The plaque on the side of the monument reads :
Commander William Lewis Herndon
1818-1857
Naval Officer - Explorer - Merchant Captain
In command of the Central America, home-bound with California gold
seekers, Captain Herndon lost his life in a gallant effort to save
ship and lives during a cyclone off Hatteras, September 12, 1857.
"Forgetful of self, in his death he added a new glory to the annals of the sea" - Maury
Maury is Matthew Fontaine Maury, Herndon's co-worker (from 1842 to 1846), brother-in-law, and cousin
Every year, we know it's been going on since 1959 since that's when times started to be recorded, first year plebes work together to scale the monument (greased as of 2017 but history has told us it hasn't always been so) and replace the Dixie Cup Cap placed at the top with a Combination Cover. Then they are "Plebes No More" signaling the end of their first year. The pictures below are from the 2017 climb.
