Salute the Salute One of the nicest things about the Navy is the ‘Salute’. When S/Lt Kamath and I joined INS Venduruthy in August 1959, we had time only for an abbreviated B & D course. We had no time to absorb the basics of naval etiquette. In particular, we did not know when to salute, whom to salute and how to salute! The only thing we knew that naval officers did not salute indoors. We also realized that being the junior most creatures around, anything which moved would in all likelihood be senior and it was safer to salute! After three weeks in Cochin, we were attached to INS Angre for two weeks for kitting up and briefing for the UK course. We were running in to too many officers on the roads and had a difficult time saluting them properly. We resorted to an ingenious scheme by which we darted indoors to avoid saluting! It required adroit footwork but we managed for some time, until a senior Lieutenant saw our antics. The kindly soul asked us what our problem was. He taught us the rudiments of the naval salute. After that life became easier. When I retired, I missed the salute most! Later, when I used to drive past the mirror behind South Block, I was expecting the sentry to salute me and was disappointed when it did not happen! I acknowledge the open arm army style salutes of the security staff in my company with the closed palm naval salutes. Thank God, the salute still remains a part of my life.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 02:57:24 +0000
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