Hi, Teribus:

Remember that line I wrote about not singing these songs in front of civilians because they don't understand? You have just proven my point.

The Patricias have always been a remarkably happy regiment, despite their many leaps from frying pan into fire over several wars and counting. This condition can be -- and generally is -- ascribed to the regiment's excellent leadership at every level. When they sing "Has anyone seen the colonel", they don't mean that they, personally, haven't seen their colonel lately; they mean that a soldier's life is often hard and they're very, very grateful to be alive and singing at this particular moment.

In other words, don't be so literal.