172nd Infantry at Battle for Munda, 1943, WWII

Dogface is a nickname for a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

soldier, especially an enlisted

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

man. The term gained widespread use during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

History

The term "dogface" to describe an American soldier appeared in print at least as early as 1935. Though its precise origin is uncertain, contemporaneous newspapers accounted for the nickname by explaining that soldiers "wear dog-tags, sleep in pup tents, and are always growling about something" and "the army is a dog's life . . . and when they want us, they whistle for us." During World War II, the nickname came to be seen as a self-appointed term of endearment for soldiers, but as an insult if used by others, such as

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through c ...

personnel.

In media

In 1942, Bert Gold and Ken Hart, two members of the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

, published a song called "The Dogface Soldier," which one newspaper called an "authentic foxhole folksong." The song became the theme of the 3rd Infantry Division and was featured in the 1955 film '' To Hell and Back'' starring

Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor and songwriter. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from t ...

, who served in the 3rd Division. A recording of the song by

Russ Morgan Russell Morgan (April 29, 1904 – August 7, 1969) was an American big band leader and arranger during the 1930s and 1940s. He was best known for being the one of the composers of the song "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", with Larry Stock ...

, taken from the film, became a No. 30 pop hit in the U.S. the same year.

References

{{reflist Military slang and jargon United States Army traditions

History

In media

See also

References