How in the world did they come up with that? Military Edition

Have you ever wondered how some nicknames came about?  Why a delicate flower became the symbol of a very bloody conflict? Sometimes on the surface these things make no sense at all... until you hear the rest of the story. This blog will explain how certain military phrases, nicknames and symbols became part of our American consciousness.

Walking through most any American cemetery, one can see a collection of small metal markers near gravestones. These markers are meant to hold flags and typically reflect the symbols of the military branches and organizations that they represent.

Here I will explain a couple of the most seen.

World War 1 Marker depicting the “Poppy.” The red poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day (November 11). Poppies bloomed in mass numbers across some of the worst battlefields of France during World War I. Their brilliant red color an appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war. Even today veterans groups can be found selling small paper "Buddy Poppies" to raise monies and awareness for their support programs.

There are many flowers in France... so why the poppy?

Doctor John McCrae, of Canada, serving as a military doctor is the reason.

It is believed that the death of Dr. McCrae's friend, Alexis Helmer, was the inspiration for McCrae's poem ‘In Flanders Fields’. The exact details of when the first draft was written may never be known because there are various accounts by those who were with McCrae at that time. Some say he wrote the poem in just 20 minutes in an effort to deal with his friends funeral, or that it was written on a work break in between groups of battlefield casualties.

No matter HOW the poem came about... the fact that it was a highly emotional poem written right on the battlefield, greatly impacted all who read it. The imagery in the poem  'In Flanders Fields'  became the symbol of the War....



In Flanders fields the poppies blow                                        
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

 

 

WWI also brought the term "Doughboy" into the American lexicon.

 

Doughboys' was the nickname given to the American Expeditionary Force that took part in the later years of World War One. Before this decisive US involvement the name had applied only to infantryman, but at some point between April 1917 and November 1918 the word expanded to include the whole American armed forces. The term was not used in a derogatory sense, in fact it was a badge of honor, and is present in the diaries and letters of US serviceman, as well as newspapers.

The actual origin of the term 'Doughboy' is still debated within both US historical and military circles, but it dates back to at least the American-Mexican War of 1846-7 after observers noticed U.S. infantry forces were constantly covered with chalky dust from marching through the dry terrain of northern Mexico, giving the men the appearance of unbaked dough. Another suggestion also arises from the Mexican–American War, and the dust-covered infantry men resembled the commonly used mud bricks of the area known as adobes. No one knows for sure the exact inspiration for the nickname but the fact remains that it was made very popular many years later during WWI. 

Click on the link below to hear a hit song from the era using the term.

Johnny Doughboy Found a Rose in Ireland

Another strange nickname comes from WWII.

 "The Ruptured Duck" marker was originally  a cloth insignia depicting an eagle inside a wreath. WWII servicemen and women wore it on uniforms above the right breast pocket.

It was issued to service personnel who were about to leave the military with an Honorable Discharge. It also allowed them to continue to wear their uniform for up to thirty days after they were discharged since there was a clothing shortage at that time. This showed the MP's that they were in transit and not AWOL. 

Well, the boys thought the eagle looked more like a duck; and because it meant they were going home, the popular saying was, 

"They took off like a Ruptured Duck"

Kind of paints a funny picture, huh? But that's the true story. Ask any WWII veteran, they know the term well. 

Written by guest blogger:  Daniel Meehan