No doubt you’ve heard the Army word, “hooah.” It’s such a useful and diverse word, appropriate in any situation. It can indicate agreement, as in “Wow, what a hot and sticky day!” “Hooah!” It’s often used as a superlative, like “That’s one hooah car” or “That’s pretty hooah.” Or it can be used to emphasize the importance of the matter: “If you don’t hurry up, we’re leaving without you hooah.” Notice there is no punctuation before “hooah” in that last sentence. You say it without pausing.
So when my friend Tami suggested that we use “hooah” on Philip’s retirement cake, we knew that was exactly what we wanted.
Philip’s retirement ceremony was in a word – hooah. Lots of people came, including a friend from our Civil Air Patrol cadet days, our dear friends from our time in Korea and 3 of the 4 families that I desperately hope move to Colorado Springs when they retire. (The 4th family has already moved out of the area and could not make the ceremony.)
The official retirement orders were read, which really choked me up hooah. It read in part, “…You are retired from active duty, released from assignment and duty, and on the date following, place on the retired list.” Wow. It’s really all over. Hooah!
Philip was honored by letters appreciation from President Obama and former Presidents George W. Bush and Clinton. We’re still waiting to hear from President Bush the senior, who is busy jumping out of airplanes, because he’s such a hooah guy.
Philip’s boss and the guys in his office put together a hooah retirement gift- a shadow box containing all of his insignia and his medals. The flag was recently flown over the Pentagon.
I was honored with a certificate from the Department of the Army for being such a hooah Army spouse.
Philip gave a hooah speech, as expected.
Then we had some great chow (that would be “food” to you civilians) and celebrated Philip’s 20 hooah years of service.
Hooah!
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