Friday, August 22, 2025

Of officers and drunkenness

 

Over on MeWe, Mike Williamson posted this image:



It's a quote from the character Billy Sunday, played by Robert de Niro in the 2000 movie "Men of Honor".

It made me laugh, because when I did a South African officer's course in the mid-1970's, there was a textbook titled "An Officer And A Gentleman".  It was heavily influenced by British colonial military customs, such as which knife and fork to use for what course in a meal, etiquette in the officers mess, and so on.

I never forgot the bit dealing with over-indulgence in alcohol.  It said, very simply, in exactly these words:


An officer is never drunk.  He is only pleasantly tired.


Yeah, riiiiiiight!!!  I seem to recall an awful lot of "pleasantly tired" officers from time to time . . .




Peter


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