Free At Last IV

Newly commissioned ensigns celebrate their graduation from the United States Naval Academy by tossing their midshipman covers into the air. The "hat toss," originated at the Naval Academy in 1912, and has since become a symbolic end to the four-year journey to commissioning. 1,038 Midshipmen graduated from the academy, with 771 receiving commissions as Navy ensigns and 237 as Marine Corps 2nd Lieutenants.