Hey Dai Uy – This is for you.

[The Wizard of BC]

Bradley, I'm sorry man but I've just got to top your story.

I'm fresh back from my first tour in Nam and sitting in the bus station in San Diego. There are these big picture windows and I'm sitting there watching normal people when across the street, out of a bar come about 5 or 6 Marines.
Two seconds later from out of another bar come 5 or 6 Sailors. The two groups are walking towards each other. The looks are flying and you can just tell all H**l is going to break loose, and I've got front row seats.
The Marines and Sailors get to within 20 feet from each other when out of the bar in the middle come 5 or 6 Airmen.
The poor boys in blue never knew what hit them. Wham, from both sides. It was all over in seconds. No one seriously hurt but as the Marines and Sailors stroll down the street as one happy bunch the looks on the faces of the Airmen was worth the price of admission.
I just sat there and laughed myself silly for three hours.

[Tattoo Bradley]

LOL! I can appreciate the comedy of that.

[Livingston]

I hope everyone knows that among Marines, saluting is not as an inferior to a superior, but it is a greeting between warriors.

I meant no disrespect with that story, <snip>

To all of you who have served or are still serving, I salute you.

How about one of your stories?

It was the same in the Army when I was there those many moons ago. Being a weekend warrior, I knew how much of a "warrior" I was and that he was respecting the stripes. It was just a very big surprise to me and totally unexpected.

[BEEDEE]

Speaking of memorable salutes, as a young New Zealand 2/Lt attached to a territorial battalion of the Royal Green Jackets in London, England I had taken a Landrover out one weekend to recce a training area. Going back I was running short of gas so I detoured into the Guards Depot in Aldershot and pulled up at the Orderly Office. Walked in to find a Guardsman leaning back in his seat reading a paper with his feet up on a desk. He did not recognize my uniform but did recognize the rank badges. I was treated to the most amazing and fluid display as he simultaneously released the paper, got out of the chair, got his feet together at attention, a cap on his head, and his right hand up into a salute in what seemed like just one perfect movement.

Brian.

[TheSp8]

When my wife's nephew graduated Airman Basic we drove down to attend and spend some time with his parents. To show my support and honor his efforts I wore my Class A uniform to the ceremony. I was a SSG/E-6 at the time and the poor Airmen had never seen anything like it I reckon. I had at least two dozen Airmen pop to attention and salute when I would walk by and probably as many being indecisive with arms moving partway up and down as they tried to figure out what I was.

When I was in Iraq I had a chance to call home and called the nephew at work. The Airman that answered the phone heard "this is SFC Speight with the Army calling from Baghdad, I need to speak to Sr Airman Cox, is he in?" I heard him yell across the office that some Army guy was calling from Iraq get on the phone now. He sounded like he was at attention when he got on the phone then got relaxed when he heard my voice. He said they were amazed that he was all relaxed and joking with someone in Iraq so he finally told them I was his uncle.

As for taking care of Soldiers, that is my day to day job. I fussed at a WO for sending out a mass e-mail accusing one of my Soldiers of not being where they were supposed to be. The Soldier was in the proper place and since the Chief had sent the e-mail all over I hit reply all when I fussed. The only response I got was the 1SG commending me for sticking up for my Soldier.

YMOS,
Tony

[Jerry]

My Destroyer made port in St Croix, Virgin Islands, back in 68. The only other Navy vessel in port was an old mine sweeper tied up at the one pier. Our Captain, a full commander, announced to the OOD on the sweeper that as SOPA (Senior Officer Present Afloat), he wanted the spot at the pier. We waited until the mine sweeper got underway and then moved in to tie up at the pier. That night a few of my buddies and myself, at that time an E4 Electronics Technician, went on liberty. We went into a bar for a few drinks. The Rum and cokes there had more rum than coke because imported coke was more expensive than local rum. Anyhow we and the small group of mine sweeper sailors in the bar were feeling no pain after a few or 6 drinks. There was a Warrant officer from the sweeper, a chief and a couple of other ratings.After a bit, the Warrant came over, followed by the rest of his group. He walked up as if looking for a fight. "Your Captain is an S.O.B. I looked at him and replied, "Sir, you could say that, but we just call him "A..hole" He looked at me and laughed. Our two little groups spent the rest of the night swapping sea stories and buying drinks for each other.