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| 30 cadets injured as West Point pillow fight gets rough |
| 2015-09-06 |
| For generations, Freshmen cadets at the United States Military Academy have marked the end of summer training with a huge nighttime pillow fight, but this year the fight turned bloody as some cadets swung pillowcases packed with hard objects that split lips, broke at least one bone, dislocated shoulders and knocked cadets unconscious. The brawl left 30 cadets injured, including 24 with concussions. Though talk about the brawl on August 20 had circulated on social media, West Point did not confirm it until Thursday. Academy spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker said, "West Point applauds the cadets’ desire to build esprit and regrets the injuries to our cadets. We are conducting appropriate investigations into the causes of the injuries." Video of the fight showed crowds of cadets, some wearing body armor as well as helmets, surging together in a central quad, their shouts echoing off the stone walls of the surrounding barracks. As the plebes collided into a boil of white pillows, pummeling one another in the fading light, glow sticks flew through the air and an impromptu cavalry of riders in laundry carts dashed in, cushions swinging. At one point, a smoke grenade appeared to go off. Photos posted later on Twitter show some with bloody pillows and bloody faces, and at least one person being taken aboard an ambulance. As the scope of injuries became clear, academy staff members went door to door in the barracks giving quick concussion checks. An unnamed upperclassman, who was apparently observing from the sidelines, wrote on social media, "My plebe was knocked unconscious and immediately began fighting when he came to. I was so proud I could cry." West Point pillow fights have existed since at least 1897, but there have been no other reports over the decades of injury until recently. In 2012, a cadet put a lockbox in a pillowcase, injuring others, and in response, the 2013 fight was canceled. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #3 Tribes. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2015-09-06 09:04 |
| #2 Probably all under age 26, so their injuries and hospitalization costs were covered under their parent's med plans.....oh wait ! |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2015-09-06 05:29 |
| #1 Bringing bricks to a pillow fight? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2015-09-06 02:50 |