Oh, c'mon you guys! He's a politician and a pretty good one as shown today. Unfortunately, he's also a socialist and that's not what America (or any other country) should be about. Anyway, It was a good idea as judged by your responses but let's keep things in perspective. Are we really that starved for a hero? You know deep down that it was just a very poignant gesture by a politician. Actions speak louder than words (or symbolic gestures).
Perhaps.
But here is a DIFFERENT opinion, from "Saluting Bush", by George Caylor, at www.ontheRIGHTside.com:
Personally, bellagio_jo, I prefer Mr. Caylor's analysis to YOURS."...Now to today's subject. Have you noticed a difference in the salute given by our military men and women as President Bush walks by? Most folks would not notice anything, but military people see it right away. Watch: when President Bush leaves his helicopter or Air Force One, the honor guards salute and face him as he disembarks, then turn their faces towards him as he passes by.
They continue to salute his back as he walks away. This kind of salute has not been seen in the previous eight years, though it is customary courtesy to the Commander-in- Chief.
You see, soldiers aren't required to turn and face the President as they salute. They are not required to salute his back. They are only required to salute. They can remain face-forward the entire time. And that is what they did during Bill Clinton's entire Presidency. Our soldiers were forced to obey Clinton's orders, but they were not forced to respect him. From their salutes, we can surmise that they did not.
Why is such respect afforded to President Bush?
He doesn't even know how to bite his lower lip and get teary-eyed whenever he speaks!The following incident from Major General Van Antwerp may give us an insight.
Gen. Antwerp is president of the Officers' Christian Fellowship. He lost nearly all his staff when the Pentagon was attacked Sept.11. His executive officer LTC Brian Birdwell was badly burned and in the hospital when President Bush visited him. Our President spent time and prayed with Brian. As he was getting ready to leave, he went to the foot of Brian's bed and saluted. He held his salute until Brian was able to raise his burned and bandaged arm, ever so slowly, in return.
The Commander-in-Chief never initiates a salute, except in the case of a Congressional Medal of Honor winner. The injured soldier did not have to return the salute.
But he did, out of respect to his President - a Soldiers' President.
Congressman JC Watts (R. Oklahoma) said, "character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking."
The nation and world learned some of what our last President did when nobody was looking. That President has been disbarred this week - the worst disgrace (other than imprisonment) to a lawyer. CNN will have a difficult time shining his or his wife's tarnished images.
In this time of war and danger, I am so grateful to have a President whom the soldiers salute - fully."
That long held tradition comes from shipboard Marines. Part of their job was (and still is on large vessels) to physically protect the captain of the ship. By turning to face him as the captain walked away he was gesturing his commitment to that duty. It is a Marine's way of saying "I've got your back, sir."
"...Now to today's subject. Have you noticed a difference in the salute given by our military men and women as President Bush walks by? Most folks would not notice anything, but military people see it right away. Watch: when President Bush leaves his helicopter or Air Force One, the honor guards salute and face him as he disembarks, then turn their faces towards him as he passes by.
This is just more slander against the Corps and the Air Force and it's an Urban Legend:
Urban Legend about the salutes
Please do not dishonor our people in uniform by suggesting they would be this dishonorable and unprofessional. This garbage burns me up.
In BKO's book, "THE FINAL DAYS", chapter three, "A vietman memorial", page 29, paragraph two and three...
" 'Clinton's military salute [was hard] to fix,' recalled George Stephanopolous. 'Sheepish at first, he seemed to be working out his internal conflicts every time he tentantively raised his hand. The tops of his finger would furtively touch his slightly bowed head, as if he were being caught at something he wasn't supposed to do.' (bibliographical note; Stephanopolous, All Too Human)
Some even noticed that when Clinton was president, marine guards failed to execute a right face to stand facing his back as he walked away. The marines somehow relearned this maneuver on January 20, 2001, when the new commander-in-chief, President George W. Bush, took office."
This President has class and respect from our soldiers and it's great to see!
baa