can anyone help

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Permalink Reply by Michael Rocke on November 7, 2009 at 5:44pm

I wouldn't salute unless I was in uniform.

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Permalink Reply by Bob on November 7, 2009 at 6:07pm

Of course you can salute, you are there for respect and saluting is a way to pay your respect.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on November 7, 2009 at 6:07pm

A salute is a courtesy to the person of honor...Many military functions people still render a hand salute even though not in uniform....For Fire related I don't see where the problem would be but personnally I wouldn't unless in uniform...I am sort of a pain in the ass when it comes to military related things...(served in the 70's for 12 years)...Paul

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Permalink Reply by Michael Rocke on November 7, 2009 at 6:18pm

Thats my opinion Paul. I feel that I don't represent unless I am in uniform.

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Permalink Reply by THE!..Txfiredoll on November 7, 2009 at 6:28pm

agreed.. if your in uniform, saluting is away to pay respect. but, if wearing street clothes, I think standing at attention would be another way. The worse thing Ive seen is someone standing a line up during a ceramony. looking around while others beside them are saluting.

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Permalink Reply by Captain703 on November 7, 2009 at 6:32pm

Salute, uniform or not you are there to pay your respects.

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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on November 7, 2009 at 7:06pm

Chances are that you would not be the only other outside FF attending, if you were I would think it was a smaller funeral and I don't know of a FD that wouldn't let you be with them to render a salute. However, I do agree with being in uniform to render a salute. If you are not, placing your hand over your heart works too.

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Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on November 7, 2009 at 7:19pm

I would think that it is improper for you to render a salute if not in uniform/not a member in good standing of a FD.

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Permalink Reply by Ralph L. Carr IV on November 7, 2009 at 7:52pm

In uniform, salute. In opproriate street clothes for a funeral, bow head.

My 2 cents.

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Permalink Reply by Ralph L. Carr IV on November 8, 2009 at 4:45pm

I should have said thats how I do things. It may be different from another person`s view.

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Permalink Reply by blair4630 on November 8, 2009 at 2:47am

I will tell you I was in a similar situation a few weeks back. We lost one of our guys to cancer, and I did not have a uniform at the time. I went to the funeral in a two piece suit. We did a line-up on both sides of the truck from the funeral home to the truck, while the paul bearers carried him. I talked to the officer leading the paul bearers about it before hand, and he was OK with me saluting.

I'll be honest, it's the only time I've ever saluted while not wearing a uniform, and, being former military, I can tell you it felt WEIRD, but it didn't feel WRONG, and that's a big difference to me. Here's the thing, if you're going to do it, do it right. I can tell you I may have looked a little off standing at attention and saluting in a suit, but both of those positions I did correctly and by the book, while there were a few, in uniform, who rendered incorrect hand salutes, scratching with the other hand, looking around while saluting, etc. etc., so to me I wasn't really sub-par in any way by doing it (saluting in uniform). It was one of our guys and I felt the need and the right to pay my respects as everyone else.

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Permalink Reply by Ralph L. Carr IV on November 8, 2009 at 4:41pm

Blair, it was done with honor TO HONOR. I don`t really see a problem in that.

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