Manual of Military Training, James A. Moss [books under 200 pages .TXT] 📗

confined to obedience on duty, but will be extended on all occasions." THE NATURE OF SALUTES AND THEIR ORIGIN The Civilian Salute

1533. When a gentleman raises his hat to a lady he is but continuing a custom that had its beginning in the days of knighthood, when every knight wore his helmet as a protection against foes. However, when coming among friends, especially ladies, the knight would remove his helmet as a mark of confidence and trust in his friends. In those days failure to remove the helmet in the presence of ladies signified distrust and want of confidence—today it signifies impoliteness and a want of good breeding.

The Military Salute

1534. From time immemorial subordinates have always uncovered before superiors, and equals have always acknowledged each other's presence by some courtesy—this seems to be one of the natural, nobler instincts of man. It was not so many years ago when a sentinel saluted not only with his gun but by taking off his hat also. However, when complicated headgear like the bearskin and the helmet came into use, they could not be readily removed and the act of removing the hat was finally conventionalized into the present salute—into the movement of the hand to the visor as if the hat were going to be removed.

Every once in a while a man is found who has the mistaken idea that he smothers the American spirit of freedom, that he sacrifices his independence, by saluting his officers. Of course, no one but an anarchist or a man with a small, shrivelled-up mind can have such ideas.

Manly deference to superiors, which in military life is merely recognition of constituted authority, does not imply admission of inferiority any more than respect for law implies cowardice.

The recruit should at once rid himself of the idea that saluting and other forms of military courtesy are un-American. The salute is the soldier's claim from the very highest in the land to instant recognition as a soldier. The raw recruit by his simple act of saluting, commands like honor from the ranking general of the Army—aye, from even the President of the United States.

While the personal element naturally enters into the salute to a certain extent, when a soldier salutes an officer he is really saluting the office rather than the officer personally—the salute is rendered as a mark of respect to the rank, the position that the officer holds, to the authority with which he is vested. A man with the true soldierly instinct never misses an opportunity to salute his officers.

As a matter of fact, military courtesy is just simply an application of common, every-day courtesy and common sense. In common, every-day courtesy no man with the instincts of a gentleman ever thinks about taking advantage of this thing and that thing in order to avoid paying to his fellow-man the ordinary, conventional courtesies of life, and if there is ever any doubt about the matter, he takes no chances but extends the courtesy. And this is just exactly what the man who has the instincts of a real soldier does in the case of military courtesy. The thought of "Should I salute or should I not salute" never enters the mind of a soldier just because he happens to be in a wagon, in a postoffice, etc.

In all armies of the world, all officers and soldiers are required to salute each other whenever they meet or pass, the subordinate saluting first. The salute on the part of the subordinate is not intended in any way as an act of degradation or a mark of inferiority, but is simply a military courtesy that is as binding on the officer as it is on the private, and just as the enlisted man is required to salute the officer first, so is the officer required to salute his superiors first. It is a bond uniting all in a common profession, marking the fact that above them there is an authority that both recognize and obey—the Country! Indeed, by custom and regulations, it is as obligatory for the ranking general of the Army to return the salute of the recruit, as it is for the latter to give it.

Let it be remembered that the military salute is a form of greeting that belongs exclusively to the Government—to the soldier, the sailor, the marine—it is the mark and prerogative of the military man and he should be proud of having the privilege of using that form of salutation—a form of salutation that marks him as a member of the Profession of Arms—the profession of Napoleon, Wellington, Grant, Lee, Sherman, Jackson and scores of others of the greatest and most famous men the world has ever known. The military salute is ours, it is ours only. Moreover, it belongs only to the soldier who is in good standing, the prisoner under guard, for instance, not being allowed to salute. Ours is a grand fraternity of men-at-arms, banded together for national defense, for the maintenance of law and order—we are bound together by the love and respect we bear the flag—we are pledged to loyalty, to one God, one country—our lives are dedicated to the defense of our country's flag—the officer and the private belong to a brotherhood whose regalia is the uniform of the American soldier, and they are known to one another and to all men, by an honored sign and symbol of knighthood that has come down to us from the ages—THE MILITARY SALUTE!

WHOM TO SALUTE

1535. Army officers. All Army officers are saluted by their juniors and by enlisted men.

1536. Navy, Marine Corps, Volunteer and National Guard officers. Soldiers at all times and in all situations salute officers of the Navy, Marine Corps, and National Guard the same as they salute officers of the Regular Army.

1537. Reserve Corps officers. Although the subject is not at present (March, 1917) covered by orders or regulations, it goes without saying that soldiers would salute members of the Officers' Reserve Corps on active duty the same as they salute their own officers.

