The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-11-10
ARMY COURTESY,

=.
! You would soou make yourself often
! sive 10 all your friends If you were in
the habit OF passing them with q cold
stare or discourteous nod.
These customary rules Of good breed
Ing apply in slightly different form
! III The army. There is the same rea
son for them III the army as In civil
! life. Courtesy helps 20 make the great
army machine run more smoothly r
/ Is the outward sign that the right re-
lations 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
cipine: 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 we'll as
| upon men. The commanding general
Of the army Is required TO be courte-
Gus to You, Just az you are required 10
be courteous to him.
Courtesy among military men Ia
shown by speaking and acting in 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.
''In the old days the free men 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 not 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 q clumsy.
apologize way, and thence crept into
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 ii intricate and difficult to
learn, in order that it could be ac-
CURED 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 a civilian. All
soldiers should be careful to execute
the salute exactly as prescribed.
In order to give the salute properly
when you are without arms, first as
sumo the position of soldier Gas de-
scrlbed in a preceding lesson), or II
you are walking carry yourself at at.
tention. Look the officer you are to
salute straight in the eye. When he
Is q few PAGES away from you raise
the right hand smartly till the top Of
the foreflnger 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 45 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 N0ncommissi Officers and
Privates, section o. 1t will be we'll
for you to practice this movement be
fore the looking-glaSs and be prepared
to execute 1t properly as soon as you
get into uniform.
You will learn the rifle salute after
you have reached the training camp.
In general, it is used whenever you
are carrying q rifle, except when on
guard duty, in which case you Ordl-
narlly present arms instead Of saIut-
ing.
The exact conditions under which
The salutes are given need not be re-
peatcd in detail here. It 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
Quaintcd), except when you are in
a 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 M !
less an officer speaks to you.
Never forget that 1t is not only re-
quired of you as duty, but is also
your right and privilege. to salute all
officers and to have your
courtesy returned. This statement as
sumcS, OF course, that you are In good |
standing as n soldier. A military pris-
oner is not permitted to salute.
1t Is the custom OF the army IN
speaking To an officer to stand at at
tcntion and use the word "sir."
''Whcn an officer enters room
where there are several enlisted men.
the word attention" Is given by some
)nc who pcrceives him, when all rise,
uncover and remain standing ut attcn.
ion until the officer leaves the room
IL directs otherwise. Enlisted men at
meals stop eating and remain seated
It attention" (Infantry Drill Kcgtla-
ions, paragraph 759.)
Snlutrs are not exchanged between
IonCommissioned officers and enlisted
men. However, this does not mean