The Army's Got Your Goat

Summary

Campus Files: The Army's Got Your Goat – Detailed Summary

Episode Information:

• Title: The Army's Got Your Goat
• Host/Author: Audacy (Host: Ian Mott)
• Release Date: July 30, 2025
• Podcast Description: Campus Files delves beneath the surface of American college life, uncovering stories ranging from admissions rigging to sports scandals. This episode explores the intriguing tale of a notorious mascot heist between military academies.

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Introduction

In the episode titled "The Army's Got Your Goat," Campus Files investigates a legendary incident from 1965 involving West Point cadets and the Naval Academy's beloved mascot, Bill the Goat. Host Ian Mott introduces the story, setting the stage for a deep dive into this audacious act of collegiate rivalry.

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Setting the Stage: West Point and Military Academia

Tom Carhart, a West Point graduate, provides a personal backdrop to the story, highlighting his admiration for West Point and its rigorous environment.

"[...] the finest men I ever met were West Point graduates."
— Tom Carhart [03:05]

West Point, officially the United States Military Academy, was established in 1802 and serves as one of the premier institutions for training future Army officers. Admission is highly competitive, requiring nominations from Congress members or higher officials, making Tom's acceptance a notable achievement.

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The Legendary Rivalry and Mascots

The episode delves into the storied rivalry between the Army and Navy, particularly centered around their mascots. The Naval Academy's Bill the Goat became intertwined with the rivalry after being introduced as a mascot in 1890. In response, West Point adopted mules as their mascots in 1899.

Notably, previous mascot thefts set the precedent for the 1965 heist:

"In 1953, during the height of the school's rivalry, Bill the 12th was kidnapped one week before the Army Navy game..."
— Ian Mott [08:52]

These acts, though disruptive, became part of the lore between the institutions, leading to heightened tensions and creative schemes among cadets.

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Planning the Heist

In the fall of 1965, Tom Carhart and his friend Dean Kleinhos conceived a plan to steal Bill the Goat from the Naval Security Station in Severna Park. Despite warnings from Bob Kazmodo's father and initial setbacks during reconnaissance, the determination of the cadets remained unshaken.

"We thought of ourselves as immortal. They'll never get me."
— Tom Carhart [17:13]

The group meticulously planned the operation, assembling a crew of six, securing necessary tools like a crowbar, and devising distraction tactics involving their peers.

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Execution of the Mascot Heist

On the night of the operation, the cadets successfully infiltrated the high-security Severna Park Naval Security Station. Their plan involved distracting the marine guards with decoys while stealthily approaching Bill's enclosure.

Key moments during the heist include:

• Breaking Through:
  "We approached the second gate and saw that there was a Marine guard coming and we didn't have passes for that element."
  — Tom Carhart [02:01]

• Securing Bill the Goat:
  "We went up to the goat cage. It was on three. One, two, three. And jerked down and broke the lock."
  — Tom Carhart [18:02]

Despite the dangers, including navigating armed guards, the cadets managed to free Bill and transport him back to West Point, albeit with chaos ensuing from the goat's distress.

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Aftermath and Disciplinary Actions

Upon returning, the cadets faced immediate repercussions. The theft triggered an intense investigation involving the FBI and Marines. Tom and his crew navigated disciplinary hearings, where their actions were initially met with stern reprimands. However, their audacity and the shared camaraderie among officers led to an unexpected leniency.

"They were delighted. They were all smothering their laughter because they're all West Point graduates."
— Tom Carhart [28:00]

Ultimately, the commandant acknowledged their ingenuity indirectly through the academy's revered phrase:

"And what we have done is... fulfill our duty, honor, country."
— Tom Carhart [28:33]

Their actions, though technically against orders, were celebrated as a testament to West Point's rigorous training and esprit de corps.

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Legacy of the Mascot Heist

The 1965 heist became legendary, inspiring subsequent generations of cadets. Although official agreements aimed to curtail such acts, the tradition of mascot theft persisted, each instance adding to the rich tapestry of Army-Navy rivalry.

