Now that brings back fond memories!

I got into the third-person habit while an E5, and the only Navy assistant
to a Marine Captain O-in-C. When I went back to squid duty, Navy officers
looked at me like I had two heads when I did it.

I also kept a "high and tight" haircut until the fabled J. R. (Jumping Jim)
Foster chewed me out for looking like a Prussian or something. Since I had
a sincere desire to make PO1 at the time, I humored him and let it grow out.
It worked.

A later foulup (as a W1), was addressing a message to a Commander who was
O-in-C of a beachdet. That's when I learned the difference between SNA and
SENAV.

Rick

'57-'85, E1 to O4

"vincent p. norris" wrote in message
...
The fastest way for a sailor to ruin his day was to address a Marine,
Army
or Air Force officer as "Mister", though.

When I was in the marines, late 40s to mid-50s, lieutenants were
commonly addressed as "Mister." But only with the surname added,
never just plain "Mister."

IIRC, Midshipmen and perhaps Navcads in flight training were sometimes
addressed as "Mister" without a surname added.

However, it would have been a mistake to address a marine captain or
major as "Mister," even though the naval equivalents, lieutenant and
lieutenant commander, are (or were) Misters.

It was also a custom, at that time, to address officers in the third
person. The first time an enlisted man said to me, "Would the
lieutenant like a cup of coffee?" it took me a few seconds to realize
he meant ME!

vince norris