Oorah
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Urah or Ooh-rah is a spirited cry common to United States Marines since the mid-20th century. It is comparable to the Hooah cry used in the Army or Hooyah by the Navy SEALs. It is most commonly used to respond to a verbal greeting or as an expression of enthusiasm.
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[edit] Origins
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The 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Company, FMFPAC can be credited with the introduction of "Ooh-rah!" into the Corps in 1953, shortly after the Korean War. Recon Marines served aboard the submarine USS Perch, ASSP-313, which was a WWII diesel submarine retrofitted to carry Navy UDT and Recon Marines. As is commonly depicted in war movies, whenever the boat was to dive, the 1MC (PA system) would announce "DIVE! DIVE!", followed by the sound of the diving klaxon: "AARUGHA!"
In 1953 or 1954, while on a conditioning run, one of the 1st Amphibious Recon Marines imitated the "Dive" horn sound "AARUGHA!" as part of the cadence, and it naturally became a part of the Recon cadence while on runs, and thereafter infiltrated Recon Marine lexicon. Over time, "AARUGHA!" morphed into the shorter, simpler "Oorah!" Today, the official Marine Corps Training Reference Manual on the history of Marine Recon is titled "AARUGHA!"
[edit] Spread
Former Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps John R. Massaro, while serving as the company Gunnery Sergeant of 1st Force Amphibious Recon in the late 1950s, acquired "Oorah!" and took it with him when he went to serve as an instructor at the Drill Instructor school at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. He there passed it on to the Drill Instructor students and they, in turn, passed it on to their recruits.
Owing to its relatively recent origins, it is less common for Marines who served in Vietnam or earlier to be familiar with "Oorah!", but most post-Vietnam Marines will have learned it throughout their careers.
A shortened version of "Oorah!" can come out as a short, sharp, monosyllabic guttural "Er!"
Another phrase similar to "Oorah" is the bark, also commonly used by Marines, due to their nickname from the Germans "Teufelshunde", "Höllenhunde" or "Devildogs".
[edit] Other uses of "Oorah"
- "Oorah" is also used by the Hospital Corpsmen and U.S. Navy Seabees because of their close association with the Marine Corps.
- "Oorah" is also used by the United States Coast Guard.[citation needed]
- "Oorah" is also used by the Russian Ground Forces for the same purposes.[citation needed]
- "Oorah" is also used by Oorah Kiruv Rechokim.[1]
- "Oorah" is also used by the Canadian Mounted Police.[citation needed]