Notable subsequent incidents include:

• Operation Good Shepherd (2007):
  "West Point cadets undertook Operation Good Shepherd, abducting all three goats..."
  — Ian Mott [30:13]

• Attempted Theft in 2021:
  "In 2021, cadets tried to steal Bill the 37th, but made so much noise that they spooked him."
  — Ian Mott [30:13]

Tom Carhart, now in his 80s, reflects fondly on his youthful endeavor, recognizing both its daring nature and the profound bond it symbolized within the military community.

"I was intimidated, but I did it anyway."
— Tom Carhart [31:27]

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Conclusion: Reflections on Military Education and Tradition

The episode concludes by exploring the deeper implications of such traditions on military training and culture. Tom Carhart emphasizes the transformative impact of West Point, shaping young individuals into committed servants of their country.

"Duty, honor, country. And it strikes very deeply. I'm a West Point graduate. I'm very proud of that."
— Tom Carhart [32:38]

This storied incident not only highlights the lengths to which cadets will go to uphold their institutional pride but also underscores the enduring spirit of camaraderie and resilience fostered within military academies.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "We thought of ourselves as immortal. They'll never get me."
  — Tom Carhart [17:13]

• "It was like being in a... It was a federal institution, like being in prison."
  — Tom Carhart [05:44]

• "If we just walk away, it'll disappear. So we decided we'd have a last minute rally..."
  — Tom Carhart [25:51]

• "Duty, honor, country. And it strikes very deeply. I'm a West Point graduate."
  — Tom Carhart [32:38]

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Credits:

• Written and Reported by: Ian Mott
• Produced by: Ian Mott, Eliot Adler, and Margo Gray
• Executive Producers and Story Editors: Maddie Sprunkheiser and Lloyd Lockridge
• Edited, Mixed, and Mastered by: Chris Basel and Andy Jaskowicz
• Special Thanks: Jenna Weiss Berman, J.D. Crowley, Leah Rhys, Dennis, Maura Curran, Josephina Francis, Kurt Courtney, Hilary Schuff, Sean Cherry, Laura Berman, and Hilary Van Ornam
• Original Theme Music By: James Waterman and Davy Sumner

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Contact and Further Information: Listeners are encouraged to contribute tips or story ideas by emailing [e-mail]. For additional stories on institutional scandals, refer to Gangster Capitalism Seasons 1-3.

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This summary encapsulates the key points and narratives from the "The Army's Got Your Goat" episode of Campus Files, providing an engaging and comprehensive overview for those unfamiliar with the original podcast.

Transcript

[Tom Carhart]

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[Ian Mott]

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[Margo Gray]

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[Ian Mott]

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[Tom Carhart]

[e-mail].

[Ian Mott]

The location is Severna Park Naval Security Station. The date is November 20, 1965. 300 hours. It's a frigid night and a high stakes military operation is taking place on US soil.

[Tom Carhart]

We got through the first gate with our cadet IDs. They waved us through without even looking at us.

[Ian Mott]

A group of six men are attempting to gain unauthorized access to Severna Park Naval Security Station, the communications hub for the Navy's Atlantic Fleet.

[Tom Carhart]

We approached the second gate and saw that there was a Marine guard coming and we didn't have passes for that element. So we saw a road coming in from the left and we quickly turned last minute left. We got maybe 200 yards and saw there's a construction area and there's a pedestrian gate on the right. And we thought, well, we'll go break into that.

[Ian Mott]

By breaking through this barrier, the group is entering restricted space. They are risking their lives in undertaking this mission.

[Tom Carhart]

There's a guy over there with a gun looking for people breaking into this place. We were taunting fate.

[Ian Mott]

But the objective is close, so they press on.

[Tom Carhart]

We went through the gate, went up a hill, over some trees. On the other side, we see it.

[Ian Mott]

Inside a locked cage guarded by two armed Marines. They finally spot their target, a goat. But it's not just any goat. It's Bill the 14th, the living mascot of the Naval Academy. And the intruders are West Point cadets. I'm Ian Mott. This week on Campus Files, the Army's got your goat.

[Tom Carhart]

My father was in the air force for 30 years and all his peers I saw and interacted with them socially. But the finest men I ever met were West Point graduates.

[Ian Mott]

That's Tom Carhart. Tom grew up deeply enmeshed in military life from an early age.

