Seven US military mottos that stand out from the rest
Steeped in history and pride, US military mottos such as Semper Fi, Initial Success or Total Failure and Geronimo are spoken with passion to inspire and motivate.
The Navy SEALs' 'the only easy day was yesterday' is a motto backed by legendary achievements such as clandestine missions behind enemy lines and capturing enemy targets while never knowing what tomorrow brings.
Other US military mottos are no less inspiring, or pride instilling, with a selection of some that stand out explained here.
34th Infantry Division – Attack, Attack, Attack
Originally nicknamed Sandstorm Division and eventually the Red Bulls, 34th Infantry Division was created from National Guard troops from Nebraska, Minnesota, the Dakotas and Iowa four months after the US entered the First World War.
The Red Bulls' motto Attack, Attack, Attack was adopted by the Division in 1943 as it characterized the nature of the Division’s combat operations for the remainder of the Second World War.
3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines – We quell the storm and ride the thunder
Nicknamed the 'Betio Bastards', one of 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines' mottos – 'We quell the storm and ride the thunder' – has presidential origins.
The phrase is from a famous speech delivered by President Theodore Roosevelt at the University of Paris on 23 April 1910.
The speech, popularly known as 'The Man in the Arena', contains the following line: "There is little use for the being whose tepid soul knows nothing of the great and generous emotion, of the high pride, the stern belief, the lofty enthusiasm, of the men who quell the storm and ride the thunder."
3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines are based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, USA, and have seen combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Explosive Ordnance Disposal – Initial success or total failure
Those who work in explosive ordnance disposal units are, by design, not casual risk-takers.
They are evidence-based decision-makers whose goal is to reduce the likelihood of a deadly event. Careless mistakes are not tolerated.
Their mission is to neutralise explosive devices which could pose a threat to operations, military installations, people or other assets such as weapons and tanks.
Just like the EOD motto states, it's either initial success or total failure.
Every decision they make while conducting their job could result in death or severe injury.
2nd, 3rd and 4th Infantry Regiment – Touch me not
3rd Infantry Regiment is the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the Army, its origins stemming from the First American Regiment in 1784.
Its motto, shared with 2nd and 4th Infantry Regiment, is Noli Me Tangere, which, translated into English, means Touch Me Not, Don't Tread on Me or Hands Off.
The motto was also used by No. 103 Squadron, a Royal Air Force bomber squadron during the First World War, Second World War and the Cold War, before it was disbanded in 1975.
501st Infantry Regiment – Geronimo!
This military motto found its way into civilian life with people saying it without, perhaps, understanding its origins.
In the book 'Paratrooper! The Saga of US Army and Marine Parachute and Glider Combat Troops During World War II', author Gerard M Devlin explains how the word Geronimo became inextricably linked to airborne troops.
During the Second World War, the US War Department created a 'Test Platoon' to create American paratroopers after realising the potential for airborne forces.
By joining Test Platoon, soldiers were volunteering to do something the US Army hadn't tried before – jump out of a plane with just a parachute.
It is said that after watching a film that featured the life story of legendary Apache leader and medicine man 'Geronimo', Private First Class Aubrey Eberhardt of Test Platoon had an idea.
Accused of fearing the next day's mass tactical jump, Pte Eberhardt said: "To prove to you that I'm not scared out of my wits when I jump, I'm gonna yell 'Geronimo' loud as hell when I go out that door tomorrow."
Shouting 'Geronimo' when jumping out of an aircraft became such a tradition among paratroopers that 501st Infantry Regiment Commander Major William Miley added Geronimo to the unit's insignia and the motto was born.
317th Airlift Group – I gain by hazard
During the Second World War, 317th Tactical Airlift Wing's predecessor – the 317th Troop Carrier Group – was one of the most highly decorated troop carrier units of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), which was disbanded in 1947).
As the 317th Airlift Group still do today, the Troop Carrier Group gained valuable knowledge and skills from the hazards they faced the day before.
They continue to learn and improve their abilities based on previous experience.
Speaking in 2007 at a medal presentation for Second World War veterans, Colonel Kevin Jackson, then commander of 317th Airlift Group, said: "The heritage they pass on to (us) is, without question, the most invaluable part of this kind of event."
Among the crew in attendance was Gerald Matarazzo, Jr., the man who designed the unit patch for the 317th Troop Carrier Group – the same patch the 317th Airlift Group wears today.
Emblazoned still are the words, I Gain By Hazard.
5th Infantry Regiment – I'll try, sir
Many mottos have been closely associated with regiments for centuries, passed down from one generation to another.
5th Infantry Regiment's motto, 'I'll try, sir', were words spoken by Colonel James Miller, commander of the 21st US Infantry Regiment, on 25 July 1814, after he and his men were tasked with taking out British guns that had been thwarting the American Army for hours.
The Anglo-American War had been raging on for two years and morale in the US was low.
The 21st US Infantry Regiment's victory on that day was a much-needed success at a time when American forces were being forced to withdraw to the south.
In 1815, 21st Infantry veterans were absorbed into the 5th US Infantry Regiment and, with Colonel Miller in command, "I'll try, sir" became the regimental motto.
United States Marine Corps – Semper Fidelis (always faithful) shorted to Semper Fi
Semper Fidelis became the US Marine Corps' motto in 1883, replacing previous phrases associated with them such as the 1876's use of Per Mare, Per Terram (By Sea and by Land) – the Royal Marine Corps' motto.
The current motto, often shorted to Semper Fi, appears on a ribbon held by an eagle on the US Marine Corps emblem.
Of composer John Philip Sousa's many famous marches, 1888's Semper Fidelis is the only march officially used by Congress and regularly used by the US Marines Corps for formal military events.
15th Wing – None
Just like the US Navy, US Air Force's 15th Wing does not have a motto.
The original emblem for the 15th Fighter Group – 15th Wing's predecessor – had "Prosequor Alis" (I Pursue With Wings) written on it.
However, due to a change in mission for the combat-ready airmen in 1992 – the wing began flying C-135 executive aircraft that provided special air transport for many local military commanders – the words were replaced with "15th Air Base Wing" at the request of the Commander.
This change was approved by the Air Force Historical Research Agency on 10 December 1992.
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