Does rank play a part in how you view individuals after you have left the service?

I feel the same, although I feel very uncomfortable calling them by their first name. I recently learned that a fellow employee is a retired Marine Corps master sergeant. When he found out I was a corpsman we really hit it off. However, I cannot bring myself to call him by his first name, John… I call him Top out of respect. .

I treat my elders and former superior officers with "sir" or "ma'am" as well, unless and until they ask me to call them by their first names. I, however, do not stand rank or ceremony, and usually also request everyone to call me by my nickname.

I'm a recently retired SGM. I live in a community heavily populated with both active duty, vets and retirees; I used to work at a church as a choir director, and a third of the men in my choir were all retired officers. They were always so gracious and gentlemanly, and always insisted on first names. I see officers that I used to work for occasionally, and I still address them as "sir," usually in the typical "sandwich" fashion ("Sir" at the beginning of a conversation, "Sir" at the end). Officers that I particularly enjoyed working for get a few more "Sirs" than those that I didn't ;)

The two officers closest to me, my sons, call me "Dad," and at home, I call them by their names :)

In my view, I respect anyone who has earned a rank or position above the normal rate of such efforts. It really does not matter to me whether the gain was in the military or civilian life. In my world, a successful businessman, a learned scholar, or an Admiral deserves the same respect initially. Now, how, I treat the individual when I get to know him or her depends upon their value to others, attitude, and logic, the same values I look for in any person that I intend to spend any time with!

Everyone should be treated with respect regardless of their rank. I have my MBA. That does not mean that I am better than everyone else. When people joined the military, they did so to serve the USA.

I always address everyone as Madam or Sir if I don't know them already by another name. Their former position doesn't dictate how I address individuals. How they present themselves will dictate that.

I never ask, but if they volunteer the information it's possible it subconsciously affects the way I treat them. But I like to live in the here and now, and I don't wish to be treated like I was by commissioned officers when I was in now, so I dont.

A lack of rank does.

We all have indelible marks left on each of us by our service and it establishes who we were and a lot of times explains to those we have served with why we are as we are. Rank is only a part of that and is usually higher the longer one served. As a former S/sgt. and Marine by saying that tells people who I was. I have worked for and with some excellent officers with a lot of mutual respect. I don't think that I am that different from others in that Rank is some thing you should live up to and I hold my superior officers to a higher standard, that includes senior staff NCO's and Warrant Officers. Like many of my generation I have good friends who are senior to me and in an unknown environment my default will be to call a Sgt Major or a Col. respectfully by their rank. I would never ever be disrespectful to an active duty friend in the presence of their superiors or subordinates. That being said courtesy is a two way street and is expected, some of us honor the legacy we carry no matter how long ago was our service. If your pride doesn't show we probably won't be friends.

I always refer to fellow veterans by their rank until told otherwise...
HOWEVER, I preface it with:
'Unless you like calling me Sergeant, just say Louise. I left the grid long ago.'
If the individual doesn't prefer the informal, they will say so. I then follow suit accordingly.