[Jim Noble]

I deplore the practice, which began with Reagan, of civilian officials saluting. POTUS giving drill orders would be worse.

A good rule of thumb would be: if General of the Army (ret) Dwight David Eisenhower did not do something pertaining to military customs when he was POTUS, anyone else shouldn’t do it either.

[cynwoody]

I deplore the practice, which began with Reagan, of civilian officials saluting. POTUS giving drill orders would be worse.

RR addressed that issue during a speech to US personnel at Keflavik, Iceland, on 12 October 1986, as he was departing from a summit meeting with Gorbachev:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpy5R6W8dts&t=8m20s

A good rule of thumb would be: if General of the Army (ret) Dwight David Eisenhower did not do something pertaining to military customs when he was POTUS, anyone else shouldn’t do it either.

Absolutely. A good president should do as Ike did, on 27 October 1953, while awarding the Medals of Honor to Sgt. Hiroshi Miyamura and Lt. James L Stone:

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675020751_President-Dwight-D-Eisenhower_Medals-of-Honor_Hiroshi-Miyamura_James-L-Stone