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Military cadence

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United States Army soldiers calling cadence, duringBasic Combat TrainingatFort Jackson (South Carolina)in 2008

In the United Statesarmed services,amilitary cadenceorcadence callis a traditional call-and-responsework songsung by military personnel while running or marching. In theUnited States,these cadences are sometimes calledjody callsorjodies,afterJody,arecurring characterwho figures in some traditional cadences; Jody refers to the person with whom a servicemember’s significant other cheats while they are deployed.

Requiring no instruments to play, they are counterparts in oral military folklore of the militarymarch.As a sort of work song, military cadences take theirrhythmsfrom the work being done (comparesea shanty). Many cadences have acall and responsestructure in which one servicemember initiates a line, and the remaining SMs complete it, thus instilling teamwork and camaraderie for completion. The cadence calls move to the beat and rhythm of the normal speed (quick time) march or running-in-formation (double time) march. This serves the purpose of keeping SMs "dressed", moving in step as a unit and in formation, while maintaining the correct beat or cadence.

On top of the psychological effects that cadences produce, it is also claimed that they produce significant physiological effects. Many indoctrinated individuals will state that singing a cadence while running or marching helps SMs keep their heads up, take deeper breaths and exhale more forcefully and that this increases oxygen to the lungs and gives the body more energy. They think that this in turn makes the unit healthier and better prepared, despite the lack of evidence. These ideas are propagated in articles like the one referenced, but they do not support their claims with any evidence.[1]The practice of cadences is not common among elite professional runners or athletes, despite its claims to boost cardiovascular efficiency. Its use in Military training is more likely closer linked to tradition than to physiological benefits.

The word "cadence"was applied to these work songs because of an earlier meaning, in which it meant the number of steps a marcher or runner took per minute. The cadence was set by a drummer or Sergeant and discipline was extremely important, as keeping the cadence directly affected the travel speed of infantry. There were other purposes: theclose-order drillwas a particular cadence count for the complex sequence of loading and firing a musket. In theRevolutionary War,Baron von Steubennotably imported European battlefield techniques which persist, greatly modified, to this day.

"The Duckworth Chant" (or "Sound Off!" )

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AV-Discⓘissued in 1944 credits the origin of "Sound Off" ( "The Duckworth Chant" ) to Private Willie Lee Duckworth of Sandersville, Georgia, an African American soldier serving in the United States Army.

... as a company... was returning from a long tedious march through swamps and rough country, a chant broke the stillness of the night. Upon investigation, it was found that a Negro soldier by the name of Willie Duckworth, on detached service with the Provisional Training Center, was chanting to build up the spirits of his comrades.

It was not long before the infectious rhythm was spreading throughout the ranks. Tired soldiers started to pick up their step in cadence with the growing chorus of hearty male voices. Instead of a downtrodden, fatigued company, here marched 200 soldiers with heads up, spring to their step, and happy smiles on their faces. This transformation occurred with the beginning of the Duckworth Chant.

Upon returning to Fort Slocum, Pvt. Duckworth, with the aid of Provisional Training Center instructors, composed a series of verses and choruses to be used with the marching cadence. Since that eventful evening, the Duckworth Chant has been made a part of the drill atFort Slocumas it proved to be not only a tremendous morale factor while marching, but also coordinated the movements of close-order drill with troop precision.[2]

This original cadence was recorded as "Sound Off":

Sound-off; 1 - 2; Sound-off; 3 - 4; Cadence count; 1 - 2 - 3 - 4; 1 - 2 — 3 - 4.

This cadence, known as the "Duckworth Chant", still exists with variations in the different branches of the U.S. military. Duckworth's simple chant was elaborated on by Armydrill sergeantsand their trainees, and the practice of creating elaborate marching chants spread to the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy.

A musical version of the chant was recorded byVaughn Monroeand His Orchestra (Voc.: Vaughn Monroe & Chorus inNew York City) on March 7, 1951. It was released byRCA Victor Recordsas catalog number 20-4113A (in USA)[3]and byEMIon theHis Master's Voicelabel as catalog number B 10086.

A variant of that cadence was used in the 1949 filmBattlegroundand in the 1981 filmTaps,filmed atValley Forge Military Academy and CollegeinWayne, Pennsylvania.It appears in two versions in the film, both ending in the same cadence.

Collected cadences

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Some common cadences include:

As soon as 1952, the U.S. Army adoptedThe Army Goes Rolling Alongas its servicetheme song,with the lyric "count off the cadence loud and strong" a reference to Duckworth's cadence. Its melody and lyrics derive from the traditionalWhen theCaissonsGo Rolling Along.

The United States Marine Corps and US Naval Academy use a modified version of the rhyme "Old King Cole",referencingChesty Puller:"Chesty Puller was a good Marine and a good Marine was he".[7]

"Jody calls"

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In the United States, what are now known as cadences were calledjody callsorjody(alsojodie) from a recurring character, aciviliannamed "Jody", whose luxurious lifestyle is contrasted with military deprivations in several traditional calls. The mythical Jody refers to a civilian who remains at home instead of joining the military service.[8]Jody is often presumed to be medically unfit for service, a4Fin WWII parlance. Jody also lacks the desirable attributes of military persons. He is neither brave nor squared away. Jody calls often make points with ironic humor. Jody will take advantage of a service member's significant other in the service member's absence. Jody stays at home, drives the SM’s car, and gets the SM’s sweetheart (often called "Susie" ) while the SM is inboot camporin country.[citation needed]

