The captain called the sergeant in. “Sarge, I just got a telegram that Private Jones’s
mother died yesterday. Better go tell him and send him in to see me.” So the sergeant
calls for his morning formation and lines up all the troops. “Listen up, men,” says the
sergeant. “Johnson, report to the mess hall for KP. Smith, report to personnel to sign
some papers. The rest of you men, report to the motor pool for maintenance. Oh, by
the way, Jones, your mother died—report to the captain.”
Later that day, the captain called the sergeant into his office. “Hey, Sarge, that was a
pretty cold way to inform Jones his mother died. Couldn’t you be a bit more tactful
next time?” “Yes, sir,” answered Sarge. A few months later, the captain called the
sergeant in again. “Sarge, I just got a telegram that Private McGrath’s mother died.
You’d better go tell him and send him in to see me. This time, be more tactful.” So the
sergeant calls for his morning formation. “O.K., men, fall in and listen up. Everybody
with a mother, take two steps forward—not so fast, McGrath!”