You know, nothing ever made me smile more than when my five year old son's teacher called me "Mister..." and my son very matter-of-factly corrected her saying "He's not Mister, he's Chief..."
I know where your father's coming from!!!
Poppa was at the Florida National Guard HQ, from about 1948 to 1970 as Asst USP&FO Every day at 5PM they touched off an old French 75mm field piece, and I'd tell My little Brother and Sister, "Poppa will be here in a few minutes". Turned out later, they thought Poppa was being launched across the river out of that gun. Later, someone complained about the noise, and they reduced the charge.
I remember one time when there was some special ceremony at retreat. I was under orders that if I was anywhere nearby, retreat was where I belonged. The cannon was loaded, the detail was going off like clockwork, and then they yanked the lanyard, and at least a bushel basket of old lingerie went sailing out in a cloud of black powder smoke. Someone's head must of rolled over that, they check the bore carefully these days.
Much to My credit as an Army brat I did not give in to My first instinct, to roll on the ground and LMAO. BTW, the ballistics of a bushel of lingerie ain't nothing to brag about, You need a really tight choke!