[Tom Carhart]

They'd have a dinner party and guys who flew the Enola Gay and dropped the atomic bomb. We were at that dinner party, the pilot and bombardier, and they were West Point graduates. They were seen as gods West Point was built up in my mind as the greatest of men are West Pointers. So all through high school I aspired to that. This stretch of land is part of the 16,000 acres that make up the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. At the suggestion of President Washington, Congress decreed that the United States Military Academy be built here in 1802.

[Ian Mott]

West Point, officially known as the U.S. military Academy, is one of five academies operated by the Department of Defense. Each academy exists to train future officers.

[Tom Carhart]

For each branch, there are three main national military academies. The United States Military Academy at West Point, the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

[Ian Mott]

Tom knew from an early age that he wanted to go to West Point. But the thing is, getting into West Point isn't like most other schools. In addition to applying and taking the SAT or act, you also have to be nominated. And the catch is, the only people who can nominate you are members of Congress, the President or the Vice President.

[Tom Carhart]

So with my father's permission, I took two weeks off from high school in March of my senior year. And I went to Capitol Hill and I walked around to every congressman and asked for their appointment to West Point.

[Ian Mott]

Tom secured a nomination from a congressman in Michigan. The next fall, he and 807 other freshmen arrived at West Point. Only 579 would graduate.

[Tom Carhart]

You know, I got into West Point and it was tough. It was hell. The first year was grueling. About a third of my class fell away. It was hell, but we endured it. And then you get to sophomore year and you come back from your summer vacation and you think, you get a 30 day vacation. You think, well, it's all over now. Then you go to Camp Putnam for two months where you really learn what the Army's about. And then you go back to West Point. Now you're a yearling, you're an upperclassman. You discover for the first time it ain't all over. And you had three more years of this shit that you have to put up with. But you were there voluntarily. And I endured it voluntarily. I wanted that.

[Ian Mott]

In addition to being physically and psychologically strenuous, Tom's freedom was heavily curtailed.

[Tom Carhart]

It was like being in a. It was a federal institution, like being in prison. We couldn't leave the post, we couldn't leave our rooms or our study halls often for most of the day. It was a very regimented life and we had few sparks of joy. One spark of joy was football on the weekends.

[Ian Mott]

West Point has Its own football team known as either the Cadets or the Black Knights, depending on who you ask. And for cadets living such a regimented life at West Point, football games were a moment of freedom and joy. But there was one particular game which mattered more than any other.

[Tom Carhart]

Greatest highlight of all was Army Navy Beacon Navy. Because they were really our peers. They were the same young kids who came out of high school and went to an academy with a future career, hopefully, or at least spending part of their mature adulthood in one of the military services. The army or the Navy.

[Ian Mott]

The Army Navy game is an annual tradition going all the way back to 1890. And the rivalry was at its peak in the 50s and 60s when Tom was at West Point. So the chance to duke it out was huge. It was maybe the most important moment of the year for a West Point cadet.

[Tom Carhart]

You know, you can think back to games like 1958. That's when Pete Dawkins was the Heisman trophy winner. The game ended on the one yard line with army's ball fourth and one. And the time ran out and Navy won the game. Now that was a heartbreaker. I was in the stands. That was death. We all went back to the academy depressed.

[Ian Mott]

The Army Navy rivalry may have peaked in the 50s and 60s, but it goes way back. At the fourth ever Army Navy game, the Navy unveiled their new mascot, a goat. With the goat supporting the team from the sidelines, the Navy won the game. Six, three. From that point forward, the goat became a part of the team. Now, you may be wondering what a goat has to do with the Navy. For centuries, ships sailed with livestock as a source of much needed food. And goats were particularly popular because they were also a sort of garbage disposal. They'd eat practically anything, which helped keep the ship clean and the sailors fed. And a few Years later, in 1900, the goat received the official name of Bill. Today, we're up to bill the 36th. But West Point, not to be outdone by the Navy, found it necessary to introduce their own mascot. In 1899, they landed on mules.

[Tom Carhart]

The tradition of mules as mascots for the army dates back to 1899. Strong, hardy, durable, the mule is the perfect symbol for the corps of cadets.

[Ian Mott]

While all the Navy goats have been named Bill. Since 1900, the army mules have had their own names, like Mr. Jackson, Hannibal 1, Hannibal 2, and Buckshot. But the army and Navy would take their mascot competition 14 days prior to.

