Our Story

On April 6th, MIT perpetrated the prank of stealing the Fleming Cannon from Caltech. While this is not the first time the cannon has been stolen, it is certainly the first time it has gone transcontinental. Although this prank was well-planned and executed, the cannon was unlocked, unguarded, and in a temporary location. Having placed the Cannon on their campus and adorning it with MIT's finest, the MIT students celebrated the great success of their prank.

The following series of events was set into motion by the discovery of the location of the cannon on Thursday morning. The house sprang into action, dividing into two groups. One group, nicknamed Fleming Headquarters (FlemingHQ), managed logistics from their improvised empty trailer to coordinate the counter-counter-prank. The other group of 22 Flems prepared for immediate departure.

At 11:00am (PST) on Saturday, April 8th, the first wave of Fleming members (Flems) boarded their plane from Caltech to MIT, armed with the determination to retrieve the historic Fleming Cannon. The last group left for MIT on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile the remaining Flems began intensive planning at FlemingHQ.

Flems at base camp were in contact with Fleming alumni at Harvard and MIT. One alumnus, currently at Harvard, provided reconnaissance around the cannon, with detailed pictures and panoramic video showing possible exit routes. Using a combination of these videos and pictures, Google Earth, and MSN Live, FlemingHQ planned out several possible evacuation routes.

MIT had erected a plaque on a stand in front of the cannon describing how the cannon was acquired. Our Harvard friend took a picture of this plaque with his Caltech ID card on it, so we could calculate its dimensions. A new plaque made out of aluminum, sporting a raised Fleming F was constructed and sent to Boston.

Upon arriving in Boston, a few lucky Flems had a hour of two or sleep, while the rest never slept. Meanwhile at FlemingHQ, students orchestrated the transportation of the cannon, designed the remaining pranks, and painted a miniature cannon to be placed on a pedestal, with the accompanying message: "This is something more your size". An elegant sign was created and sent out with the last group, along with the mini cannon.

On Sunday morning, the field work began in Boston. After purchasing all the supplies, a dolly was built to carry the back end of the cannon while it was rolled. Huge letters were cut out of red cardboard to be mounted in the windows of the Green building. Finally, a pedestal for the miniature cannon was assembled.

At 1:30AM (EST) FlemingHQ got a call from a group of four Flems who were on campus. They discovered spotlights shining on and around the cannon, as well as three potential student guards near the Green building. Several MIT students were seen sitting in a computer lab adjacent to the courtyard watching the cannon.

Sometime during this process, an editor from the Caltech newspaper, gave a web address to someone at FlemingHQ. The website showed pictures taken from a web cam set up at MIT which was focused upon the cannon. FlemingHQ watched as MIT students removed the beaver ring that had been secured around the barrel.

Around 6AM, the field teams moved from the residential area to campus. An excited group of Flems gathered inside a nearby building as MIT students watched from outside. When everyone arrived, the Flems went out and began loading up the cannon. In half an hour the field team called FlemingHQ with the simple message: "Mission Successful".

The MIT students had prepared a barbeque for the Flems. They were very good sports and cheered on the Flems while they retrieved the cannon.