War Eagle

War Eagle is a battle cry, yell, or motto of Auburn University and supporters of Auburn University sports teams, especially the Auburn Tigers football team. War Eagle is a common term of endearment, greeting, or salutation among the Auburn Family (e.g., students, alumni, fans). It is also the title of the university's fight song and the name of the university's golden eagles. It is incorrect to say the War Eagle battle cry in the plural, as in "War Eagles".

The unofficial variation "War Damn Eagle," which is sometimes abbreviated in written form as "WDE," is sometimes used to express extra emphasis.

The widespread use of "War Eagle" by Auburn devotees has often led to outside confusion as to Auburn's official mascot. However, the official mascot of Auburn University is Aubie the Tiger, and all Auburn athletic teams, men's and women's, are nicknamed the Tigers. Auburn has never referred to any of its athletic teams as the "Eagles" or "War Eagles." The university's official response to the confusion between the Tigers mascot and the War Eagle battle cry is, "We are the Tigers who say 'War Eagle'."

Since 1930, and continuously since 1960, Auburn has kept an actual eagle as a live, untethered mascot flying over the football stadium at athletic events. War Eagle VII, a Golden Eagle named Nova, along with Spirit, a Bald Eagle, perform the War Eagle Flight before all Auburn home games at Jordan–Hare Stadium. War Eagle VI, named Tiger, has retired from the War Eagle Flight, but is still present on campus.

Read more about War Eagle:  History of The "War Eagle" Phrase, War Eagle Birds, "War Eagle" As Auburn's Fight Song

Famous quotes containing the words war and/or eagle:

    O I know they make war because they want peace; they hate so that they may live; and they destroy the present to make the world safe for the future. When have they not done and said they did it for that?
    Elizabeth Smart (1913–1986)

    If the Americans, in addition to the eagle and the Stars and Stripes and the more unofficial symbols of bison, moose and Indian, should ever need another emblem, one which is friendly and pleasant, then I think they should choose the grapefruit. Or rather the half grapefruit, for this fruit only comes in halves, I believe. Practically speaking, it is always yellow, always just as fresh and well served. And it always comes at the same, still hopeful hour of the morning.
    Johan Huizinga (1872–1945)