this from Brian Davis:
During WW II, Phil was a Lt. Commander in the Navy in procurement. Part of that stint was in NYC, where the family had an apartment at the Gramercy Park Hotel, in Gramercy Park. (I stayed there for a few days, and to this day believe that I would want to live in Gramercy Park, were I sentenced to live in NYC.)
During WW II, cabs were few and far between in New York, with a shortage of drivers and cabs. One evening, Mig and Phil were attempting to get a cab, with the usual futility. Finally one stopped for a doorman, who opened the cab door, whereupon Mig and Phil hopped in. Mig had time to get a quarter tip, which she gave to the doorman.
As they drove off, Mig noted that the doorman was staring at the quarter in his hand and suggested to Phil that the tip might have been too little.
Phil countered, “That’s not the problem, Bevvy. You just managed to tip an Admiral.”
Fortunately, Phil was not in uniform.