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  #1  
Old 12-04-2008, 01:54 PM
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Default Red Legs?

Hey,

Can someone explain why US artillery is sometimes referred to as "red legs"?

thanks
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Old 12-04-2008, 02:03 PM
Twilight2000v3MM Twilight2000v3MM is offline
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I dont know but I think it originally started in the Civil War.....?
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  #3  
Old 12-04-2008, 02:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Twilight2000v3MM
My apologies to anyone that may have been offended by my last SIG......?
your last sig about the 13 colonies and Sgt Muldoon??
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Old 12-04-2008, 02:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boogiedowndonovan
Hey,

Can someone explain why US artillery is sometimes referred to as "red legs"?

thanks
Red is the traditional color of the artillery branch, back to at least Colonial times. During the 19th century, enlisted men wore a stripe on their uniform pants of their branch color. Hence, artillerymen had a red stripe on their trousers, or red legs!
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Old 12-04-2008, 02:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boogiedowndonovan
Hey,

Can someone explain why US artillery is sometimes referred to as "red legs"?

thanks
I don't know where the colors started, but when an officer is in his dress blues (In the Army), the stripe down his trousers is red. Every branch has its own stripe color. (Infantry is blue.)
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Old 12-04-2008, 03:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boogiedowndonovan
your last sig about the 13 colonies and Sgt Muldoon??

No it was somehting else that was in bad taste on my part.
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Old 12-04-2008, 07:14 PM
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Chico's got the answer. Red was designated, at least during the American Civil War, the color of the Artillery branch. I believe it may have even been that way back during the War of 1812, but I'm not 100% sure of that. As he said, the uniforms of the artilleryman bore a red stripe down the pants legs. Thus the nickname "red legs".
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  #8  
Old 12-04-2008, 08:45 PM
Adm.Lee Adm.Lee is offline
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Default For the sake of completeness...

Red stripe = artillery
blue = infantry
yellow = cavalry, featured in the John Wayne flick "She wore a yellow ribbon."

When Armor formed, not quite as a branch pre-WW2, their unit/division patches and insignia became a triangle with each of the three colors.
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  #9  
Old 12-04-2008, 09:24 PM
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And for more completeness, anyone who's not airborne is a "nasty leg."
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Old 12-05-2008, 08:56 AM
Graebarde Graebarde is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b
And for more completeness, anyone who's not airborne is a "nasty leg."
HEY!!! I represent that fact!
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Old 12-05-2008, 10:21 AM
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while Paul is correct...

I just referred to anyone not airborne qualified as "Leg" in a very depreciatory manner.
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  #12  
Old 12-05-2008, 02:10 PM
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As an ex baby bootie all I can say is there's only two things come from the sky.....
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  #13  
Old 12-05-2008, 04:56 PM
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Airborne troops are the smelly bits between my APC's treads......can you say "CRUNCHIE"....I think you can

P.S. we are DIRTY NASTY LEGS and damned proud too!
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  #14  
Old 12-05-2008, 09:22 PM
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I'd have to say that Jimmi Hendrix was the greatest airborne-qualified guitarist that ever lived...
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