"Phrase---OOH-RAH-UH-RAH"

[redneck13]

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.

[jinelson]

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!!!

[kentmitchell]

Well, that's a novel answer, anyway.
I never heard it in my time (56-60) but that doesn't mean anything other than it would come later.
We growled, yelled gung ho or just used a Rebel yell.

[greensideout]

I never heard if it in my time as well, '60-'64. I also question the "Gung Ho" part of the definition and history. If "Gung Ho" came from the Boxer Rebellion how is it then attributed to WW-II Raiders?

[Static_Sky25]

Gung-Ho the phrase came from the boxer rebellion yes, but just as other phrases have been adopted to mean other things so was "gung-ho" during the second World war....

for those who don't know ... Gung-ho translates to "Work together" Col Edison Adopted this motto for his WWII raiders On account that his raiders could do anything as long as they worked together... it was a throwback to unit adhesion he wanted his men to remember that they were much more effective as a whole, not fighting their own "private wars" long story short... it was around but Edison made it fit his needs, and as all specfor operaters he and his men became famous ... so did his mens motto...

Sort of a "there is no I in team" or a "there is no you, me, my, I recruit... you are now just life support for your rifle..."

[DevilPuppy88]

I heard somewhere that OORAH was like turkish or something like that for KILL.

[Ann Marie]

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^{[citation needed]}. 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.^[1] 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!"^[2]


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!

[advanced]

Well, that's a novel answer, anyway.
I never heard it in my time (56-60) but that doesn't mean anything other than it would come later.
We growled, yelled gung ho or just used a Rebel yell.

We never used it during my time 67-69, matter of fact I'd never even heard of it till a couple of years age. Talkin to friends I believe it came into the Corps in the mid 70's.

[DrZ]

We never used it during my time 67-69, matter of fact I'd never even heard of it till a couple of years age. Talkin to friends I believe it came into the Corps in the mid 70's.

It was well in place when I graduated boot in late 69. When we were dismissed from formation to our hooches...we made one step back, shouted Aye Aye Sir and then Ooorah and beat feet to those damn hot tin sheds. That was SD and perhaps PI started using it a bit later.

[Sheila Hays]

We never used it during my time (59-62), I never heard it until the new Marines on this board used it. We have alot of vets on here, old Corps. Semper Fi. Sheila Hays

[Mongoose]

It was well in place when I graduated boot in late 69. When we were dismissed from formation to our hooches...we made one step back, shouted Aye Aye Sir and then Ooorah and beat feet to those damn hot tin sheds. That was SD and perhaps PI started using it a bit later.

Im like Russ, we never heard it in bootcamp.67-68. I really dont remember hearing it all while I was in the Corps.

[SGT7477]

It was knocked into our heads June 1974 while in boot camp OOHRAH, Never Forget, Semper Fidelis.

[Old Marine]

OOORAHHHHH was used while I was on the Drill Field at San Diego 1966-1973. It was used along with many more words/chants.

[rsta]

67-71 and never heard of it til I saw "Gunnys" show onTV.

[martinj]

Also another thing recon marine started was the high and tights, but everyone copied them so they changed to no regs.