[Ads-l] Antedating of "Geronimo"

[Steven Losie]

A couple other points of interest:

The 1939 "Geronimo" film's December release was preceded by a novelization
of the movie syndicated to U.S. newspapers starting in October. This was
published under the title "Geronimo — Novelized by Ben Albert from the
Paramount Pictures, Featuring Preston Foster, Ellen Drew, Andy Devine." The
publicity photo included with the first chapter was of an actor dressed up
as Geronimo, and captioned this way:

[begin quote]
One man — an illiterate, ruthless savage, a kill-thrilled murderer of the
great plains — bringing terror and trembling by the very sound of his name:
Geronimo!
[end quote]

Source: St. Albans Daily Messenger (St. Albans, Vermont)
Date: October 30, 1939
Page: 4
Column: 6
Database: Newspapers.com

Green's Dictionary of Slang has an entry for "Geronimo!" and traces it back
to a May 1941 article in the New York Herald Tribune. While this does not
antedate the citations from April 1941, it corroborates the details in
those earlier stories, that the 501st Parachute Battalion believed that
someone in their ranks had originated it in the second half of 1940. The
exact date and details of who coined it, however, differ from the April
accounts, so the origin appears to have been lost even within the 501st
Battalion early on:

[begin quote]
When a parachutist steps to the open door of a plane [...] and then
catapults his body out into the air, he invariably shouts "Geronimo!" If
there are twelve men making a mass jump they all yell "Geronimo!" They
shout it with such vehemence that those watching from the ground can hear
it distinctly. It means that they are not afraid.

The use of "Geronimo" dates back to the early days of the 501st Parachute
Battalion, ’way back in last October. Two sergeants got into an argument
about being afraid, when the first left the plane. One said that to prove
he was not scared stiff he would yell something as he jumped. When he left
the plane the only thing that came to mind was the name of the famous
Indian chief. So he hollered out "Geronimo!" It has since become the
watchword of the battalion. There is a note of mixed defiance and assurance
in it.

[..]

[sub-headline] Seven Jest on Way Down

As they left the plane seven shouts of "Geronimo!" could be heard from the
ground. It was a clear day with only a suggestion of a breeze stirring.
[end quote]

The article ends with the account of 22-year-old Sgt. Stanley Finley, who
had almost died during a botched jump, and was still in the hospital with a
broken collar bone:

[begin quote]
At the conclusion of his story this correspondent asked him [Sergt. Stanley
Finley] how he felt about doing some more jumping when he had recovered.
Sergt. Finley raised his eyes slowly and looked directly into mine.

"I'm going to try," he said in a low voice. "But I don't know whether I've
lost my nerve or not. I won't know that until I stand in the door of that
plane and get the command."

This correspondent feels that when that time comes Sergt. Finley will take
to the air and those down below will hear the defiant cry, "Geronimo!"
ringing out in the sky. Like the other members of the 501st Parachute
Battalion, Sergt. Finley is not soft.
[end quote]

Article Title: "Life In the Army: Parachutists Refute Charge America is
Soft"
Author: John O'Reilly
Source: New York Herald Tribune
Date: May 9, 1941
Page: 19
Columns: 1-2
Database: Proquest
Portions reproduced at Green's Dictionary of Slang:
https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/3vhglly

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