The name derives from a stock character in African-Americanoral traditions,"Joe the Grinder".[9]The character's name has been transcribed as "Joady", "Jody", "Jodie", "Joe D." or even "Joe the ____" (in dialect, "Joe de ____" ), with Joe then identified by occupation. He was a stock villain who maliciously took advantage of another man's absence. Enlisted African-American soldiers incorporated this character into cadence songs during theSecond World War.[10]

Lineberry emphasizes conflicting uses of the calls: they are useful to command, in that they serve as instruments to psychologically detach the soldier from home-life and to inculcate a useful degree of aggression. They are useful to the soldier, who can vent dissatisfaction without taking individual responsibility for the expression.[9]While jodies, strictly speaking, arefolklore(they are not taught institutionally, and do not appear, for example, in FM 3-21.5,Drill and Ceremonies Field Manual), some are tolerated and even encouraged by leadership, while others are subversive.[9]

Common themes in jodies include:

  • Homesickness.
  • Everyday complaints about military life.
  • Boasts (of one's own unit) and insults (of one's competitor, which may be another unit, another service branch, or the enemy).
  • Humorous and topical references.
  • Loyalty.[8]

Lineberry offers an alternative, psychologically and functionally oriented taxonomy. There are negative themes (disrespect expressed for deities, women, homosexuals, the enemy, and economically deprived comrades; graphic expression of violence perpetrated on women and the enemy, glorification of substance abuse) but also positive (unit pride, encouragement of comrades) and perhaps in-between, expressions of contempt for death and indifference to mortality.[9]

Other

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During the2017 Venezuelan protests,a cadence sung byBolivarian Intelligence Service(SEBIN) officers which expresses wanting to kill protesters went viral: "Quisiera tener un puñal de acero para degollar a un malditoguarimbero"(Spanish:I wish I had a steel dagger to slit the throat of a damn guarimbero).[11][12][13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^LAWALJuly 8, B. G.; pmPermalink, 2015 at 8:54 (2014-10-05)."Benefits of Cadences".Military Cadence.Retrieved2021-01-16.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^Lentz, Bernard (1955).The Cadence System of Teaching Close Order Drill and Exhibition Drills,p.70. Pennsylvania: Military Service Publishing.
  3. ^RCA Victor Records in the 20-4000 to 20-4999 series
  4. ^Burke. p. 439.
  5. ^Burke, p. 425
  6. ^abRyan, Casey (2003).Cadences of the U.S. Army.San Diego, California: Documentary Recordings.
  7. ^"PowWeb".
  8. ^abKnight, Jeff Parker (April 1990)."Literature as equipment for killing: Performance as rhetoric in military training camps".Text and Performance Quarterly.10(2): 157–168.doi:10.1080/10462939009365965.ISSN1046-2937.
  9. ^abcdLineberry, Kent (November 2002)."Cadence Calls: Military Folklore in Motion",Missouri Folklore Society.
  10. ^Cavanaugh, Michael, Cavanaugh, Elizabeth."The Duckworth Chant, Sound Off, and the Jody Call".Michael & Elizabeth Cavanaugh.Retrieved20 July2015.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^""Quisiera degollar a un maldito guarimbero": los escalofriantes versos que cantan los militares chavistas ".infobae(in Spanish).Retrieved2023-11-19.
  12. ^"Video: 'Quisiera degollar con un puñal de acero a un maldito guarimbero', gritan militares en Venezuela durante entrenamiento".Prensa(in Spanish). 2017-05-05.Retrieved2023-11-19.
  13. ^"Funcionarios del Sebin entrenan con consignas de odio contra la oposición".Diario Las Américas(in Spanish).Retrieved2023-11-19.

Bibliography

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  • "ADA cadence calls." 1988. Source: Air Defense Artillery. May–June, 1988, pp. 33–40.
  • Casey, Ryan. 2002. Cadences of the U.S. Marine Corps. San Diego, CA: Documentary Recordings. "Cadence calling directions; U.S. Marine Corps running cadences; Recon Marines; U.S. Marine Corps pride; Service rivalries; U.S. Marine drill instructors; Humorous cadences; From WWII to the War on Terror; 'Shorties'; U.S. Marine Corps marching cadences."ISBN0972428100;9780972428101.
  • Deutsche Bundeswehr.2008. German Army morning running cadence. "This is our own style and not a copy. Running cadences have to be faster than marching cadences. When marching, we're chanting" Infanterie, du bist die Krone aller Waffen "," Hätt ich nur eine Krone "," Grün ist unser Fallschirm "," Oh du schöner Westerwald "," Grüne Teufel "etc. Every branch has their own traditional cadences."
  • Dunnigan, Timothy P. 1997. Modern military cadence. Alexandria, Va: Byrd Enterprises.
  • Engstrom, John, and P. C. Butler. 1987. Count cadence count. Fallbrook, Calif: Best Military Publications.
  • Frary, Joel. 2006. Army cadences. "Frary discusses the origin and importance of cadences in both a historical and moral context. Also, a brief background of the purposes of cadences, including their emotional, artistic and traditional attributes are discussed."
  • Jody calls, armor cavalry. 1976. [Fort Knox, Ky.?]: Army. "Armor cavalry jody calls".
  • Johnson, Sandee Shaffer. 1900. Cadences: the Jody call book. Canton, Ohio: Daring Press.ISBN0938936115;9780938936114.
  • United States Army Infantry Center. 1984. Jody calls. Ft. Benning, Ga: The Center.
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