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| "SORRY SIR, BUT I MUST SEE YOUR ID"
By Leatherneck I was transferred to the Boston Navy Yard to finish my hitch in the Marine Corps, and was assigned to guard duty at the main gate. On the wall of the guard shack were photos of Flag Officers, which we were to memorize so that we could just wave them through the gate. On my second or third day on duty, an old Model A Ford pickup truck pulled up to the gate, driven by a man wearing bib overalls. Naturally, I asked him for his ID. You know what happened then. "Son, do you know who I am?" I insisted on seeing his ID. He produced it, then he received the snappiest salute any Marine could give. He was the Admiral in charge of the whole Naval District. The next day, I was told to report to the CO. Of course, I expected to have a certain part of my anatomy reamed out. Instead, the Colonel told me he had been complimented by the Admiral for the excellent security provided to the Navy Yard by his Marines, and just wanted to pass the compliment on to me. He also suggested I memorize the photos of the Flag Officers ASAP.
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