On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 22:36:10 -0400, BAR wrote:

Bill wrote:
I have two cousins, first cousins, who are now 2nd Lt's in the USMC. One
fresh out of the USNA and the other one year out of BC and who went
through PLC. Damn kids weren't even born when I got out of the Corps.

Do you know the difference between a 2nd Lt and a PFC? The PFC has
been promoted.

Who salutes who?

I always felt some sympathy for officers walking around D&S piers or
NOB in Norfolk. I might salute two or three times walking from my
ship to the gate, while they had to do it maybe a few hundred times.
Sometimes they would hug the walls of buildings, heads averted
so they wouldn't get saluted for the 3 hundredth time in the past ten
minutes. They probably suffered carpal tunnel syndrome.
One time I was walking down the pier away from my can headed for
liberty and a buddy started yakking at me from the ship. I ended up
walking backwards for a bit carrying on the talk and as I turned
around again I bumped into the corner of a limo which had stopped to
keep from running over me.
I think it the first and only time I had seen a non-noisy, non-truck
vehicle on the pier. As I regained my balance he continued slowly
ahead, and I gave the driver a dirty look, not paying attention to the
flag flying on the antenna.
That look was still on my face as the back seat passed. Co
incidently, the flag was the 2nd Fleet flag, and it was the Admiral of
the 2nd Fleet in the back seat, and he got all insulted by me giving
him a dirty look too.
I played stupid and kept walking but sure enough he had his driver
stop and he came storming down the pier after me, with a shout of
Sailor!!
I stopped and turned around, then played Marine, coming to sharp
attention and saluting.
YES SIR!!!
The Admiral was all flustered, and actually sputtering under all those
scrambled eggs on his hat.
"D-D-Didn't you see my car?!!!"
NO SIR!!!
SORRY SIR!!!
MY FAULT SIR!!!
He could see I was dressed sharp, looked sharp, and acted sharp.
I was still at salute since he hadn't yet returned it.
I swear he sputtered out, "B-B-Be a good sailor now!"
YES SIR!!
Then he saluted me and walked back to his limo and I went on liberty,
thinking I don't know what the hell that was all about, but that YES
SIR and saluting stuff sure works good on Admirals.
One time I was sitting on bollard near the quarterdeck with my legs
stretched out. A Captain - Cunningham I think - was piped aboard
and somehow managed to trip over my feet. He dawdled on the
quarterdeck and I thought he was gone so had relaxed.
I did the same SORRY SIR!!! routine on him and he was ok with it,
but my Captain chased the quartermaster after me later with a
reprimand. Can't say I blame him. His crew shouldn't be tripping
visiting Captains.
I was in the day after I turned 17, and it took me a couple years to
learn how to avoid trouble.

--Vic