[Tom Carhart]

The 1953 Army Navy Football classic. The midshipman's mascot mysteriously disappears and somehow turns up at West Point, but only momentarily.

[Ian Mott]

In 1953, during the height of the school's rivalry, Bill the 12th was kidnapped one week before the Army Navy game by West Point cadets Using chloroform and a convertible. The president of the United States, Dwight Eisenhower, had to step in and order the goat's return. But that year, the army went on to win the game, 20 to 7.

[Tom Carhart]

And with a final gun, the corps of cadets sweep down out of the stands and engulf their players on the other side of the stadium. The Navy stands, however, are solemn and dejected.

[Ian Mott]

It felt like it had to be a good omen. So the theft of Bill was repeated again in 1955, When I was a.

[Tom Carhart]

Senior in high school, I read about it in Reader's digestion.

[Ian Mott]

The theft in 1955 caused such an uproar that the superintendents, the commanding officers of each school, made an agreement to prohibit future thefts.

[Tom Carhart]

That's when the superintendents made their gentleman's agreement. No more of this very rigid rules. By God, you'll be kicked out if you get caught, that kind of thing. It was really fearsome.

[Ian Mott]

But to the young and brash students called cadets at West Point and midshipmen at the Naval Academy, the agreement didn't pass muster.

[Tom Carhart]

It was an agreement between two old white men, and it wasn't us. We were the cadets and the midshipmen. If we'd agreed with the midshipmen not to sail, their mascot, okay. But we made no such promise.

[Ian Mott]

So in the fall of 1965, Tom and a friend were both sick and recovering in the hospital when an idea struck.

[Tom Carhart]

I was in the hospital with Dean Kleinhos, who was another classmate, and we both talked about that Reader's Digest article and said, why don't we do it? And we decided we would.

[Ian Mott]

This wouldn't be easy. They learned that Bill the Goat was moved to a secure location the week before the game. And not just any location. The Severna Park Naval Security Station, the highest security installation in the entire navy.

[Tom Carhart]

Very secure post. And they put him in a pen right behind an internal gate guarded 247 by marines. And that was a fearsome prospect.

[Ian Mott]

So a crew was necessary and a trust amongst the crew even more so.

[Tom Carhart]

I had to be selective. First one I asked was my roommate, Matt Case, and he agreed. Dean Klanos recruited Bob Kazmodo in particular, because his parents lived in Sorrento Park.

[Ian Mott]

Bob's father was a high school principal living in Severna Park, a short drive away from Bill's high security compound Through.

[Tom Carhart]

Bob we asked his father to see if he could go over there with his daughter, one of his daughters, and ask to see the Navy goat as tourists, which was permitted. So they did that. There were two gates. You had to go through the first gate, you needed a military id and they were able to be waved through to go visit the goat. Then there's a second internal fenced in area, which is the secure area with another 247 guard. And the goat is in a cage attached to that guard house. And so they were allowed to come in and go up and look at the goat, but they couldn't go near him and they couldn't touch him or anything else. Just stay back. There's the goat over there.

[Ian Mott]

For Bob's dad, the idea Tom and his crew were considering seemed absurd and incredibly dangerous. Bill was being guarded by armed marines after all.

[Tom Carhart]

They came back and warned Bob Kizmodal, please don't do this. And the word got out to us and we said, oh yeah, catch us if you can.

[Margo Gray]

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[Tom Carhart]

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[Margo Gray]

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[Ian Mott]

Hey, what's up flies?

[Tom Carhart]

This is David Spade. Dana Carvey. Look at.

[Ian Mott]

I know we never actually left, but.

[Tom Carhart]

I'll just say it. We are back with another season of Fly on the Wall. Every episode, including ones with guests, will now be on video. Every Thursday you'll hear us and see us chatting with big name celebrities. And every Monday, you're stuck with just me and Dana. We react to news, what's trending, viral clips follow and listen to Fly on the Wall everywhere you get your podcasts.

[Ian Mott]

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[Tom Carhart]

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[Margo Gray]

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[Ian Mott]

Turns out that's very illegal.

[Tom Carhart]

So there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a try.

