HOOAH!

After I ragged on W. Thomas Smith Jr. over at The Tank he was gracious enough to say hello in the comments section of the post below.

Today he has a post about the Marines cry of OO-RAH! He also mentions the Army habit of saying HOOAH! Additionally he posts his puzzlement at the expression and wonders about it's origins.

Personally, I am repulsed by that expression. I once entered a test of wills with a Battalion commander who was talking to me about something...I forget what it was, I don't really think it was that important. It usually isn't.

The conversation went like this:
LTC: ...and then we will go out and execute blah, blah, blah (he actually said that!), HOOAH?
Me: Yes sir.
LTC: HOOAH?
Me: Yes sir, we'll do that.
LTC: HOOAH!
Me: I don't say that word sir.
LTC: HOOAH?
Me: exactly
LTC: HOOAH!
Me: To me, that word is the sound the mind makes when it slams shut...sir.
LTC: HOOAH!
Me: I'll see you later sir.
LTC: HOOAH!


Seriously, I've been in the Army 20 years now. When I was in flight school never heard that expression. Air Assault school never heard it. In the 90's it started creeping its way into the mainstream Army culture, I seem to recall hearing that it's beginnings were from somewhere near a place called Fayetteville, NC. There's always a paratrooper to blame if there's stupidity involved.

No matter, for once I'm with the Marines, they can have their OO-RAH. I don't care to be HOOAH. I don't care to hear HOOAH. For the life of me I can't understand why the Army with rich traditions (especially the CAVALRY) wants to invent crap like HOOAH and then turn around and ban REAL traditions like STETSONS and SPURS. HOOAH!