Recruits at the United States Naval Academy embarked on a slippery climb to the top of a greased obelisk as part of a beloved ritual marking the end of their freshman year.
The Class of 2027 gathered under a rainy sky in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday to participate in the Herndon Climb, a tradition that has remained strong for more than eight decades.
About 1,175 ‘plebes’ worked together to scale the 21-foot monument, which had been smeared with vegetable shortening, to replace a ‘Dixie top’ hat with the more formal cap reserved for seniors.
Throngs of recruits, many of them shirtless and dressed in Navy-issued shorts, linked arms to support the weight of their classmates as they built a human pyramid. Hoses aimed at the recruits sprayed them with a relentless stream of cold water.
After promotion, they would be considered fourth-class midshipmen rather than commoners, marking the successful completion of their inaugural year at the Academy.
Freshmen at the U.S. Naval Academy embarked on the annual climb to the Herndon Monument on May 15.
New recruits are tasked with replacing a “Dixie top” hat with a senior hat to mark the end of their first year at the Academy.
The obelisk was smeared with grease and the plebs were doused with cold water to further complicate their task.
After promotion, newcomers are considered fourth class midshipmen.
About two hours in, Ben Leisegang, a 20-year-old California native, finally got close enough to place the senior’s hat near the top of the obelisk.
Many of her classmates erupted in cheers, but the celebration came too soon, as the Dixie cap remained in place.
The plebs quickly gathered to finish the job, and a few minutes later, Leisegang was able to remove his cap with a soaked shirt and leave the formal hat in its place.
He stood proudly on their shoulders as the freshmen burst into triumphant shouts. After two hours, 19 minutes and 11 seconds, the task was complete.
Vice Admiral Yvette M. Davids, superintendent of the Academy, congratulated the newly baptized midshipmen on their victory.
He noted that they were but a link in a chain before relaying messages from the class of 1977, urging them to never forget their experiences as plebes.
“You represent a lot, not just the past but the future,” Davids professed.
The person who carries the hat to the top of the obelisk is said to become the first admiral of the class, and competition abounds within their ranks, as evidenced by an eight percent acceptance rate.
The freshmen formed a human pyramid as they tried to reach the top of the monument.
The class of 2027 completed the climb after a grueling two hours, 19 minutes and 11 seconds.
The Herndon Climb began in 1940, although the tradition of placing an officer’s cap on top of the obelisk came seven years later.
Twenty-year-old Ben Leisegang (pictured) was finally able to remove the Dixie top hat from the top of the obelisk.
Admission to the U.S. Naval Academy is extremely competitive, with an eight percent acceptance rate and a student body comprised of varsity athletes and honor society members.
Leisegang (center) was able to remove his cap with a soaked shirt and replace it with a formal hat.
This year’s student body is made up of varsity athletes (90 percent), National Honor Society members (56 percent) and sports team captains or co-captains (68 percent), according to a class profile on the admissions website.
The Herndon Climb began in 1940, although the tradition of placing an officer’s cap on top of the obelisk came seven years later.
The Class of 2023 was forced to postpone its event until 2021 after the 2020 event was canceled amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The climb has undergone several changes, including the addition of fat in 1949.
The first Dixie Cup was placed atop the monument in 1962, the same year the Naval Academy began recording the time it took each class to complete the mission.
The record of one minute and 30 seconds, set by the class of 1972, has not been broken for decades. However, there is a problem: at that time, the obelisk did not have fat.
Midshipman 4th Class Michael J. Maynard of the Class of 1975 reached the summit in 20 minutes, believed to be the fastest time since the tradition of greasing the monument began.
In contrast, the record for the slowest time was set by the class of 1988, which took four hours and five minutes to replace a Dixie top hat that had been glued and taped to the obelisk.