[Margo Gray]

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[Tom Carhart]

Mobile.Com we were in the house, in the cosmodal house doing final what are we going to do? Where are we going to get in? And so on. And two of us, me and Dean Klos decided we'd do our own recuperation.

[Ian Mott]

In spite of Bob's dad pleading with them not to go ahead with their plan. The big night had arrived and Tom and their crew were making their final preparations. Tom and Dean, the architects of the scheme, drove over to the naval base to scope things out for themselves.

[Tom Carhart]

We drove out and we got through the first gate with our cadet IDs. They waved us through without even looking at us. They assumed we were other marines. And we approached the second gate and saw that there was a Marine guard coming out and we didn't have passes for that element. So we saw a road coming in from the left and we quickly turned last minute left and it went along the 10 foot anchor fence that was enclosed. We got maybe 200 yards and saw a construction area and there's a pedestrian gate on the right. And we thought, well, we'll go break into that. And we went up to the gate and it happened. There was a padlock in it, but the padlock was unlocked. We lifted the padlock out of the house, turned it away and pushed the gate open. Nothing happened. We went through the gate, went up a Hill. We're 100 yards behind the goat cage, we see it. So we run back the way we came, put the padlock back in place, get in the car and go back to the kezmodal house.

[Ian Mott]

It seemed almost too easy even still, two members of the crew got cold feet and backed out at the last minute, leaving a team of six.

[Tom Carhart]

We decided, what can we do? Well, we'll distract the marines with girls and then we'll sneak up on the cage, which is right there, you know, 30ft away from the guard house, and we'll sneak up, break the lot, get in, get the goat and get out.

[Ian Mott]

Before leaving, the team donned their disguises.

[Tom Carhart]

We were all wearing dark sweat or sweaters and blue jeans. And I think we had smeared our face with burnt cork really because we're all white guys and it's the middle.

[Ian Mott]

Of the night and just before midnight, go time or goat time arrived.

[Tom Carhart]

We put our hands in a circle and said, all for one, one for all. That was a laugh at the time. Okay, here we go guys. Then we split up and we had six guys in the station, Wago and two girls in a new Mustang. So what we did is the Five guys in the station wagon went back exactly the way I had gone on the early recon with Dean Plano's. We went up to the second guard house, turned left, went along the fence. There was a pedestrian gate still unlocked. We went in, took a lockout, closed it behind us, and then we went to the hill that was maybe 100 yards from the goat pen.

[Ian Mott]

Tom and the crew hunkered down to watch for the Mustang. The guard changed shift at midnight, and the girls were due to arrive and distract the guards. Shortly after.

[Tom Carhart]

When we saw the girls approach in the Mustang and the lights flashed on and off, we came down like lightning. We just flew down the hill.

[Ian Mott]

They sprinted most of the remaining hundred meters before stopping short. A pool of light surrounded the guardhouse and the goat pen. They were standing out in the open, shadow and disguise as their only protection.

[Tom Carhart]

Adrenaline coursing through my body. I was three feet off the ground. I was scared to death. I really was scared. I mean, there's a guy over there with a gun looking for people, breaking into this place. We were taunting fate. We could have been shot, literally, but we didn't realistically think of that. We thought of ourselves as immortal. They'll never get me.

[Ian Mott]

But this was the point of no return. They'd come all this way, and it would be a waste to turn back now.

[Tom Carhart]

We had left one guy with a card. We brought the crowbar, and we went up to the goat cage. It was on three. One, two, three. And jerked down and broke the lock. So we took it out of the hasp. We went inside and got two ropes around the goat's neck. And Billy wanted to go. He thought we were his regular keepers. And he went out the gate and he ran. I mean, the goat was pulling us.

[Ian Mott]

While they sprinted back to the car. One of the guys placed the lock back on the cage to make it look like it was unbroken. Once they had all made it back to the car, they loaded up Bill and made their escape.

[Tom Carhart]

And I'll tell you another thing. When we were driving out of there, he shit and pissed all over all of us in the backseat. And the stench was unbearable.

[Ian Mott]

And it was only a short drive back to the Kizmodal house.

[Tom Carhart]

And that's when Bob Kazmodal and Mac Hayes, they said, what happened? Did you chicken out? And we opened the door, and out came the goat, and it collapsed.

