I'm retired Army, so don't have a dog in this golf match:
A marine drill sergeant fancied a round of golf one day and headed out to his favorite links. Waiting on the first tee, he noticed an air force commander, also waiting on the first tee and also alone. Both being in the armed forces, they decided to play together.
It wasn’t long before they were talking about work. They shared boot camp stories, war memories, and jokes about new recruits. It went this way until about the third hole, when the marine sergeant was finishing a story about a runaway tank and said, “And you know that the marines are the bravest men in the armed forces.”
The air force commander dropped his putter, “Just what do you mean by that?” he challenged.
“Well,” the sergeant went on, “who do you send to take new territory? Who do you send in when you’re out numbered? Who gets the call for the most covert operations?”
The air force commander putted out, and angrily he said, “Well, while you are hiding in the bushes, who is a clear target in the sky? Who do you call for support when you’re losing? And who is always sent in during a losing battle? Sir, the men of the air force are the bravest men.”
This argument lasted for the rest of the round. Both men swearing their men were the bravest, and each had stories to tell to back up their claims.
After finishing, they headed to the club house for a beer, still debating the matter. Finally, the marine sergeant stood and said, “I’ve got to head back to camp. Play again next week?”
To this, the air force commander said, “Well, I must apologize, it seems I was mistaken. Anyone who played like you did today, and is willing to come back to the same golf course is a much braver man than myself!”
