The cry rings out at sports events, pep rallies, alumni meetings or anywhere Auburn people gather. WAR EAGLE! The origin of the famous cheer, however, is anyone's guess. Several stories have survived through the years, but which is fact and which is fable is still uncertain.

War Eagle VI arrived on the Plains on October 9, 1986, from its home at the raptor rehabilitation facility at Land Between the Lakes, Ky., succeeding War Eagle V, which died of natural causes in September 1986. The federally approved raptor clinic at Auburn's College of Veterinary Medicine is in charge of the eagle's medical care, while Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity, provides handling and training services.

Although the existence of War Eagle I cannot be proved, there is no doubt about War Eagle II. The bird was captured by a farmer when it became entangled in vines and was given to the Auburn A Club in 1930 as a mascot. The Great Depression was raging, and the club was unable to provide upkeep. Finally, War Eagle II was given to a carnival passing through town.

Thirty years later War Eagle III came to campus following its capture on a Talladega County farm. Tragedy struck in 1964 when the eagle escaped during a Birmingham football weekend and was killed by a shotgun blast.

With the assistance of Birmingham officials and the Jimmy Morgan Zoo, a new eagle, War Eagle IV, was obtained from a Jackson, Miss., zoo later in 1964 and was presented to the student body at the Georgia Tech game. It lived until 1981.

War Eagle VI, known as "Tiger" as were her three immediate predecessors, lives in a spacious and specially designed aviary south of Haley Center and east of Jordan-Hare Stadium. Financed with funds raised through Alpha Phi Omega fraternity from friends and alumni, the aviary, located in a natural setting, is one of the most impressive of its kind. Fans and students can view the eagle at any time.

Story One

A Popular version grew from a 1913 pep rally at Langdon Hall where students had gathered the day before the Georgia football game. Cheerleader Gus Craydon told the crowd, "If we are going to win this game, we'll have to get out there and fight, because this means war."

During the frenzy, another student, E.T. Enslen, dressed in his military uniform, noticed something had dropped from his hat. Bending down, he saw that it was the metal emblem of an eagle that had been loosened while he was cheered.

Someone asked him what he had found and Enslen loudly replied, "It's a War Eagle!" History was made as the new cry echoed throughout the stadium the next day as Auburn battled Georgia. Of the many stories, this one is thought to be the most credible

Story Two

The Legend of War Eagle!

Story Three

A 1914 contest with the Carlisle Indians provided another story. The toughest player on the Indians' team was a tackle named Bald Eagle. Trying to tire out the big man, Auburn began to run play after play at his position. Without even huddling, the Auburn quarterback would yell "Bald Eagle," letting the rest of the team know the play would be run at the imposing defensive man.

Spectators, however, thought the quarterback was saying "War Eagle," and in unison, they began to chant the cry.

There is another story surrounding the Carlisle game. Each time the Indians had scored during the season, fans said players yelled "War Eagle." On this particular afternoon, however, it was Auburn's own Legare "Lucy" Hairston who adopted the battle cry as he danced across the goal line for the only touchdown of the game.

Another version of the War Eagle story comes from Indian lore. Legend says "War Eagle" was the name given to the large golden eagle by the Plains Indians because the eagle furnished feathers for use in their war bonnets.

Story Four

Alumnus Lynn Scarbrough interviewed Osage Indian Chief T.W. Wareagle, a resident of Birmingham, in 1975 regarding Auburn's battle cry. Chief Wareagle claimed members of the Osage tribe were on their way to Oklahoma several years after the Civil War. En route, the Indians camped near the Auburn campus, making a favorable impression on the Auburn students and townspeople. During an important ceremony, one citizen, Paul Hubbard, said that the outstanding Chief Thomas Wareagle, ancestor of T.W., was well known by the people of that time and the war eagle was taken as the Auburn mascot and battle cry when football was introduced several years later.

Chief T.W. is the last of the Wareagles. His grandfather, Thomas, in the oral traditions of the Indians, related the story to him while T.W. was a boy in Oklahoma.