What is your funniest salute story?

In 1966, I was in a small village about 20 miles from Saigon. There was a festival about to start. I was stringing wire for lighting. I felt a tap on my shoulder . I turned around and saw a general who asked me how the preparations are going. My initial reaction was to salute. I forgot that I had a lightbulb in my hand. I saluted with and broke the lightbulb on my head. The general laughed.
Paul Cantor

I was a very squared away PFC working in Gaven Hall at Ft.Bragg. it was a common accurance that I would get saluted. I always tried to avoid people in the parking lot or act like I did not notice they saluted me. It was almost painful

First day PCS'd to pentagon as a capt: timed my arrival very poorly, (just) as most were exiting the building in the afternoon... got to salute at least a hundred higher ranking officers as I walked up the building and returned salutes from each and every enlisted member coming down the stairs. Never made that mistake again...

While in Basic Training at Lackland AFB, a fellow AB was called into see the Squadron Commander. When he returned to the Flight formation, he marched in between two officers and saluted both of them simultaneously by using both his right AND left hands. The two officers were so shocked that they did not initially say anything but did return his salutes. After a few moments they called him to report to them and our Chief Drill Instructor. They proceeded to dress down both the Airman and our TI in front of our flight. We could not respond to this hilarious situation as we were at attention. But afterwards, we laughed our buttocks off.

I was the MP Duty Officer and stopped by the main gate of the Post. At 0200 very few cars would come through, so I decided to give the MP a break, and take the next car that came by. As it turned out, the car did not have a Post sticker, so as I approached I asked for the driver's ID. He refused. All the windows were rolled up and the interior was quite smokey. The MP was now on the other side of the car as I tapped on the window and asked for ID again. The driver produced a State ID, licked it and stuck it to the window. That's when a passenger opened his window and the MP & I realized everyone onside had been smoking marijuana. Needless to say, entry was denied, but they were accepted into the county jail.

At Fort Hood after returning from Vietnam and was picking up new uniforms. Walked out of supply area with two big bags of uniforms and walked by a new 2nd Lt. I said good afternoon sir as we past and he said, "SOLDIER YOU DON'T SALUTE AN OFFICER?" I turned around set the two bags on the ground and saluted him. Then I said to him, "you haven't been to Vietnam have you sir?" he said not yet. Well good luck but you probably should not make anyone salute you because the enemy knows that the guy who returns a salute is higher rank and the bounty pay is much higher on the higher rank. He said what do you mean. I had to explain it to him and told him we did not salute officers where I was because we had lots of Vietnam civilians working for us. We just verbally greeted officers.

As I walked out of my barracks going to our dining facility, I proceeded to walk down the driveway between the barracks. As usual I passed another soldier not paying attention to his rank, I walk right passed him. It happened to be a Second LT. After I passed him I began to run to the dining hall. After getting to my destination and I turned around the 2LT had been chasing me. He was out of breath as he reprimanded me. I then properly rendered my salute with our salutation. He then returned the salute and went on his way.

I was at a staging area North of Saigon with four other guys changing an engine in an APC. We had the old engine out and was removing accessories to transfer to the new engine. I was trying to get the temperature sending unit out, but it was not cooperating. Someone that I supposed was one of the other guys came up behind me and said how's it going. I said I can't get the S___ of a B_____ out, looked over my shoulder and was face to face with General William Westmoreland. I jumped up, wheeled around saluted him and said can't get it out Sir. He laughed, saluted back and said carry on.

While on deployment to Bosnia during SFOR 7 on Eagle Base, Tusla Main. All the NCOs from our unit got together to welcome a new Butter Bar to officers rank. There was this one road between our living area to HQ and the main chow hall called "Salute Ally" (where most of the officers walked from main chow hall mainly). We knew this Lieutenant Butter Bar was leaving the HQ area and he was traveling down Salute Ally so all of us walked slowly the opposite direction in groups of two separated by 20 paces. The funniest part was that this road went on for a little over a quarter mile. By the time we all saw him later he told us it was hard to move his right arm. He turned out to be a greater average LT.

While in basic training at fort Jackson, South Carolina, I had a weekend pass that I used to go to Orlando, Florida, where I was planning to pick up my car and drive back to the base. Problems developed and I was unable to get my car and not having enough money to fly back to base I called the naval base in Orlando so I would not end up AWOL. While there, wearing my dress uniform I was repeatedly saluted by trainees who mistook me for an officer. I just returned their salutes and went on as I had been directed to do should my dress uniform be mistaken by the trainees as my being a Navy Officer.