''Oorah'' is a
battle cry
A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group.
Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religio ...
common in the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
since the mid-20th century.
Several anecdotes attributed the phrase to
John R. Massaro's time as a
gunnery sergeant in the
Reconnaissance Company
In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...
,
1st Marine Division
The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...
, in the mid-1950s.
Massaro (who later became
sergeant major of the Marine Corps) and other Marines who trained aboard the submarine , beginning in 1949, used ''oorah'' in imitation of the vessel's
klaxon
A horn is a sound-making device installed on motor vehicles, trains, boats, and other types of vehicles. The sound it makes usually resembles a “honk” (older vehicles) or a “beep” (modern vehicles). The driver uses the horn to warn other ...
horn (which sounded like ''arrugah'').
[ Others have attributed the phrase's popularization to Massaro's subsequent time at ]Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego (MCRD San Diego) is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and the former N ...
, where use of the word spread.[ However, Massaro has said that he did not originate the word (saying in 2015: "It was a phrase or a term originally coming from boarding a ship") and that the word was already in use in 1949.][
]
See also
* Hooah
Hooah is a battle cry used by members of the United States Army. Originally spelled "Hough", the battle cry was first used by members of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (United States), 2nd Cavalry Regiment during the Second Seminole War in 1841, after ...
* Hooyah
Hooyah is the battle cry used in the United States Navy to build morale and signify verbal acknowledgment. It originated with special operations communities, especially the Navy SEALs, and was subsequently adopted by other Navy divisions.
It is c ...
* Huzzah
Huzzah (sometimes written hazzah; originally spelled huzza and pronounced , now often pronounced as ; in most modern varieties of English hurrah or hooray) is, according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED''), "apparently a mere excla ...
* Semper fidelis
''Semper fidelis'' () is a Latin phrase that means "always faithful" or "always loyal" (Fidelis or Fidelity). It is the motto of the United States Marine Corps, usually shortened to Semper Fi. It is also in use as a motto for towns, families, ...
References
{{US Marine Corps navbox
Battle cries
Interjections
Military slang and jargon
United States Marine Corps lore and symbols
English words