Traditions
Many of the 69th's traditions and symbols derive from a time when the regiment was made entirely of Irish-Americans. The regiment's Civil War era battle cry was "Faugh a Ballagh," which is Irish Gaelic meaning "Clear the Way." This is reminiscent of the cry of the Irish Brigade of the French Army in the Battle of Fontenoy. A World War I era battle cry is "Garryowen in Glory!" Its motto is "Gentle when stroked - Fierce when provoked" in reference to the Irish Wolfhounds on its crest and dress cap badges of 1861.
Though by 2001 the regiment was "no more Irish than the Notre Dame football team", it retained many of the traditions arising form its Irish heritage. New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade up Fifth Avenue has always been led by the regiment and its Irish Wolfhounds. In some ceremonies, the regiment's officers and senior non-commissioned officers carry shillelaghs as a badge of rank. Additionally, it is traditional to wear a small sprig of boxwood on one’s headgear in combat, as was first done in the Civil War.
Read more about this topic: 69th Infantry Regiment (New York)
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—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1809–1882)