What is your funniest salute story?

In 1943 I was stationed for a while on the USS Vulcan in the port of Oran, North Africa. The Vulcan was designated as battle ship repair. It had a large and busy crew with frequent departures from the ship and return to the ship from onshore. To do either you were required to salute the duty officer and request to go ashore or come aboard. A group of us decided that the officer really did not pay attention to what was being said. We decided to test this hypothesis by saying, not real clearly, how is you grandmother, sir? His response was permission granted. Frequent reputations got the same response. Then, on my last effort the officer showed a faint smile and said permission granted. I did not further press my luck.

Mine is as a victim of the first one on this list: the marathon salute. My first day at Amarillo AFB was preceded by an auto breakdown, a kid with an ear infection, and arriving at the base broke and without any help in sight. I got caught in one of those "here comes a lieutenant" maneuvers, and spent my first twenty minutes outside the VOQ with my right hand half-cocked returning new airmen's' salutes. Last one in the line was an E-5, whom I stopped. I told him my story and asked how to find the Personnel. Accounting & Finance building. The sergeant apologized for the lieutenant-vigilantes, then personally escorted me to the building, where one of his buddies ( a finance clerk) set me up with a $300 Uniform Allowance advance and some other fiscal help. When I got back to my room, my wife had tears of joy when she saw the money, and we took my son to the infirmary for some penicillin. Never got caught in the lieutenants' booby trap again, though.

I dont quite recall if this happened onboard USS Stennis or USS Reagan but we were on duty during our port call. There were 3 of us in our maintenance control a pilot Lt. , my chief and i a 3rd class at a time. We were having a conversation and all of sudden came in the room but and it was the capt of the carrier instead of yelling attention on deck i end up saying wassup cap. And my superior was like i know u did not just say whats up to the spread eagle O-6. Lol

In Basic Training I threw a sloppy salute to the Bn. Cdr. He drilled me in proper saluting for 15 minutes. 2 yeas later, while in the Command Color Guard at a multi-national military function, I had to stand and salute through 4 national anthems, while the Command Sgt. Major drilled me with a piercing gaze. After the ceremonies he approached and asked where I learned to salute so well. I told him and he said, "I thought so, Son. I trained that officer to salute."

I was a WOC, Warrant Officer Candidate, at Ft. Wolters, Texas in 1969. Having been eliminated from rotary wing flight school, like hundreds of other WOC's due to a lull in the war, I was feeling pretty low and I forgot my ball cap and while walking down a sidewalk I passed a Second Lieutenant and saluted him with my left hand. I made it five steps past him when he yelled 'WOC, did you just salute me with your left hand and where the hell is your cover'. I assured him I would NEVER salute an officer with my left hand and my ball cap was blown off by a Huey which just landed near the PX. He glared at me, shook his head, made me salute him and ordered me back to my barracks to get another baseball cap.

Our unit crest was a star at the bottom and silver. We were sitting outside a dental clinic waiting to be called in or come out. A LTC was coming out when one of our PFC's was walking in and received a salute from the LTC. I got my 1SG twice before he figured it out.

I was at AIT Ft Lee VA as an E-2, coming out of the snack bar holding a can of soda that I was really enjoying seeing as we weren't allowed to have them very often , I had the can in my right hand ( I am right handed) I look up and 20 yds in front of me headed my direction is a Capt. For some reason I panic and my left hand flies up to the brim of my cover and I salute him left handed with the snappiest salute I had ever done. The second I did it I knew I messed up and sure enough he stopped dead in his tracks and Quickly schooled me on how to properly salute an officer. I stood there for a very long time rendering salutes to that man.

Working the front gate at Camp Geiger IRT at approximately 0215
When I observed a Lt approach the gate and he appeared to be slightly intoxicated I would salute him with my left hand real sharp. They never noticed the difference.

Went Air Force Academy to teach class, cadet saluted me but he was out of my peripheral vision. He held salute and followed me all the way to class room until I saw him and returned his salute!

As a new Airman, I spotted a foreign service member walking toward me. I could not tell from the uniform if he was an officer or enlisted so at the last second I saluted to be safe. He quickly raised his hand for salute but had a cigarette in his hand. He jerked his hand away just as sparks from the cigarette barely missed his face. I kept my gaze straight ahead, picked up my step and didn't say a word!