"Phrase---OOH-RAH-UH-RAH"
:flag: :evilgrin: The phrase OOH-RAH or UH-RAH, I hear Marines using it. I also have used it myself. Not sure exactly how to spell it, though. Then the question comes to mind....."Where did it come from?" One or two Marines have told me...."It's a Navy Seal Call." Now of course Gunny Ermy uses it a lot. My Priest a former Naval Chaplain attached to the Corps, uses it. When I was on the Drill Field, 2nd Recruit Bn. above us, when they were dismissed by the Drill Instructor's, they said, "AYE, AYE SIR, OOH-RAH." I had never heard it used before that time, and now it's used by us Marines. So can anyone help me out here? It's a question of...."Who's sayin' is it, Marine's, or Seals?" Be nice now. SF. Bail out.
This I Believe Is The Best Explanation
I have used the term since the late 1960's and was always told the correct spelling was OORAH!!! I believe that the info below is correct and the best information regarding the origin. I have never heard of a better one that pins it down as specifically.
OK, HERE IT IS! THE DEFINITION AND HISTORY OF 'OORAH'
Right after Korea in 1953 the 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Company, FMFPAC can be credited with the birth of "OORAH" in the Corps.
Specifically, where it came from was when Recon Marines were aboard the Submarine USS PERCH, ASSP-313. The Perch was an old WWII diesel boat retrofitted to carry UDT and Amphib Recon Marines. If you remember the old war movies, whenever the boat was to dive, you heard on the PA system, "DIVE,DIVE", and you heard the horn sound "AARUGHA", like an old Model "A" horn.
Sometime in 1953 or 1954, 1st Amphib Recon Marines, while on a conditioning run on land singing chants, someone imitated the "Dive" horn sound "AARUGHA", and it naturally became a Recon Warrior chant or mantra while on runs. It is sort of like the martial arts yell and adds a positive inference to the action. And this became part of Recon lexicon.
Former SgtMaj of the Marine Corps, John Massaro, was the company gunny of 1st Force in the late 50s and when he tansferred to MCRDSD as an instructor at DI school he took "AARUGHA" with him and passed it on to the DI students and they , in turn, passed it on to recruits.
Just as "Gung Ho" became symbolic of the WWII Raiders, so did "AARUGHA" become part of the new "running Marine Corps."
Over time, "AARUGHA" EVENTUALLY CHANGED TO "OORAH". The official Marine Corps Training Reference Manual on the history of Marine Recon is titled "AARUGHA", giving credence on the orgination of the 'POSITIVE RESPONSE' accenting anything that is meant to be good and uniquely Marine Corps.
It is part of Marine Corps language, like "Pogey Bait", "SOS", etc.
OORAH!!!
The Origin and Spelling of Ooh-rah (also spelled Urah or Hoo-rah)
I know this is posted now, but I saw a post from 2006 when I was researching the spelling of Ooh-Rah. I found the information from wikipedia quite interesting and thought I'd post it. I've only included the "Orgin" information from widipedia so if you'd like to read the entire cultural information, etc. Here's the site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oorah_(Marines)
Ooh-rah (also spelled Urah or Hoo-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.
There are several potential sources from which the word "oorah" originated.
The 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Company, FMFPAC can be credited with the introduction of "Ooh-rah!" into the Marine Corps in 1953, shortly after the Korean War<SUP style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap" class=Template-Fact title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from August 2010">[citation needed]</SUP>. Recon Marines served aboard the USS Perch (ASSP-313), a WWII-era diesel submarine retrofitted to carry Navy UDT and Recon Marines. 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, former Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps John R. Massaro, while serving as company Gunnery Sergeant of 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, simulated the "Dive" horn sound "AARUGHA!" as part of the cadence. Legend has it, he 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 where it eventually and naturally became a part of the Recon cadence, and thereafter infiltrated Recon Marine lexicon.<SUP id=cite_ref-0 class=reference>[1]</SUP> 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!"
Other possible origins of "Oorah!" exist. One states that the term is derived from the Turkish language phrase "kill them all" translated as "öldürmek" or "hepsini öldürün", which was adopted as a Russian battlecry "Urrah!"<SUP id=cite_ref-1 class=reference>[2]</SUP>
So Ooh-Rah and thank all of you current enlisted men/women and your family as well as all you veterans for you service. GOD BLESS AMERICA!