Garryowen (air)
Garryowen
Performed by the US Army Band Strings
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Garryowen, also known as Garyowen, Garry Owen and Gary Owens, is an Irish tune for a quickstep dance. It was selected as a marching tune for British, Canadian, and American military formations, most notably Gen. George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry. The name "Garry Owen" has also been used for US forward military installations during wartime, and for a small town in Montana near the Custer battlefield.

In terms of verbal usage; During the Vietnam war 'Garryowen' was used by the 1st Cav as a Password, much like Lollapalooza was used in World War II. While traversing the thick vegetation of the jungle searching out enemy soldiers, when approaching sounds of other human activity one would instinctively and cautiously yell out "Garryowen", if a response of "Garryowen" (in clear English) was returned then it was as if a salutation of "Friendlies in the area" was given, and thus giving everyone on both sides of the vegetation a sigh of relief. At night during perimeter watch, when everyone but the guard were asleep, if a soldier ventured beyond the ground area where he was sleeping to relieve himself, upon his return he would advance very slowly while whispering "Garryowen" several times as he attempted to return to his bedding so as not to be accidentally thought of as an intruder. Today, when greeting a Veteran of the 1st Cav, one might also greet them with "Garryowen" as a salutation. It would be like saluting that fellow soldier.

History

The word garryowen is derived from Irish, the proper name Eóin (an Irish form of John) and the word for garden garrai – thus "Eóin's Garden". A church dating to the 12th Century by the Knights Templar dedicated to St. John the Baptist is the source of modern area of Garryowen in the city of Limerick, Ireland.

This song emerged in the late 18th century, when it was a drinking song of rich young roisterers in Limerick. It obtained immediate popularity in the British Army through the 5th (or Royal Irish) Regiment of Dragoons.

Beethoven composed two arrangements of the song in 1809–1810 (published 1814–1816 in W.o.O. 152 and W.o.O. 154) to the title, "From Garyone My Happy Home", with lyrics by T. Toms, on romantic themes. The arrangements were part of a large project by George Thomson to engage prominent composers of his day to write arrangements of the folk songs of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.[1] The composer Mauro Giuliani arranged the tune in Arie Nazionali Irlandesi nr.1-6 Op.125 (Six Irish Airs).

A very early reference to the tune appears in The Life of the Duke of Wellington by Jocquim Hayward Stocqueler, published in 1853. He describes the defence of the town of Tarifa in late December 1811, during the Peninsular War. General H. Gough, later Field Marshal Hugh Gough, 1st Viscount Gough, commanding officer of the 87th Regiment (Later the Royal Irish Fusiliers), after repulsing an attack by French Grenadiers "… was not, however, merely satisfied with resistance. When the enemy, scared, ran from the walls, he drew his sword, made the band strike up 'Garry Owen', and followed the fugitives for two or three hundred yards."

Garryowen was also a favourite in the Crimean War. The tune has also been associated with a number of British military units, and is the authorised regimental march of The Irish Regiment of Canada. It was the regimental march of the Liverpool Irish, British Army. It is the regimental march of the London Irish Rifles (now part of The London Regiment (TA)). It was also the regimental march of the 50th (The Queen's Own) Foot (later The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment) until 1869. Garryowen is the Quick March and Canter March of the Welsh Horse Yeomanry, a civilian organisation based in South West Wales, who perform Cavalry and Living History Displays, including the Welsh Horse Musical Ride, in which the tune Garryowen features prominently. See www.welshhorse.co.uk

In early 1851 Irish citizens of New York City formed a militia regiment known locally as the Second Regiment of Irish Volunteers. The group selected "Garryowen" as their official regimental marching song. On 12 October 1851, the Regiment was officially accepted as part of the New York Militia and designated as 69th Infantry Regiment, New York Militia, (the famed "Fighting 69th" ). The regiment has served in the Civil War, Spanish–American War, the Mexican War, World War I, World War II and most recently Operation Iraqi Freedom II where it was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division as part of the 39th Separate Infantry Brigade. Today it is officially known as the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry and is part of the 42nd Infantry Division.[2]

It later became the marching tune for the American 7th Cavalry Regiment during the late 19th century.

The tune was brought to the 7th Cavalry by Brevet Colonel Myles W. Keogh and other officers with ties to the Fifth Royal Irish Lancers and the Papal Guard. As the story goes, it was the last song played for Custer's men as they left General Terry's column at the Powder River.[2]

The name of the tune has become a part of the regiment, the words Garry Owen are part of the regimental crest.

There is a Camp Garry Owen, north of Seoul, Korea, which houses part of the 4th Squadron of the regiment. There is also a currently operating Forward Operating Base, FOB Garryowen, within the Maysan province of Iraq. FOB Garryowen was established in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 8–10 in June 2008 by 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment.

The 7th Cavalry became a part of the 1st Cavalry Division in 1921, and "Garryowen" became the official tune of the division in 1981.

The tune became the name for bases established by the Cavalry in current conflicts. The most recent was Combat Operating Base, (COB), Garry Owen in the Maysan Province of Iraq. The base was near the city of Al Amarra and was established by the 2/7 CAV.

Garry Owen most recently was also the Regimental Quick March of The Ulster Defence Regiment CGS (UDR). When the UDR merged with The Royal Irish Rangers in 1992 to become The Royal Irish Regiment, Garry Owen was dropped as the Regimental Quick March and was replaced with Killaloe.

In popular culture


We can dare or we can do
United men and brothers too
Their gallant footsteps to pursue
And change our country's story.


Our hearts so stout have got us fame
For soon tis' known from whence we came
Where'er we go they dread the name
Of Garry Owen in glory.


Our hearts so stout have got us fame
For soon tis' known from whence we came
Where'er we go they dread the name
Of Garry Owen in glory.


And when the mighty day comes round
We still shall hear their voices sound
Our clans shall roar along the ground
For Garry Owen in glory.


To emulate their high renown
To strike our false oppressor down
And stir the old triumphant sound
with Garry Owen in glory.


To emulate their high renown
To strike our false oppressor down
And stir the old triumphant sound
with Garry Owen in glory.


References

  1. ↑ "Beethoven: Folksong Settings" by Barry Cooper
  2. 1 2 "Garryowen", The 1st Cavalry Division Association

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, April 24, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.