It's April Fool's Day and today we laugh and remember one of the most hilarious pranks pulled off by West Point Grad Mike Nemeth '04 that fooled many Midshipmen and Yahoo News!
On November 4, 2015, Nemeth put together a fake press release that claimed the City Council of Annapolis voted to enact a “Go Army Beat Navy” Day with a “7-1” vote. The bogus press release also included fake quotes from made-up residents and small business owners who were in support of the idea like “Sylvia Thayer” and “Fred Steuben.” One quote said, “Not everyone likes boats — It'll be great to support real soldiers for once.” If those names sound familiar, it's because Sylvanus Thayer was superintendent of West Point from 1817 to 1833. Frederick Von Steuben drafted a drill manual with Prussian techniques for soldiers during the Revolutionary War.
After a few clicks, the story was taken down later that day, but Nemeth says, “It was the best $250 I ever spent.”