In 1940, the U.S. Army began experimenting with the use of parachutes for landing soldiers on battlefields, dropping from planes high above. As the story goes, on the eve of the first experiments with parachutes, a group of Army soldiers had finished watching a movie featuring Geronimo, the famous Apache chief. As these soldiers were contemplating what they were about to do on the next day, they devised a plan to yell "Geronimo" as they leaped from their planes. The practice spread very quickly, and before you know it, paratroopers were yelling "Geronimo" and leaping from planes as the United States entered World War II.
Eight short years later, conservationists in Idaho gave the name "Geronimo" to a beaver.
Yes, that's right. A beaver.
In 1948, ecologists were responding to a large number of nuisance complaints near Boise, Idaho, involving beavers. These ecologists, knowing how important beavers are, how productive they are in nature, and how savagely they'd been hunted --to the edge of extinction-- during the 18th and 19th centuries, decided to do something other than just showing up in the suburbs of Boise to exterminate the "pests". Instead, they were going to relocate the beavers.
The problem with trying to do this is that, historically, when relocation of beavers had been attempted before, it had usually resulted in the deaths of the beavers. So, instead, in 1948, Idahoan conservationists decided to try to parachute these beavers into remote areas in central Idaho, using left-over parachutes from World War II.
The first beaver --the test subject-- that they used, to make sure that this would be a successful way to move the beavers, ended up completing more than a half-dozen skydives, convincing the conservationists that it could be done. After serving as the beaver guinea-pig, he was let go as the first new beaver arrival in central Idaho. By the end of the experimentation process, the ecologists had given that beaver the name "Geronimo". Of course, it made total sense.
Why are we talking about this in 2025?
These days --although it's fallen somewhat out of fashion-- people shout "Geronimo" at the beginning of an attempt at doing something brave or courageous. A battle cry, of sorts.
The Eau Claire Public Schools is on the edge of a series of positive changes that will hopefully improve the district's climate, culture, and overall success. Just as those Army soldiers did more than eighty years ago, as they became the first paratroopers in history, we --as a school district-- are poised to scream "Geronimo" and jump into a new future for the school district.
So, don't be surprised if you hear someone yelling "Geronimo" on our campus in the future. It's time to take a jump and do some brave things.