For readers who found this thread in search, I summarize callings to Japanese militaryman here.
The idea that holy name is 'too sacred to be uttered' existed in Judaism. Also, Chineses once had a courtesy name (zi) and avoided adult's given name in daily life.
Names of God in Judaism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God_in_Judaism
Chinese style name
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_style_name
Japaneses had a sense that we should avoid calling respectable persons by their real name, though this sense have rapidly disappeared in postwar Japan. Ancient Japaneses invented several ways to deal with this problem. The simplest way is to set a courtesy name as Chineses did, but it mostly disappeared after Meiji Restoration.
'san' came from 'sama'. 'sama' had several meanings and one of them was 'ward/direction'. 'donp' meant 'building/residence'. Japaneses used these two suffixes in honorific. 'dono' was mainly used in official context and in conversation used exclusively in military after Meiji Restoration.
Calling one's direct superior, usually the position name was prefered to class and family name.
'Chutaicho-dono' company leader sir!
'Butaicho-dono' troop leader sir!
In IJA butai referred to battalion-regiment sized unit. For example one's platoon was temporally at the disposal of a battalion, he called the battalion leader as 'Butaicho-dono'.
Calling one's superior, family name seened avoided.
'Tai-i-dono' (army) captain sir!
'Hancho-dono' (peacetime) naimuhan leader sir!
'Hancho-dono' was a common calling for NCO. Naimuhan is a unit of 20 men or so, led by NCO. In peacetime a squad and platoon was an ad-hoc formation for exercises and soldiers lived on company-naimuhan society. This calling had an advantage not to discriminate corporals and seageants. Poor-performance NCO staying in lower class for long was the most nervous, living explosives in soldier society.
'Kohei-dono' senior private sir!
'Ninen-hei-dono' private in the second year sir!
Kohei-dono was the most generic calling to senior soldiers. Ninen-hei-dono was from fresh draftees to seniors drafted in the previous year.
In general some overshoot was allowed. Say 'Socho-dono' (master seageant sir!) to a seageant.
In the contrary, an inferior was called by family name and class, or simply by family name. 'Yamada (nito-hei)' to Private Yamada etc.
'kakka' (his excellency) was a suffix for a rear-admiral, major general or higher class.
'Kakka' Your excellency sir!
'Shidancho Kakka' Your excellency the division leader sir!