It's that time of the year when "Plebes," having reached the end of their first year at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, must climb the lard-laden Herndon Monument and replace an underclassman’s hat at the top of the monument with an upperclassman’s hat.
Only then can they begin their summer.
This year’s class completed the task in 2 hours, 21 minutes and 21 seconds.
Shirtless, hunky Naval Academy freshman climbing on each other. What's not to like? ;)
Ah yes, it's that time of the year when "Plebes," having reached the end of their first year at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis must climb the lard-laden Herndon Monument and replace an underclassman’s hat at the top of the monument with an upperclassman’s hat.
Last year’s freshman class accomplished the feat in one hour, 38 minutes and 36 seconds.
Chris Bianchi, 19, made a solid run at the top shortly after the first boom of a cannon, signaling 30 minutes had passed.
The tattoo on his back honors his father Kevin, who graduated from the academy in 1985 and died in a helicopter crash in 2003, when Chris was 7 years old, according to the Navy Times.
But, like many before and after him, Chris took a tumble.
After the second boom of a cannon, signaling an hour, Bianchi made a second run at the top.
Bianchi hails from Virginia Beach, Va. His tattoo features his father’s name, the words “God,” “Family” and “Country,” and a chapter and verse from the Gospel of John (“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”). After a couple pushes, he nudged the upperclassman’s hat onto the top.
Bianchi, who is five-foot-three, celebrated before the fall back to Earth. The climb took one hour, 12 minutes and 30 seconds.
Team work!
Chris Bianchi reaches for the top of Herndon Monument
I love this tradition, and I post the video every year.
U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen from the Class of 2018 conquered the final hurdle of their freshman year during the annual Herndon Monument climb May 18.
Every year, the roughly 1,000 members of the U.S. Naval Academy's plebe class form a human pyramid around the 21-foot tall Herndon Monument to replace a plebe hat, or "dixie cup," that upperclassmen have placed on the top of the obelisk and with the midshipmen cover.
Midshipman 4th Class Javarri Beachum, from Port St. Joe, Fla., reached the top and replaced the cover in 1:38:36, the fastest time since 2013.
I know no one wants to see shirtless, sweaty, cadets climbing on each other and all that.
The United States Naval Academy class of 2016 goes through the traditional right of passage of climbing the greased obelisk of the Herndon Monument in Annapolis. The class completed the task in 1 hour, 32 minutes, and 43 seconds.
I found stills of the event yesterday, but was looking for the video.
