"Re: More on "calvary"

Landau, James James.Landau at NGC.COM
Thu Apr 26 13:11:20 UTC 2007


In my Pentagon days I was in an office with several retired Army
officers, a couple of whom were in the Cavalry branch (and one of whom
had joined the Cavalry back when it still rode horses).  All of them
pronounced "cavalry" as "calvary".  It could have been an in-joke within
the office, but more likely it is a common Army usage, common enough
perhaps to be considered part of Army jargon.

Believe it or not, there IS semantic confusion.  At Fort Myer (where the
enlisted men in the Pentagor are stationed) there is a church known as
the "Cavalry Chapel".  "Calvary Chapel" would make sense here.  (Fort
Myer before World War II was known for horse cavalry.  Patton was
stationed there in his horse-riding days.)

   - Jim Landau

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