The Power of the Hand Salute

[badbob]

I’ve known many Enlisted who hated to salute officers. They would duck out of the path of an oncoming Officer or go completely out of their way to avoid saluting one.

This was not the case for me.

Early in my enlistment and before going to Vietnam, I was returning from the laundry with my clean starched Utilities, when suddenly a Brigadier General appeared in my peripheral and heading in my direction. I had both hands full so I gave way and came to attention, but I didn’t Salute.

A little while later the SGT MAJ flagged me down and read me the riot act for not saluting the general. After the AS* chewing, the SGT MAJ told me something that stayed with me the rest of my Enlistment.

He said look at this way and Saluting will become very enjoyable.

As an Enlisted man, you are required to Salute all officers, regardless of rank or branch of service.

The regulation requires that an Officer return every Salute, in the same manor as presented. If an enlisted person does not feel as though the returned salute was appropriate based on regulation, you can require another exchange.

This places you in control of every Salute exchange, the snappier your Salute is, the snappier the Officer's Return Salute had to be.

I thought about this for a while, and it made sense. From that point on, I really enjoyed Saluting officers.

When I became an MP, I developed a sort of “Wave through Salute System” for traffic duty.

It was a sure fire system, whereby you could keep the proper traffic flow and at the same time never Fu*k up and miss saluting an Officer.

It was your basic wave through except I would bring my hand up and finish with a salute.

Sh!t, I had everyone saluting me, Swabies, Officers Wives, Officers Kids, even civilian base workers.

When the civilian workers initiated their “Sentry of the Month” program, I was the first to receive the honors.

My best advice to the Active Duty Marines here is to Salute sharply and Salute often. Saluting is a fast track to success.

The Hand Salute is the Enlisted persons most powerful tool for both showing and commanding respect.



I Salute you all

Semper Fi,
Bob

[LadyLeatherneck]

Yeah and how many Marines would run inside during Colors?!
I think I was the only one that would run outside during Colors
so I could stand there and handsalute. :D Gosh I miss hearing
Colors :(

[fabboss]

Have to agree, the salute can be your best friend, remember being stationed on an Army post and having barrels of fun coming up behind a doggie officer and sounding out "BY YOUR LEAVE SIR", loud and...

[dnelson]

I missed saluting one office that I will never forget. I saw a WM coming my way I did not notice she was an officer. I was Waiting to go inside of the building and testify at a Court Martial(Not Mine). My mind was not on my surroundings. Well it was Gen Margaret Brewer talk about an A$$ chewing.
I did Pop a really go Salute on an Officer while I was with the wing, he returned mine but forgot to take the cigar out of his hand. SgtMaj saw it all and got hold of him.
Salute I most wanted to give was for a Sgt who worked for me who was promoted to WO1. I waited outside the building to salute him. Still ended up being the second person to salute him.

[top1371]

I remember as a Corporal I followed a Gunner around all day. He saluted his butt off. We the enlisted sometimes think we salute a lot, but think about it, officers have to salute 99% of everyone they bump into!

For those of you who try and go the other direction or look the other way, try this dive: Sure you have to salute an officer, but hey, at the same time he/she has to salute YOU. So if you turn it around in your mind and 'make' everyone salute you....Painless... and very much more painless than having someone like me stop you in your tracks in front of the officer and question you on why you didnt salute:D

On another note, I remember a time when I was stationed at the Stumps (29 Palms CA) and we had a 1st LT that was tiered of saluting and a Corporal in my platoon saluted him and he just told him to carry on, the Corporal asked him to return his salute and they got into a arguement. The Corporal lost the battle but won the war. He spoke to the SgtMaj who then spoke with the LT and the LT squared himself away, minus an apologie to the Corporal......

Top

[wrbones]

But an aside, in a way....Now and again, a few of us would find ourselves at the PX. Being wingers, we weren't much for marching in groups, so we'd ditty-bop, one or two at a time back to the Squadron area. I found that the best way to do this was to co-ordinate things so that we were just far enough apart that any officers coming the other way were forced to salute each and every one of us. Just as soon as his hand came down from one salute, he'd have to salute another one or two Marines! The looks on their faces were priceless! Individually, we'd salute once, the "victim" would salute up to a dozen times in a matter of just a couple of minutes! Shhh. Don't tell anyone I was behind that!

