OT: Hooah!

In a stunningly off topic move, I'm going to wish the United States Army a 'Happy 238th Birthday'.

 

I'll second that, and also wish the U.S. flag a 'Happy 236th Birthday'!

 

You've heard the story of "hooah"'s origins, I assume.

On D-day, the 2nd and 5th Ranger battalions were the spearhead of the 1-16th on Omaha beach. As we all know, the landing and advance were hard, with many stuck on the beach under withering fire. It was in one such moment - allied troops clinging to the beach - that General Norman Cota came upon a group of men. He asked them what their unit was, and received the reply. "5th Ranger Bn". His response to them "Well, Godd*mn it, Rangers, lead the way!" went down in history, and the latter half of his exhortation remains their motto to this day.

What most do not know is that their reply also has lived on in history.

Upon hearing Cota's call, the soldiers replied "who, us?"

Battlefields being noisy places, the General thought he heard a strange - if slightly nonsensical - cry of enthusiasm. "Hooah!"

He liked the word and the spirit he thought it represented.

And so "Hooah!" came into being


Happy Birthday, Army