1976
St. John’s University (New York)
Pershing Rifles
Bayonet stabbing during hazing incident
ROTC pledge Thomas Fitzgerald, a student at another school (Queens College), who had applied for admission into the elite St. John’s chapter, was accidentally impaled by a bayonet blade during a stunt meant merely to intimidate him.Police said James Savino wielded the deadly blade. School and military officials refused to call the incident hazing, referring to it euphemistically as “unauthorized training.” Alcohol use not cited in press reports.
1932
Navy Hazing
Crossing the Line ceremony
Hazing with electricity
Seaman Russell Barnwell Wiebye died in “a playful initiation” in which an electric current was administered to shock him.
1945
Military Hazing
Crossing the Line ceremony
Electrocution
Shipfitter 2C Jack P. Jarosz died while touching an electrified trident during the King Neptune portion of his hazing for the U.S. Navy, according to the San Bernardino (CA) County Sun (April 3, 1946). He was also kneeling on an electric plate charged with 115 volts of electrical charge. No surprise: A lieutenant was cleared of wrongdoing by Navy Brass. See Richmond Palladium Item, October 3, 1946.
1960
Military Hazing
Dunking ceremony for new National Guard member
Drowning
SPL 4C Walter R. Van Vickle screamed “I can’t swim” as five veterans stripped him and threw him into deep water. The five were charged with involuntary manslaughter. The National Guard declined to order a court martial for the five.
1967
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Unofficial Officers Club initiation
Alcohol-related suffocation death
An alcoholic concoction made up of seven bottles of champagne and five bottles of vodka resulted in the death of paratrooper Lt. Robert Reeves, 23, of Charleston, S.C. His comrades were initiating him to celebrate his first qualified jump.
2011
United States Marines
Hazing Suicide after mental and physical abuse.
Lance Corporal Harry Lew was a suicide by a self-inflicted wound after fellow Marines punished him for falling asleep on sentry duty. A judge punished participants but found cause to doubt that the hazing was directly responsible for Lew taking his life. Adam Holcomb was found not guilty.
2011
United States Marines
Suicide after Physical hazing
Chinese-American Danny Chen allegedly was targeted for hazing in his outfit and killed himself.
2016
United States Marines
Muslim dies following reports of heavy hazing
Recruit Raheel Sidiqui death reported by New York Times Magazine.
2017
Green Beret,
Involuntary homicide during a hazing punishment session
Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, a Green Beret, stopped breathing while being taped and beaten by comrades in Mali. The first was sentenced in June 2019 to one year in prison. One perpetrator later behaved in a creepy manner with the widow. Thank you to Lt. Col Dan for your correction.