[Ian Mott]

They couldn't believe they'd actually done it.

[Tom Carhart]

I mean, I was all powerful. I was 10 times my normal size. I was a giant.

[Ian Mott]

But now they Had a goat, and they couldn't bring it back to West Point. But Tom had a plan. His grandma had a farm in upstate New York, conveniently near West Point.

[Tom Carhart]

But we had to get back to West Point, and time's a waste. We gotta drive back to West Point tonight. So we got in the car, in the car, and the goat began to shed again and pee and everything. And it was a horrible thing. And we had to drive north with him. And what we did is we had two guys would drive with the goat, and the other guys would drive in the station wagon. And we're not in a position to clean the shit up off the seats and the floor. I mean, it was just awful.

[Ian Mott]

There were two guys in a car with the goat, and the rest were in another car tailing them. They'd take shifts in the goat car, but they quickly ran into trouble.

[Tom Carhart]

We're on the New York freeway, and the goat car is in front with Bob Lowry and Dean Klanos in the car with the goat. It's their turn.

[Ian Mott]

All of a sudden, disaster struck. Tom's car broke down, and he was the only one who knew the route.

[Tom Carhart]

He blew the horn. Flash of light. They kept going.

[Ian Mott]

Remember, this is 1965. There's no cell phones, no GPS. Tom and the rest of his crew were stranded on the side of a highway while Bob and Dean would inevitably get lost transporting their hostage.

[Tom Carhart]

We walked across pastures, got to a road in hitchhike, and we were near West Point. We got back to West Point and found a classmate who had a girlfriend with a car, and she got her car out, and we went back out on the New York Thruway. Next rest stop, the goat car had pulled over, and they were. What the fuck? With the goat outside the car, they didn't know where to go.

[Ian Mott]

They finally found Bob and Dean in a rest stop parking lot with Bill the goat wandering around on a leash together. They dropped a goat off at the farm and returned to West Point. So they managed to steal the goat, but there's not much point in stealing the goat if nobody knows about it. So Tom made his way to one of the administration buildings.

[Tom Carhart]

They had a mimeograph machine. There was no such thing then as Xerox machines. So we went down and I typed up a message that said, we've got the Navy. Go 6 guys from unknown class. Don't talk to anybody. We're going to present it to the captain of the football team later in the week. Hush up. Don't talk to anybody. And I got him to mimeograph. 200 copies of that. And then we went into the mess hall and put one on each of almost every table. So at lunchtime, everybody knew we had the Navy Goat. You hear these rumors, we've got it. Keep quiet. We'll present it as a captain of football. And the cadets went crazy, of course, when they came in, what Tom did.

[Ian Mott]

Was technically against direct orders, but being West Point, he had sympathizers. Tom confided in one ally in particular.

[Tom Carhart]

He was a rising star. He later became a three star general. And he was my friend. I told him we had the Navy goat, and he said, don't tell me anything else. And he put me in touch with the sergeant major, and I told the sergeant major everything.

[Ian Mott]

The sergeant major at West Point reports directly to the superintendent, the head of.

[Tom Carhart]

West Point, and the sergeant major who went to every meeting with the commandant was our eyes and ears on the ground to get us word of what.

[Ian Mott]

To do if the sergeant major heard anything about the Navy's response or the investigation into the missing goat, he'd put a sign saying Beat Navy in his office window. And Tom would know to call. And of course, the Navy was not going to let their goat stay missing for long. So a short while later, Tom saw the signal and gave the sergeant major a call.

[Tom Carhart]

Finally, what happened is they said, they're coming to get you tonight. They're going to start using their honor against them to ask cadets if they know anything about the Navy goat. You better get it back here. Do something.

[Ian Mott]

The Navy had been embarrassed, and they weren't going to stand by waiting for Bill to be returned. So Marines and FBI agents were about to swarm West Point.

[Margo Gray]

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[Tom Carhart]

So that night, four of us left. We were going up to my grandmother's farm to get the goat.

[Ian Mott]

Tom Carhart just received a tip that the FBI and Marines were headed to West Point to search for Bill the goat. So they gathered together to retrieve Bill.

