Tag Archives: military

Birthday Pushups

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Language: English

“In ROTC or Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, we had a tradition to, or I guess it’s kind of ritualistic. Um when it was someone’s birthday, we would in class, we would have to do our birthday pushups. So, we would have to, ou know, get down in push up position and then the leader in at the time would command us to basically begin push ups. And as you do the push ups they sing happy birthday. But they sing it really slow. And so even if you finish your push ups you have to stay in a plank position until they’re done singing it. And then you have to wait for the leader to let you come back up.”

Context: High school Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, on someone’s birthday.

Analysis: This tradition, as one of many life cycle traditions surrounding birthdays, plays on the idea of shared pain, similar to birthday spanks. The subject has to complete push ups and go through the ritual to prove themselves and be celebrated by the group as a whole. In this ROTC tradition, the object is not just pain but achievement. By completing the birthday pushups, the individual can show their increased athleticism and reassert their place in the group identity based on strength and discipline. By knowing everyone has to do the same when it is their birthday, the individual is more willing to complete their turn in good humor and recognize it not as a punishment, but as a way to bond with their peers and recognize the achievement of another year. 

Marine Jody

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: College Student
Language: English

Text: 

(Each line repeated once by leader and once by platoon)

Around her head, she wore a yellow ribbon

She wore it in the springtime, the merry month of may

And if you asked her why the hell she wore it

She wore it for that young Marine so far, far away. 

Far away

Far away

She wore it for that young Marine so far, far away

Around the block, she pushed a baby carriage

She pushed it for that young Marine so far, far away.

And if you asked her why the heck she pushed it 

She pushed it for that young Marine so far, far away.

Far away

Far away

She pushed it for that young Marine so far, far away

(3rd verse non PG- song ends after this verse)

Behind the door, her daddy kept a shotgun

He kept it in the springtime, in the merry month of May

And if you asked him why the hell he kept it

He kept it just to blow that young Marine’s ass away

Far away

Far away

He kept it just to blow that young Marine’s ass away

(3rd verse PG- song continues to verse 4)

Behind the door, her daddy kept a shotgun

He kept it in the springtime, in the merry month of May

And if you asked him why the hell he kept it

He kept it for that young Marine so far, far away

Far away

Far away

He kept it for that young Marine so far, far away

(4th verse, slowing)

Around his grave, she laid the pretty flowers

She laid them in the springtime in the merry month of May

And if you ask her why the hell she laid them

She laid them for that young Marine so far, far away

Far away

Far away

She laid them for that young Marine so far, far away

Context:

“This is my favorite jody that I learned in high school in JROTC. It’s passed down by a Prior, which is a Cadet who has been in the program at least for a year, so she was like a year older than me, I was a freshmen and she was a sophomore. And it was her favorite jody and it’s, according to her, originally a Marine jody. Jodies are- I guess I should explain what Jodies are. Jodies are songs you sing while marching, kind of sing, they’re kind of sing songy, but they’re yelling and they’re call and response. So you yell a line and the platoon repeats a line and it’s while marching. A lot of them are story centered, so I want to share one that’s story centered. I love this jody because it’s sad, it tells a story.

“I said young Marine, but when we would say it around our senior Chief, we would have to say Sailor because we weren’t allowed to sing Marines jodies because we were in the Navy unit. And each of the lines is repeated back, I just did it straight through”

“And then the third stanza, there’s two versions. Also, I said hell, but we said heck when instructors were around. And the third one, there’s two endings, one is non PG and one is PG. 

Analysis:

The jody itself is a chant, meant to (in the case of this informant) draw people together within their platoon. Especially as the informant mentions how she was taught this by a classmate in the grade above her, one can see this folk song as a form of mentorship. Learned from the mouth of a more senior individual, the jody is passed between them and gives a sense of identity within the group. The informant even mentions how important the specific branch is. She wasn’t allowed to sing this as a Marine jody normally because they were the Navy unit and therefore could only sing Navy songs. Specificity is important to the practice of this jody even though the rest of the lyrics are unchanged by a change in branch or between platoons. 