[Barndog]

Oh yeah, Bones........ we were 'kinda' instructed to do that same thing in a way. Ya got to the PX when you had the opportunity, and that wasn't very often.
At Mag-39, we had the tarmac then our hangars and admin bldgs, then a small service road. As you well know, you were not to wear your cover,chevrons, or boot blouses anywhere near the flight line. I hadn't been at 267 for a month, when I heard the gut truck drive up @ 0930 (burritos and oj for breakfast again lmfao). So, I peeled out of Maintenance Control, down to HMA-369 F/E (where my bro Leroy worked) pulled my cover on - as I thought a good Marine should.
Needless to say, I no more than crested the corner of our hanger (and was now into 369 territory - as they say) - when he came 3 or 4 1st Lt's strolling down the service road. Well, these Lt's had their "food" (it really wasn't food now that I reflect on it), and I popped off a sharp salute. I was shocked when one of them saluted me with a dammed egg sandwich. See, not a one of them had covers on...... the service road was exempt - as it was considered part of the flight line. I was shocked, and really ****ed off. I got back to the hanger, talked to Top A about it, then he informed me of the proper protocol for FOD and so on.
He also asked me who the Lt's were, said I had no clue, but I was not impressed by them - especially the one who returned the salute with said egg sandwich. A couple of hours later the SgtMaj came down, and Top A apparently told him of my experience. SgtMaj Henderson took me outside and explained basically what badbob did - IF the Officer you salute does not reply with a salute that is sat to YOU, then you CAN and WILL fire off another one - until it is deserving of the respect that you gave him or her in the first place.
When I found myself taxiing aircraft out on the flightline with hand and arm signals, EVERYTIME I gave them the 'wave' to take off, it was always followed with a snappy salute. I always got a snappy one in return from the bubble of those Hueys.
Just like when I shaved my head last week. I wanted to salute the officers there ( the Major). I stood and HELD my salute until he found his cover, and returned it - properly I might add. He and the 1st Sgt had deemed it a 'no-cover' zone ... (WTF is that????)

Semper FI

Barndog

[Sgt0811]

I never had a problem with saluting. Was proud to do so.
While in Nam we would not salute the officers but would say good morning or afternoon or whatever. One day we, my brother-in-law now, but just a good friend in Nam, did not salute the 1st Lt. and we had our a$$s chewed by the Gunny. We then went looking for the Lt. and saluted him with about the sharpest salute we could muster. The Lt. stopped, called us to attention and asked what the hell we were doing, trying to get him shot or what? We told him about the Gunny. He chewed the Gunny a new a$$hole. Made us feel good. The Gunny was not too well liked at the time.:banana: :bunny: :ninja:

[mrbsox]

Would it be IMPROPER, to render a Salute as someone you consider 'of Honor' passes, like in a parade??

I always take my hat (big red white and blue Uncle Sam type) off as various groups pass (like POW's... etc), out of respect and reverence. But just wondering since this thresd came up, if it would be improper (as a MARINE incognito as a civilian) to throw a snappy one out there.

Whats your feedback.....

Oohra

[wrbones]

Personally, I'd think that I would have to be active duty in uniform, under cover or under arms first. Between bro's as a civilian I'd do it, but probably not in public! Kinda like wearin' a cowboy hat or somethin' I ain't one, so I don't wear them! LOL.


Kinda scary when I start thinkin' out loud ain't it!

[MillRatUSMC]

Lt.Col Lewis "Chesty" Puller came upon a strange sight in a company street one day: a private at rigid attention saluting over and over like a robot, a second lieutenant who stood before him, hands on hips. "What’s going on?" "Chesty" asked. "This Marine, sir. He neglected to salute me as we passed, and I’ve ordered him to salute one hundred times.

"You’re right," "Chesty" replied, "So right. But you know that an officer must return every salute he receives--now let me see you do your share."

So if this the truth, we see the power of the hand salute;
Officers are required to do their share and more.

They're part of our history and traditions.

Semper Fidelis
Ricardo