Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-10-23
ARMY COURTESY.

nary courtesies in your civilian life
You would soon make yourself often
Sive to all Your friends if you were in
the habit of passing them with a cold
stare or a discOurteouS nod.
These customary rules of good breed
ing apply in a slightly different form
In the army. There is the same rea-
son for them in the army as in civil
life. Courtesy helps to make the great
army machine run more smoothly. 1t
is the outward sign that the right re-
lati0nS exist among officers and men.
These right relations should be Civ
EN- expression both within the military
camp and outside. Courtesy among
military men is Indispensable to dis
cipline; respect to superiors will not
be confined to obedience on duty, but
will be extended on all occasions"
(Army Regulations, paragraph ~ The
obligation to show. proper courtesy is
binding upon officers just as well as
upon men. The commanding general
of the army is required to be cOurte-
Gus to you, just as you are required to
be courteous to him.
Courtesy among military men is
shown by speaking and acting in a re-
spectful manner. 1t is shown also by
using the correct form of recognition.
This correct form when meeting or adj
dressing commissioned officers is
known as the military salute.
,1l - Of
Europe were all allowed to carry weap-
Ons, and when they met each would
hold up his right hand to show that
he had no weapon in 1t and that they
met as friends. Slaves or serfs, how
ever, were net allowed TO carry weap-
ons, and skunk past the free men with
out making any sign. In this way the
salute came to be the symbol or sign
| by which soldiers Gree men) might
| recognize each other. The lower
| classes began to initiate the soldiers
in this respect, although in clumsy,
civil life the custom of raising the
hand or nodding as one passed an ac-
quaintance. The soldiers, however.
kept their individual salute, and pur-
posely make it intricate and difficult to
learn, in order that it could be ac-
Quired only by the constant training
which all real soldiers receive.
To this day armies have preserved
their salute, and when correctly done
| it is at once recognized and never
mistaken for that of civilian. All
! soldiers should be careful to execute
the salute exactly as prescribed. The
civilian or the imitation soldier who
tries to initiate the military salute in
variably makes some mistake which
shows he is not a real soldier; he
gives it in an apologize manner, he
| fails to stand or march at attention,
his coat is unbuttOned or hat on awry,
or he fails to look the person saluted
in the eye. There is a wide difference
| in the method of rendering and mean
ling between the civilian salute as
used by friends in passing, or by serv-
ants to their employers, and the mill
| tary salute, the symbol and sign of the
military profession" (Manual for
NoncOmmissiOned officers and Pri
Yates, section 81
In order to give the salute properly
when you are without arms. first as
sumo the position of a soldier Gas de-
scribed in a preceding lesSOn), or If
you are walking carry yourself at at
tentiOn. Look the officer you are to
salute straight in the eye. When he
is few PAGES away from you raise
the right hand smartly till the top of
the fOreinger touches the lower part
of the head dress or forehead above
the right eye, thumb and fingers ex-
tended and Joined, palm to the left,
forearm inclined at about 40 degrees,
hand and wrist straight. Continue to
look the officer you are Saluting
straight in the eye and keep your hand
in the position of salute until the Off
Ger acknowledges the salute or until
he has passed. Then drop the hand
smartly to the side. The salute is Civ
en- with the right hand only" Manu-
al for Noncommissioned Officers and
PrivateS, section g. 1t will be well
for you to practice this movement be-
fore the looking-glass and be prepared
to execute it properly as soon as you
get into uniform.
You will learn the rife salute after
you have reached the training camp
In general, it is used whenever you
are carrying a rife, except when on
guard duty, i'm which case you ordi-
narily present arms instead of salut-
ing.
The exact conditions under which
the salrtes are given need not be re-
peated in detail here. 1t is enough for
the present to learn you are to salute
all commissioned officers (nOt merely
those of your own company or regi-
men or those with whom you are ac-
ouainted), except when you are In
military formation or when you are
at drill, work, games or mess. When
in formation, you do not salute or
come to the position of attention un-
less an officer speaks to you.
Never forget that it is not only re-
ouired of you as duty, but is also
XOllT TlGHl anu IiiNlANSCf ~ 'cANhN "AA
commissioned officers and to have your
courtesy returned. This statement as
sumes. of course, that you are in good
standing as a soldier. A military pris-
oner is not permitted to salute.
It is the custom of the army in
speaking to an officer to stand at at
tentiop and use the word "sir."
'When an officer enters room
where there are several enlisted men,
the word attention is given by some
one who perceives him, when all rise,
uncover and remain standing at atten-
tion until the officer leaves the room
or directs otherwise. Enlisted men at
meals stop eating and remain seated
at attention" Infantry Drill Regula-
tons, paragraph 7o9)
! Statutes are not exchanged between
noncommissioned officers and enlisted
men. However, this does not mean
that Won are not to treat them with