Geronimo (exclamation) facts for kids

Geronimo is a famous shout. It is often used by paratroopers in the United States Army when they jump from an airplane. People also use it when they are about to jump from a high place, or just as an excited yell. This shout first started in the United States.

Where Did the "Geronimo" Shout Begin?

The exciting shout of "Geronimo" has a few possible origins. Most stories point to Fort Benning, Georgia. This is where some of the very first parachute jumps for the US Army happened in the 1940s.

The Aubrey Eberhardt Story

One popular story comes from a paratrooper named Gerard Devlin. He says the shout began in August 1940. It is linked to Private Aubrey Eberhardt. Aubrey was part of the first group testing parachutes at Fort Benning.

The night before their first big jump, the soldiers were a bit nervous. They watched a Western movie about a famous Native American leader named Geronimo. It was likely the 1939 film Geronimo.

On the way back to their barracks, Aubrey's friends teased him. They said he would be too scared to even remember his own name during the jump. Aubrey replied, "I'm going to yell Geronimo as loud as I can when I jump!" He wanted to prove he wasn't scared. Aubrey kept his promise. Soon, other soldiers in his group started using the shout too.

The Richard Winters Story

Major Richard Winters, another famous soldier, shared a different idea. He said that the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment was getting ready for their first jump at Fort Benning. At that time, a popular song called "Geronimo" was often played on the radio. The soldiers really liked this song.

The shout became known to their commanding officer. He wanted them to shout "Currahee" instead. "Currahee" was the name of a mountain near Camp Toccoa, their first training camp. The paratroopers had run up and down this mountain many times during their training. They called it the "3 miles up, 3 miles down" run.

The Medicine Bluffs Legend

There is also a third story about the "Geronimo" shout. This one comes from Fort Sill, Oklahoma. This is where the real Geronimo was held as a prisoner of war. His grave is also located there.

At Fort Sill, there are steep cliffs known as Medicine Bluffs or Geronimo's Bluff. Old stories were told about Geronimo while he was there. One legend says that Geronimo, with the Army chasing him, once jumped on horseback down a very steep cliff. The soldiers chasing him could not follow. The story says that as he made this daring jump to freedom, he let out a loud cry of "Geronimo-o-o!"