May as well put this here too

A Sergeant major Major during National Service, reputed for his tactlessness was sent to inform one of his men that his mother had died
He assembled the men on the parade ground, lined them up and roarded - "Jenkins - your mother's dead"
The recruit collapsed with the shock
His superiors got to hear of it, called him in and reprimanded him severely
Not long afterwards he was given the task of informing one of the men that both of his parents had died in a car crash
He assembled the men on the parade ground, lined them up and roared:
"Every man with two parents still living take one step NOW - not so fast Harris"
Jim Carroll