Additionally, we can see the influence of some of Olrick’s epic laws within the narrative. Repetition of the chorus and of structures make the stanzas easier to learn, and the chorus itself has three lines. Most ‘scenes’ are between the woman and the soldier, with one between the soldier and the woman’s father. All detail how two characters relate to each other, keeping the story straightforward and in line with the expectations of tales and folk songs. 

“Play Stupid Games Win Stupid Prizes”

Nationality: American
Age: 23
Occupation: US Marine
Residence: Fort Mead, Maryland
Language: English

Text: “Play stupid games win stupid prizes”

Context: This folk speech is commonly used in the military as a warning to others not to make “stupid” decisions because they will result in “stupid” consequences. Quoted are examples provided by the informant for using this saying:

“If you do dumb things, that’s what you will get as a result. Like not taking out your trash or making your bed (stupid game) and they check it and they flip your mattress or throw the trash on the floor (stupid result).” Another example given was “you fall asleep with your rifle, you play stupid games.” 

Interpretation: With the high expectations that come with being military personnel, this folk saying essentially encourages each other to perform the duties that they are expected to perform by authority figures. Often in the military, when one person makes a mistake, everyone gets in trouble, or the consequence is ridiculous as shown in the informants’ examples. By warning each other of the consequences to unnecessary mistakes, they are looking out for their team by potentially saving themselves from over-the-top consequences that come with the smaller mistakes.

Hooah – Folk Speech

Nationality: American
Age: 56
Occupation: Physician
Residence: Los Angeles
Language: English

Text: Hooah

Context: “Hooah is a term that just about everyone in the military knows. It doesn’t really mean anything specific, it’s more of a general term that means different things in different contexts. You can use it like ‘dude,’ so if we’re in a conversation, I could say ‘hooah’ to be easily agreeable. Or if there’s something awesome I could say ‘HOOAH!’ enthusiastically. If I jump out of a helicopter, I’ll yell ‘hooah’ and that’s sort of an army specific thing. If you ask me to do something I don’t really want to do, I’ll say ‘hooah’ (said with a dejected tone). It can really be used for anything.”

Analysis: It’s no secret that the military has its own unique jargon that is shared amongst its members. Because military life is so difficult, those involved form a bond of companionship stronger than most other groups or organizations in the world, and language is the primary means through which this takes form. But what I think sets “hooah” apart from the countless other military terms and phrases is how broadly usable it is. I can’t think of any terms from any groups that can mean as many things as this. The fact that it is so universal in the military but completely absent anywhere else speaks to the strong community aspect of the institution, which I feel is often overlooked when discussing it.

Memorial Day Jump

Text:

TT: Every year since 2003 the arctic airborne 2nd battalion 377th parachute field artillery regiment has a Memorial Day jump honoring 7 men who died in combat from the unit. On this day 7 lucky service members of the unit are selected to wear that fallen paratrooper’s name tape instead of their own and jump from the standard C-130. 

Context:

TT: On Memorial Day 2021, I was given the honor of jumping with a PFC’s name tape in honor of his sacrifice to his country. Afterwards, family members of the fallen would talk with us and share stories and it’s just a really beautiful way to honor them and keep their legacy alive – especially since in the airborne community a big saying is “Paratroopers never die, they simply Slip away” (we call the limited steering capability of our parachute a “slip”)

TT served in the military in the Airborne 2nd battalion for five years before retiring in 2024. 

Analysis:

Some rituals have deeply personal significance, TT offers a Memorial Day story used to honor the fallen. This ritual was specific to their battalion, but funeral rituals or celebrations for the dead are common in many cultures for many different events. The United States has created an annual festival commemorating veterans through Memorial Day, but the parade is still an example of a funeral or “death day” celebration. Other examples of the celebration of loved ones who have passed are El Dia de los Muertos in Latin America and the Qing Ming Festival in China. Both events are culturally significant festivals designed to honor passed family members.