Yes, zombies are a-marching, ie, this is a revived old thread.
Preparatory, this is still pertinent:
I post this little TV clip for inherent amusement and respect for the real tasks–the comedian Jonathan Edwards apparently was a Marine, and finagled this appearance with troops and Hollywood people–not unlike when untrained people are given a baton in front of a crack orchestra.
One of the civilians is helplessly “commanding” “oblique.” Either he or one of the more-than-usually sane commenters said he had heard this in the military. Is this true somehow, in some discrete alignment/motion order?
Hmmm. I think that would be me. I don’t really think much about what I do with my arms while walking but I know I don’t customarily swing them much, quite possibly because I normally walk with my hands in my pockets if I’m not carrying something, walking on difficult terrain or using a stick. Thinking about it, I realize that I don’t think I like my arms dangling loose if I’m not actually doing something with them, even when just standing. If I don’t have my hands stuck in pockets, I’ll be adopting a pose with my arms in front of me with one hand gripping the other wrist, or with my thumbs stuck in my waistband or belt loops. If I’m wearing a pack I’m often grasping the straps.
The Oblique command is the have the unit, while marching in one direction, turn 45 degrees to the right of left and continue marching in that direction until a new command is given. “Right O-blique (step) MARCH” command starts on the strike of the left foot, with the emphasis word MARCH on the right foot, and the unit pivots 45 degrees to the right when the left foot strikes the deck.
If you notice in the beginning, when the host is marching the Marines onto the stage, he gives them a couple successful Oblique commands. Right Oblique, MARCH. Left Oblique, MARCH. It is a real marching command, at least in the Marine Corpse anyway. The reason that celebrity contestant was unable to get the Marines to respond to his “Left Oblique! Oblique, boys!” is that he never gave them the command of execution, “March”. Without the command of execution, they will not execute the command.
What I found interesting is the celebrity contestant who went second. Several times, he gave them the command of Half-right, MARCH. The Marines did not respond. Perhaps this is not a command they use in the Marine Corpse, but it is definitely used in the Army. He actually did the best job, and would have done well if the marchers were Soldiers instead of Marines. He even correctly chided them for marching at the half-step.
The Right/Left Oblique, March and the Half-Right/Left March are similar. This is probably why the services choose to use only one or the other instead of either. The Army definitely only uses the Half-Right/Left. My guess is that the Marines only use the Right/Left Oblique.
A friend of mine was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in part because he started walking in the manner described. It was very noticeable to those of us around him. He stated to me several times that this is a well-known symptom associated with the onset of the disease. He would also frequently “freeze” when starting to walk and had to visualize a step or a line that he could “step over” before he could begin walking again.
IANAD, so I can only pass along what he stated about his own condition and what he was told be professionals.