[Tom Carhart]

We put on civilian clothes and we're walking through north area, which darkened, and we're walking through a sally port and we hear a U man halt. And it was Colonel Hamblin, one of the regimental commanders. He walked up to us, he said, where do you men think you're going? And Bob Lowry, who was a senior cadet captain, he said, sir, we're going to a farm in upstate New York to get the Navy goat and bring him back here. And Colonel Hamlin said, as you were men, and walked away.

[Ian Mott]

By 9 or 10pm they had made it back to West Point with the goat. They dropped Bill off at the mule barn, which is ironically, the home base of West Point's mascot.

[Tom Carhart]

We put it in the mule barn and went back to our cadet areas. And at about 10 o' clock I got alerted by the sergeant major to call him right away. And I did. And they said they found the goat and the FBI and the Marines and the MPs are all over it.

[Ian Mott]

Tom had a choice to make. The goat was still at West Point, but none of the cadets had seen proof of their victory. By morning, Bill would be gone.

[Tom Carhart]

If we just walk away, it'll disappear. So we decided we'd have a last minute rally after class in the morning before lunch. And we had plebes standing out there saying, big rally before dinner, don't miss it. They're going to talk about the goat. So we had maybe a thousand cadets there. And I got up in a dumpster with a loudspeaker and said, we got the Navy goat. We got their prize. We conducted a raid into their most inner sanctum and stole their most precious icon and brought it back to West Point on high in triumph. And I said unhappily, we brought them back here last night and put them in the mule Barn. And the MPs found him.

[Ian Mott]

Amidst the chaos, a colonel was watching the rally.

[Tom Carhart]

Colonel Hamblin had been watching us from the window behind the commandant's office listening to the rally. And he came down and came up to the dumpster and he had a pad of disciplinary forms and a pen. And he said, I don't know what you men think you're doing, but I'll have your name and company. And I said, sure, sir. Carhartt TM E2 Two weeks later, Tom.

[Ian Mott]

And the crew were summoned to a disciplinary board. They were lined up in order of rank in front of four colonels.

[Tom Carhart]

They said, okay, we'll give you a choice. You can tell us everything that happened or you can remain silent and we'll decide accordingly from what we know what your punishment will be and what do you want to do? They said, we'll leave and let you decide. So they left and we talked about it and said, what the hell, they know it all, we'll tell them all. And I told them in great detail what we'd done.

[Ian Mott]

Tom and his fellow cadets were risking expulsion. So Tom's dream of graduating from West Point hung in the balance.

[Tom Carhart]

They had a couple of questions like, how did you get that goat in the car? And he ripped up the upholstery. He was eating the pal. It was a bad news thing. It was a borrowed car from a dealer.

[Ian Mott]

It was terrifying. Standing in front of the disciplinary board, Tom was proud of what he'd done, but he knew there would be consequences. As he told more of the story, he could see these usually stern and distant men change.

[Tom Carhart]

They were delighted. They were all smothering their laughter because they're all West Point graduates. And when they were cadets, they remembered Army, Navy, and maybe they remembered the 55 heist. It was a big notorious thing to steal a navy. Good was a very big deal.

[Ian Mott]

After Tom explained the whole story, they were dismissed to await further news. A week later, the whole group was summoned one by one to see the commandant, the officer in charge of the corps of cadets, basically the dean of students at West Point.

[Tom Carhart]

And we went in to see the commandant and he said a lot that was very meaningful to us. That was congratulatory. In an indirect way he said, well done, which are sacred words at West Point, because in the alma mater, the West Point alma mater, the last chorus goes. And when our day is done, our time on life has run it be said, well done, be valid. Peace. I'm sorry. And that's a very meaningful set of words. And it's an indirect congratulations because we had learned how to run a high risk raid and carry it off. And we did it. We learned that all at West Point, there's no question.

[Ian Mott]

And what about the Army Navy game itself?

[Tom Carhart]

The game resulted in a 7, 7 tie, which was dismal. But, you know, we were enthused anyway. We were almost carried on shoulders into the mess hall. We were celebrated famously and thereafter we were hotshots.

[Ian Mott]

Tom's crew became legendary for their heist and they weren't the last to do it. In the years since, the Air Force, Navy and Army have each at various points, stolen each other's mascot. Air Force cadets at one point stole Bill and flew him in the bomb bay of a B26 to Colorado. What do you make of the fact that this tradition of thefts has continued?

