http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/05/28/a-brief-history-of-the-west-point-hat-toss/?tid=sm_fbA brief history of the West Point hat toss
BY MARK BERMAN
May 28 at 1:26 pm
On Wednesday, the class of 2014 graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. The Post’s David Nakamura, who was there to cover President Obama’s speech laying out a new foreign policy, shared these images of the “hat toss” marking the end of the graduation ceremony:
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David Nakamura ✔ @DavidNakamura
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After the #WestPoint hat toss, kids rush the field to grab them. #Cadets leave money under hat for the kids. #usma
11:26 AM - 28 May 2014
The hat toss, which has become the archetypal image depicting the West Point graduation, is an interesting part of the ceremony. It dates back to the period immediately following World War II. While the first class graduated in 1802, the first documented hat toss took place in 1946, according to the Army.
Along with cash, cadets leave notes, pictures and other items inside their hats for the children who rush the field to grab a hat after the ceremony. Children between the ages of 6 and 10 are allowed to take one hat each.
And quite a few children line up to make sure they get their hat, as this image from Wednesday’s ceremony shows:
Jim Kuhnhenn @jkuhnhenn
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Youngsters waiting eagerly for hat toss at USMA at West Point.
11:02 AM - 28 May 2014
