Hooah
Hooah /ˈhuːɑː/ is a battle cry used by soldiers in the U.S. Army and airmen in the U.S. Air Force.[1] Originally spelled "Hough", the battle cry was first used by members of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment during the Second Seminole War in 1841, after Seminole chief Coacoochee toasted officers of the regiment with a loud "Hough!", apparently a corruption of "How d'ye do!"[2] Since WWII, the word has been widely used throughout the US Army and gained a more general meaning of "anything and everything except 'no'".[3][4] It is comparable to oorah which the United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard use. The United States Navy uses hooyah. The phrase originated with Ranger Battalions and in the late eighties was considered a trait of those units. Beginning in the early nineties it gradually spread across Fort Lewis, Washington and Fort Benning, Georgia, the home bases for the three Ranger battalions at the time. By the mid nineties the phrase was in common usage across the Army.
Possible meanings[edit]
Some popular usages of hooah include:[5]
See also[edit]
- Cheering
- HOOAH! Bar – a US military energy bar
- Hooyah – the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard equivalent
- Huzzah – a 16th-century equivalent
- Oorah – the United States Marine Corps equivalent
References[edit]
- ^ "Where Did The Term 'Hooah' Come From?". Thebalance.com. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
- ^ "Theophilus F. Rodenborough (1875). From everglade to cañon with the second dragoons, (second United States cavalry): an authentic account of service in Florida, Mexico, Virginia, and the Indian country, including the personal recollections of prominent officers ; with an appendix containing orders, reports and correspondence, military records, etc., etc., 1836–1875. New York: D. Van Nostrand. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
- ^ "ANAD participates in Veterans Day events". U.S. Army. 2012-11-20. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
- ^ "Soldier-Speak: A Brief Guide to Modern Military Jargon". U.S. Army. 2015-03-8. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
- ^ "About". Hooah Race. 23 July 2006. Archived from the original on 23 July 2006. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
- ^ "COMBAT MilTerms: H". Combat.ws. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
- ^ "snopes.com: The origin of 'hoorah'!". Msgboard.snopes.com. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
- ^ "History in the Movies". Stfrancis.edu. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
