A West Point pillow fight turned violent, injuring 30 cadets

An August pillow fight at the United States Military Academy, an annual tradition among freshmen, turned violent, The New York Times reported Friday. The West Point, New York, institution confirmed the Aug. 20 incident to the Times on Thursday after social media rumors of injuries circulated.

"My plebe [West Point's term for freshman] was knocked unconscious and immediately began fighting when he came to," an unnamed upperclassman wrote on Yik Yak. "I was so proud I could cry."

Some cadets reportedly packed helmets and other hard objects into their pillow cases. The academy said 30 cadets were injured, 24 with concussions. One freshman was knocked unconscious, and others suffered broken bones and dislocated shoulders.

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"If you don’t come back with a bloody nose, you didn't try hard enough," one upperclassman commander reportedly told a freshman cadet.

No cadets have been punished so far, but there is an ongoing investigation. West Point called off the annual tradition in 2013 after a cadet injured others with a lockbox in a pillowcase during the 2012 event. A 1901 congressional inquiry on hazing shows the tradition dates back to at least 1897.