1538. Foreign naval and military officers. The Manual of Interior Guard Duty requires sentinels to salute foreign naval and military officers, but there are no instructions about other enlisted men saluting them. However, as an act of international courtesy, they should be saluted the same as our own officers.

WHEN AND HOW TO SALUTE

1539. General rule. Day or night, covered or uncovered, whether either or both are in uniform or civilian clothes, salutes shall be exchanged between officers and enlisted men not in a military formation, nor at drill, work, games or mess, on every occasion of their meeting, passing near or being addressed, the junior in rank or the enlisted man saluting first.

1540. Saluting when making and receiving reports. When making or receiving official reports, or on meeting out of doors, all officers will salute.

Military courtesy requires the junior to salute first, but when the salute is introductory to a report made at a military ceremony or formation, to the representative of a common superior (as, for example, to the adjutant, officer of the day, etc.), the officer making the report, whatever his rank, will salute first; the officer to whom the report is made will acknowledge by saluting that he has received and understood the report.

1541. Saluting distance. Saluting distance is that within which recognition is easy. In general, it does not exceed 30 paces.

As to the distance at which the salute should be made, the following is what has been the practice in the Army:

In approaching or passing each other within saluting distance, individuals or bodies of troops exchange salutes when at a distance of about 6 paces. If they do not approach each other that closely, the salute is exchanged at the point of nearest approach. For instance, if the officer and soldier are approaching each other on the same sidewalk, the hand is brought up to the headdress when about 6 paces from the officer. If they are on opposite sides of the street, the hand is brought up when about ten paces in advance of the officer. If the officer and soldier are not going in opposite directions and the officer does not approach within six paces, the salute is rendered when the officer reaches the nearest point to the soldier. If a soldier passes an officer from the rear, the hand is raised as he reaches the officer; if an officer passes a soldier from the rear, the soldier salutes just as the officer is about to pass him.

1542. Officer entering room occupied by soldiers. When an officer enters a room where there are several enlisted men, the word "attention" is given by someone who perceives him, when all rise, uncover, and remain standing at attention until the officer leaves the room or directs otherwise.

1543. At meals. Enlisted men at meals stop eating and remain seated at attention when an officer enters the room.

1544. When seated. An enlisted man, if seated, rises on the approach of an officer, faces toward him, stands at attention, and salutes. Standing he faces an officer for the same purpose. If the parties remain in the same place or on the same ground, such compliments need not be repeated.

1545. Soldier indoors. Indoors, an unarmed enlisted man uncovers and stands at attention upon the approach of an officer. If armed with rifle, he renders the rifle salute at the order or trail.

(Note. According to custom, the term "indoors" is interpreted as meaning military offices barracks, quarters and similar places,—it does not mean such public places as stores, storehouses, riding halls, stables, post exchange buildings, hotels, places of amusement, and railway and steamboat stations. In such places an unarmed soldier renders the right hand salute.)

1546. Officers approaching number of soldiers in open. When an officer approaches a number of enlisted men out of doors, the word "attention" should be given by someone who perceives him, when all stand at attention and all salute. It is customary for all to salute at or about the same instant, taking the time from the soldier nearest the officer, and who salutes when the officer is six paces from him.

1547. At work. Soldiers actually at work do not cease work to salute an officer unless addressed by him.

1548. Riding in wagon. A soldier riding in a wagon should salute officers that he passes. He would salute without rising. Likewise, a soldier driving a wagon should salute, unless both hands are occupied.

1549. Passing officer on staircase. It is customary for a soldier who is passed by an officer on a staircase to come to a halt and stand at attention.

1550. Addressing or being addressed by an officer. Before addressing an officer, or when addressed by an officer, an enlisted man makes the prescribed salute with the weapon with which he is armed; or, if unarmed, with the right hand. He also makes the same salute after receiving a reply.

1551. How salutes are rendered in uniform. In uniform, covered or uncovered, but not in formation, officers and enlisted men salute military persons as follows: With arms in hand, the salute prescribed for that arm (sentinels on interior guard duty excepted); without arms, the right-hand salute.

1552. Rifle salute. Enlisted men out of doors and armed with the rifle, salute with the piece at the right shoulder; if indoors, the rifle salute is rendered at the order or trail.

1553. Saber salute. An enlisted man armed with the saber renders the saber salute, if the saber is drawn; otherwise he salutes with the hand.

1554. Sentinels on post. A soldier salutes with the "present arms" only when actually on post as a sentinel doing interior guard duty. At all other times when armed with the rifle he salutes with the prescribed rifle salute.

The general rules