Tag Archives: US Army

The Recon Creed

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Title: The Recon Creed

Informant info: Graham “Ossie” Osborn. Informant attends Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH as a United States Marine Corps Veteran. Informant was a member of the First Reconnaissance Battalion.

Type of lore: Customary/Verbal, Tradition, Ritual, Song

Language: English

Country of Origin: USA

Social / Cultural Context: Informant was interviewed at Dartmouth College. Informant was asked about his a unit song or chant.  Informant was in the Marines in the First Recon Battalion is their is their battalion creed.

Associated file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/z1us1frzhrn0u2t/IMG_7545.MOV?dl=0

Transcript: Item: [I have recorded the item exactly how it was told to me in the interview]: There was not a song, but there was the “Recon Creed.” It is hard for me to remember, but it is every single every single word begins with it. So “R” was realizing this was my choice and my choice alone. The Recon Creed is out there just like the Ranger Creed for the Army. It is important for a lot of people and I knew it backwards and forwards 10 years ago.

Informant’s comments: Joked about how it is one of those things you say so many times, but then you can’t actually remember it when you try.

Collector’s comments:  Informant had a certain cadence to his voice when he began to share the chant.

Deployment Tradition – Mohawks

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Title: Deployment Tradition – Mohawks

Informant info: Graham “Ossie” Osborn. Informant attends Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH as a United States Marine Corps Veteran. Informant was a member of the First Reconnaissance Battalion.

Type of lore: Customary/Verbal, Tradition, Ritual, Ceremony

Language: English

Country of Origin: USA

Social / Cultural Context: Informant was interviewed at Dartmouth College. Informant was asked about any tradition or rituals and discussed the tradition of cutting ones hair into a mohawk on deployment and then eventually cutting it down to regulation length.

Associated file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/z1us1frzhrn0u2t/IMG_7545.MOV?dl=0

Transcript: Item: [I have recorded the item exactly how it was told to me in the interview]: The only one I can really remember. I ended up going to the second recon battalion, for the first guys that would go oversees they would shave their head into Mohawks or shave them completely, because Mohawks were without regulation, but almost everyone shaved their head into Mohawks until they got called out on it, or they would wait until they got into country and on their first mission they would shave their heads into Mohawks, which is something that I think has just been passed down through the military, I don’t really know the background behind it except for airborne units did it in world war II. I remember a lot of people took part in that.

Informant’s comments: Life on Parris Island was tough, but taught the recruits what it meant to be a Marine.

Collector’s comments:  Informant was unsure of the superstition associated with the mohawk haircut, but knew that there was one.

Mascot – Barracks Barbie

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Title: Mascot – Barracks Barbie

Informant info: Matt Menezes. Informant attends Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH as a United States Army Veteran (2004-2013) . Informant was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division and deployed twice to Afghanistan (2007-08, 2008-09) as well as spent two years as a drill sergeant for basic combat training (2011-13).

Type of lore: Customary/Verbal Folklore, Tradition, Ritual, Material Lore

Language: English

Country of Origin: USA

Social / Cultural Context: Informant was interviewed at Dartmouth College. Informant was asked about any rituals or mascots during their time in the military.  The Barracks Barbie was the 82nd Airbone Division’s unit Mascot. The informant here explained the mascot and discussed some memories related to the Barracks Barbie.

Associated file:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/11vv5a27kzlycgq/Dartmouth_Folklore_Collections_Matt_Menezes.mp4?dl=0

Transcript: Item: [I have recorded the item exactly how it was told to me in the interview]: One of the other rituals that has been passed down and this is sort of a new one is we actually have what is a barracks Barbie doll that goes everywhere with us. She was with us in the initial invasion to Iraq, she’s been through every deployment our unit has gone on since 2001. So she has all of her gear and you kind of assign it to someone to take care of.

Informant’s comments: The Barracks Barbie was a mascot that not only brought people together, but also was able to bring a needed joking and laughter to a very serious situation.

Collector’s comments: The Barracks Barbie is a great example of tradition that is passed along throughout a unit that is a means to share history and the roots of the unit.

Unit Song: Boots, Boots, Boots

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Title: Unit Song: Boots, Boots, Boots

Informant info: Matt Menezes. Informant attends Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH as a United States Army Veteran. Informant was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division and deployed twice to Afghanistan as well as spent two years as a drill sergeant for basic combat training.

Type of lore: Customary/ Verbal, Tradition, Song, Lyrics, Chants

Language: English

Country of Origin: USA

Social / Cultural Context: Informant was interviewed at Dartmouth College. Informant was asked about any songs that they sung during their time in boot camp or while serving abroad. The informant laughed before they began speaking saying he didn’t remember all the words. The lyrics discuss the life in which the 82nd Airborne unit troops lived.

Associated file:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/11vv5a27kzlycgq/Dartmouth_Folklore_Collections_Matt_Menezes.mp4?dl=0

Transcript: [I have recorded the item exactly how it was told to me in the interview]: There is a song related to my unit. I don’t remember all of it, but I remember that it goes something like this: Put on your boots, boots, boots, and parachutes, chutes chutes, we’re going up, up up , we’re going down, down down, we’re all-American and proud to be. That’s all I remember.

Informant’s comments: He sang lots of songs during his time in the military, but did not remember the others or the words. 

Collector’s comments: Informant was nervous to sing, but had a smile on his face.  He also did the arm motion associated with the song. His arm at a right angle swinging across his body.