[Tom Carhart]

I think it's wonderful. I shouldn't say that. No, I think it should be harshly restricted. You know, West Point is an institution, runs its own affairs. Should it be forbidden? Yeah, I guess so. Should it be harshly punished if they're caught? Yeah, I guess so. Should they be shot by Marines if they get caught? No.

[Ian Mott]

Not every theft has been without consequence, though. In one case, 17 naval cadets and two Navy SEALs kidnapped all four West Point mules. After cutting phone lines and tying up six guards, the army scrambled helicopters in response. The theft of mascots was again banned after this incident, but still the kidnappings continued. In 2007, West Point cadets undertook Operation Good shepherd, abducting all three goats, going so far as to post videos and tactical plans in a YouTube video provocatively titled hey, Navy, Missing Anything? And in 2021, cadets tried to steal Bill the 37th, but made so much noise that they spooked him. They were only able to NAB Bill the 35th, a 14 year old retired mascot with arthritis and only one horn. Tom's now in his 80s and he looks back at his time with Bill incredibly fondly.

[Tom Carhart]

It was a great feat in my life. I mean, one of the great things I've ever done. In some ways it was a collegiate prank and all that stuff, but in other ways, it was a pretty grim prospect with armed Marines at the Severna Park Naval Security Station 24 7. I was intimidated, but I did it anyway.

[Ian Mott]

Perhaps a big part of why it's so meaningful for Tom connects to what it means to attend a military academy like West Point in the first place.

[Tom Carhart]

I understand you've got young men and now women who come innocent to West Point. And over four years you're going to try to make them into not automatons, but obedient servants who will willingly offer their lives, their lives for their country. You have to be able to get young people to agree with you. Their mindset is in service to the country. I will offer my life. Life, literally, I will bleed for my country. And that's not easy. When you take in young men now and women 18 years old who know nothing, you inculcate into them over four years. This almost a passion of service as a West Point graduate. That's what your duty is. Duty, honor, country. And it strikes very deeply. I'm a West Point graduate. I'm very proud of that. It's my base, it's my source, it's my core. It's what I am. And I've done a lot of other things, but nothing changes that. I'm proudest of all of being a West Point graduate.

[Margo Gray]

Campus Files is an Odyssey Original Podcast this episode was written and reported by Ian Mont. Campus Files is produced by Ian Mont Eliot Adler and me, Margo Gray. Our executive producers and story editors are Maddie Sprunkheiser and Lloyd Lockridge. Campus Files is edited, mixed and mastered by Chris Basel and Andy Jaskowicz. Special thanks to Jenna Weiss Berman, J.D. crowley, Leah Rhys, Dennis, Maura Curran, Josephina Francis, Kurt Courtney, Hilary Schuff, Sean Cherry, Laura Berman and Hilary Van Ornam. Original theme music by James Waterman and Davy Sumner. If you have tips or story ideas, write to [e-mail].

[Tom Carhart]

This Friday, starring Taron Edgerton.

[Ian Mott]

All dangerous men are coming for us.

[Tom Carhart]

I want you to be brave.

[Ian Mott]

Can you do that for me?

[Tom Carhart]

All a father needs is a fighting chance.

[Margo Gray]

Everybody is looking for you.

[Tom Carhart]

What do you do?

[Ian Mott]

I'll keep you safe. Promise?

[Tom Carhart]

She rides Shotgun. Rated R under 17. Not admitted without parent. In theaters Friday.

[Ian Mott]

Hey there, cats and kittens.

[Tom Carhart]

It's Brian from the commercial break, the mediocre comedy podcast where my best friend Chrissy and I attempt to make sense of the world.

[Ian Mott]

We talk about the absurd, the ridiculous and the stuff no one asked for, like Internet weirdos, pickup artists and why everyone is obsessed with crystals and colonics.

[Tom Carhart]

It's all got to stop. The show is free, it's frequent, and it's probably not for everyone. You can go to tcbpodcast.com, [e-mail] thecommercial break or check out the show wherever.

[Ian Mott]

You listen to podcasts. We'll see you on the next commercial break.

[Tom Carhart]

And best of you.