Plebes climb Herndon Monument to mark end of Naval Academy first-year

ANNAPOLIS, May 23, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Plebes make a human wall to climb the Herndon Monument which is covered with vegetable shortening, at the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland, the United States, May 23, 2016. Each year the freshman class, known as "Plebes", climb the 21-foot tall monument to retrieve the Plebian Sailor's hat and replace it with an officer's hat. The tradition which began in 1959 is a step in marking the end of plebe year and moving up to be a U.S. Naval officer. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)