15 Things American Civilians Don’t Know About the Army
On June 14, 1775, the U.S. Army was born. It’s the oldest branch of the military and was founded to fight the Revolutionary War.
Maybe you already knew that. We wouldn’t be surprised if you did. Given how many Americans have served in the Army at one time or another, chances are good that you’ve met at least a few soldiers.
Still, even if you consider yourself well-versed in Army culture, you might be surprised by a few of the facts on this list. As it turns out, the U.S. Army’s lengthy history is full of interesting tidbits.
1: Interesting Insignia
Before WWII, U.S. Army members in the 45th Infantry Division wore a swastika patch on their left shoulders. The patch was to honor Native Americans.
Many Native American tribes, particularly in the Southwest, used the swastika in various positive ways. However, the Nazi’s use of the symbol changed its perceived meaning, and the 45th Infantry Division changed its patch to a thunderbird accordingly.
2: America’s Map Creators
The Army created the first maps of America. The famed explorers Lewis and Clark were captains in the U.S. Army, and the volunteers who traveled with them were also Army members.
The Lewis and Clark expedition lasted two years, and their discoveries enthralled Americans. Army officers were some of the first to see some of our most epic landmarks, including the Grand Canyon and Pikes Peak.
3: The Last To Choose
Every military division has its own official song. But the Army took far longer to choose a tune than any other branch.
In 1956, they (finally) chose “The Army Goes Rolling Along,” an original tune penned by Field Artillery First Lieutenant Edmund L. Gruber in 1908. The song was later turned into a march by John Phillips Sousa before being adopted by the Army.
4: In Good Company
If you include state militias from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, a total of 24 U.S. presidents have served in the U.S. Army. The list includes George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan.
Most presidents who served in the Army served before World War II. After the war, the vast majority of presidents who served were Navy men.
5: Bigger Than You Think
The U.S. Army is exceptionally large. According to the Department of Defense, it’s the biggest branch of the military, but that doesn’t really explain how enormous the Army really is.
If the Army were a city, it would have the 4th largest population in the U.S. If you want to measure by the amount of land it owns, the Army would be bigger than Hawaii and Massachusetts combined.
6: Energy Required
The amount of fuel and energy needed to power Army equipment is significant. For a 72-hour mission, a platoon of thirty soldiers must carry 400 batteries.
As technology has changed, the amount of fuel needed has also greatly increased. In World War II, one soldier needed to carry one gallon of fuel per day. Today, soldiers require 22 gallons of fuel per day.
7: More Medals
According to the USO, nearly 70% of Medals of Honor awarded have been given to soldiers. The President awards the Medal of Honor for the bravest and most gallant acts of servicemen.
The Medal of Honor was originally created for the Civil War, and many Army recipients received it then. Out of the 2,403 Medals of Honor the Army has received, 1,198 were issued for heroic actions during the Civil War.
8: 3D Food
Feeding hungry troops has always been a challenge for the military. The U.S. Army is always looking for innovative ways to provide nourishing meals to soldiers.
One of their latest ideas is to use 3D-printed food. In theory, the 3D printers would connect to a wearable device that showed exactly what nutrients each particular soldier needs. Then, the printers would print food that met their exact nutrition requirements.
9: Microwave Inventors
The Army is partly responsible for creating the microwave. During World War II, the Army used radiation radar to scan for enemy missiles, which sparked the curiosity of an engineer at Raytheon.
The Raytheon engineer started experimenting and found that the same radar could also heat things. Not long after that, the common kitchen appliance was born.
10: Helicopters for Native Americans
The Army typically names its helicopters in honor of Native American tribes. The idea came from Gen. Hamilton Howze.
Howze was a pioneer of airborne warfare and had a unique vision for the role helicopters would come to play. He said helicopters had a geographical advantage and like Native tribes, would be able to navigate terrain nothing else could. So, he began to christen the whirlybirds with Native American-inspired names.
11: Included the Air Force
Before 1947, the Air Force wasn’t its own branch. Instead, it was part of the Army.
The Army showed interest in flying from the beginning. Congress issued the first appropriation for military aviation in 1911 and the Army began experimenting with aircraft before World War I.
12: Zero Demerits
Graduating from West Point without a single demerit is the stuff of legends. Only two people are said to have ever done it.
Though many believe Robert E. Lee was the only person to graduate from the academy with a perfect record, official records reveal that Lee actually graduated second in his class. Charles Mason graduated first in the same class and also had no demerits.
13: A Few More Demerits
Robert E. Lee is known for graduating from West Point with a perfect record. President Eisenhower can’t claim the same accomplishment.
Eisenhower racked up a whopping 307 demerits before graduation. However, he became a general and then the president of the United States, so he ended up doing alright.
14: Army Football Successes
The Army’s football team has a history of big wins. They’ve even managed to take home a couple of championship victories.
They took home three straight national championship wins from 1944 to 1946. They also produced two Heisman trophy winners.
15: The First Female Soldier
The first female soldier was Deborah Sampson, though none of her fellow soldiers realized she was female at the time. Sampson fought in the Revolutionary War by disguising herself as a man.
During her time in battle, she went by the name Robert Shurtleff. To keep her identity hidden, she tended to her own wounds until she couldn’t. Her identity was revealed when she got sick, lost consciousness, and was taken to a hospital in Philadelphia.
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