding hands.
Thank you!
Maryland "Freak State" PING!
Hey, I’m allowed to look!
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