Heres something that Ive just learned about the salute. About the tradition, Ronald Reagan said, I never ceased to enjoy reviewing our men and women in uniform and hope I started a new tradition for presidents. As Commander In Chief, I discovered it was customary for our uniformed men and women to salute whenever they saw me. When Id walk down the steps of a helicopter, for example, there was always a Marine waiting there to salute me. I was told presidents werent supposed to return salutes, so I didnt, but this made me feel a little uncomfortable. Normally, a person offering a salute waits until it is returned, then brings down his hand. Sometimes, I realized, the soldier, sailor, Marine, or airman giving me a salute wasnt sure when he was supposed to lower his hand. Initially, I nodded and smiled and said hello and thought maybe that would bring down the hand, but usually it didnt. Finally, one night when Nancy and I were attending a concert at the Marine Corps Headquarters, I told the Commandant of Marines, I know its customary for the President to receive these salutes, but I was once an officer and realize that youre not supposed to salute when youre in civilian clothes. I think there ought to be a regulation that the president could return a salute inasmuch as he is commander in chief and civilian clothes are his uniform. Well, if you did return a salute, the general said, I dont think anyone would say anything to you about it. The next time I got a salute, I saluted back. A big grin came over the Marines face and down came his hand. From then on, I always returned salutes. When George Bush followed me into the White House, I encouraged him to keep up the tradition. Since that time, we have begun seeing presidents becoming more paramilitary by donning pieces of the military uniform such as a military flight jacket while on board Air Force One. President George W. Bush took this a step further donning an entire Navy Flightsuit Uniform complete with insignia and a decorated aircraft for his now infamous Mission Accomplished speech. Is the newly founded tradition a harmless gesture of support to members of the military? Or, is it rather, a slow errosion of the principle of civilian rule over the military? While, as an Air Force Staff Sergeant, I enjoyed watching President Reagan show his respect for the military openly by returning the salutes to us. However, I actually resented President Bushs wearing of a military uniform while serving as President. Some presidents, like both Bushes, Carter, Kennedy and Reagan have earned the right to salute as veterans of our miltiary forces. Others like Clinton and Obama did not.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 01:33:42 +0000
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