Traditions within your Servicemember's Unit?

[McD]

I love military history. I love military movies, love reading the books, etc. So with all of that, I absolutely LOVE military traditions.

My DH is a cav scout and the Cavalry seems to be a breed of soldiers unto themselves.

The Cav Scouts within my husband's unit have all memorized the poem Fiddler's Green:

Halfway down the trail to Hell,
In a shady meadow green
Are the Souls of all dead troopers camped,
Near a good old-time canteen.
And this eternal resting place
Is known as Fiddlers' Green.

Marching past, straight through to Hell
The Infantry are seen.
Accompanied by the Engineers,
Artillery and Marines,
For none but the shades of Cavalrymen
Dismount at Fiddlers' Green.

Though some go curving down the trail
To seek a warmer scene.
No trooper ever gets to Hell
Ere he's emptied his canteen.
And so rides back to drink again
With friends at Fiddlers' Green.

And so when man and horse go down
Beneath a saber keen,
Or in a roaring charge of fierce melee
You stop a bullet clean,
And the hostiles come to get your scalp,
Just empty your canteen,
And put your pistol to your head
And go to Fiddlers' Green.

It gives me goosebumps to read it. And hubby and I have talked, if the situation ever calls for it, this will be read at his funeral.

The Cav also claims ownership of the Yellow Ribbon tradition. In the 1700-1800s, the wives of cav scouts tied yellow ribbons in their hair etc. There is a cadence now that has the line "In her hair, she wore a yellow ribbon...she wore it for her soldier who was far far away." There is also an 'Order of the Yellow Garter' that ties into it.

The Cav also creates 'GROG'. It's a nasty potent alcoholic mixture that has various forms of alcohol in it to commerate missions and accomplishments within the unit. At Zac's last Dining Out, they even had a chainsaw chain in it. Only troop members and wives are allowed to drink it--at least that is how Zac's troop enforces it.

Cav Scouts are typically married under an arch of sabers. There is also, of course, the Cav Stetson. You have to earn your Stetson and then it has to be properly broken in. To break in hubby's stetso, a hole was dug in the ground, the hat was placed into the whole, so the portion of the hat you stick your head in was face up. Every member of his troop walked by, spit on it, stomped on it, poured beer on it, etc. Hubby then had to drink out of it. (I must say I find the stetson on my husband to be swoon-worthy.)

There are also the Spurs. Again, they are earned. There are various ways to earn them. You can earn them by going into combat with a Cav unit (gold), on a spur ride (silver), and then a combination of doing those things, you get gold spurs with spinners. Hubby has the gold with spinners. A saber is also earned and presented to the trooper.

There is also a formal Cav "Dining Out". My avatar pic is at the last dining out. And of course, I have to remind everyone that as the Cav scounts say : If you ain't Cav....you ain't S**T. Gotta love the rivalry.

Does your servicemember's unit have any special traditions?

[stinkbug]

Both my dd and her dh are members of 116th Cav. Idaho National Guard.

[jas]

I love the military traditions too. My dad was in for most of his life and retired the year I was born. My three older brothers were military brats and got to see the world. When my dad retired from active duty he then started to work for the Navy civil service. When he was active he was in the Army. He was a Chief Warrent Officer. I had no idea about most of his military life. That all came to a head at his burial at Arlington National Cemetary. ( My mom is buried there also.) That was beyond awesome. He had the full military honors. He was carried on a cason(?) for almost 1/2 mile with all the horses and solders walking ahead down this winding road through the cemetary. I can post pictures. Then with the twentyone gun salute. I was a mess. The soldiers that did his funeral are the same ones that guard the tomb of the unknown soldier. That there is something to give you goosebumps abouts. Each step means something or the number of them anyway. They have to be of a certain stature love the tradition and meaning.

The military takes care of its own, that day was a culmination of all my dad's service. They gave me the flag that day and I could barely hear what the soldier said in my ear about the faithful service from my dad to his country and fellow soldiers. Got tears running down my face recalling it.

I bet your soldiers now don't get the regonition and support they are due from all of us here in this country. Thanks for everything they do!

[Palooka]

Military brat of the Air Force and love it. My dad always had said his check has made it through it all when he retired.

One of our favorite traditions is to look at pics living in Germany. Beautiful. On slide shows climbing hills and I so remember our schools/housing as Americans.

I was young, but my heart is left in Europe and some day.......I want to live there again.