[Bruce Campbells Chin]

I’m a little taken aback by the disrespect shown on this thread for a British officer and Britain in general.

I'm a former captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, combat vet, and there is no universe in which I'm entitled to a salute from active duty U.S. troops. Unless it's my own funeral.

So why would a former officer in the British military be entitled to one??

[firebrand]

The salute may be unnecessary. He may not be entitled to it. I believe what probably happened was that he saluted the troops at Pearl Harbor and they saluted back out of courtesy to avoid making him feel that he made a mistake.

People do "salute" others casually as an acknowledgment of something that they did or said, and it has nothing to do with military protocol.

Thank you for serving. I get your point. He wasn't US military and maybe didn't know the rules or conventions.