Secrets of the Presidents Club: How Bill Clinton Learned to Salute

Time ^ | Tuesday, Apr. 17, 2012 | Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy

[presidio9]

-SNIP-

But Clinton was not expecting a lesson in precision saluting when his motorcade pulled up to Reagan's post-presidential office in Los Angeles in late November 1992, a few weeks after he had defeated Bush. Clinton was mostly paying a courtesy call on the Great Communicator, who by now was 81 years old to Clinton's 46. The two men had met before, in the early 1980s, when Clinton attended a White House dinner that Reagan hosted for all the governors.

This time, they sat in Reagan's office mostly talking about safe subjects: the economy, the need to limit spending, the advantages of a line-item veto. When Clinton asked for advice in general, Reagan recommended the curative powers of Camp David.

But then Reagan noted that he had seen Clinton salute during the campaign and found his military method well, a little wanting. If Clinton was going to employ the gestures used by the military, Reagan urged, Clinton needed to be firmer, stronger, more commanding. How much clout you conveyed in office, Reagan understood better than anyone, owed a good deal to how you were perceived.

But how to do it, exactly? The old Army cavalry officer explained the hand had to come up slowly, like it was covered with honey, and then brought down sharply, definitively, as if it was covered with something far less pleasant. Clinton listened and soon the two men were standing in Reagan's office, practicing their salutes

The entire session lasted 70 minutes; Reagan awarded Clinton with a jar of jelly beans when it was over.

[xkaydet65]

Reread my post. My issue is not saluting POTUS, but the Pres. returning a military salute. POTUS is C in C but he is a civilian. I do not feel that is appropriate. My reference to FM 22-5 was in regard to how long a salute given to a civilian should be held and what response the saluting soldier should look for. I went to a Jesuit military HS and we saluted the Army cadre and they returned salutes, but we also saluted the Headmaster and Dean on enterng their offices. They responded with a nod of the head as signal that our salute had been recognized.

[surrey]

Jelly Belly is one of the big patrons of the Library as is Jeffrey Immelt. A big surprise to me.

[Theoria]

Agreed. This is one of the cultural changes of the POTUS.

Pres. Eisenhower and other from the past didn't salute. This is a recent phenomenon. And, as for the military, the POTUS is only CIC when called into service, and doesn't have have sway of large amounts of our forces like our National Guard, unless they are mobilized by Congress.

Congress has more power and authority than the POTUS.

Saluting became a image concept to grant more a 'authority' like presence to someone, and is great for the sheep who prefer image over substance.

[traderrob6]

GW was a good “saluter”.

[Sacajaweau]

Sorry, he’s commander in chief. His salute should be a return though.

[jagusafr]

It is always appropriate for the Commander in Chief to return the salute of a military member under his authority.

Colonel, USAFR

[Maceman]

I think Clinton's salute was probably somewhat more correct than Obama's:

[Maceman]

I think Clinton's salute was probably somewhat more correct than Obama's:

[Mr. Lucky]

...tht POTUS is only CIC when called into service...

Who is CIC the rest of the time?

[dljordan]

“If it were me, I would have held my advice and instead watched Clinton make an ass of himself.”

Exactly what I was thinking.

[Theoria]

I would suspect that the Sec. of DoD, having been delegated that authority to by Congress, is the day to day operator, or in this form.

But, that is also how you view the President. Either subjected to Congress or the Unitarian executive.

Also, the reference to called into service is either the Armies of the US or the actual President, in CIC form. Neither has been specified.

[Pfesser]

Or last good Commander, President Reagan, respected the troops. And wanted Clinton do do the same. I think it was a noble act on President Reagan’s part.

[CarolinaPeach]

My husband and I visited the Reagan Library in March and found it very moving. When we read the words that Margaret Thatcher wrote in the condolence book, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” we both teared up.

[kalee]

I agree. President Reagan was a gentleman.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

IMHO POTUS should not salute. They are civilians. This is one protocol that President Reagan should not have initiated.I think if one looks in the FM 22-5 instructions will be found for how long a saluting soldier will hold his salute and what cues he will use when saluting a civilian.

Fully understood. But Reagan was a special case. Colin Powell wrote (I drew a blank trying to do a search, but I know it was online) in which he said that he met with Reagan once in California (pretty sure it was after Reagan left office), and Reagan indicated that he had heard that there was some objection to his saluting soldiers, and asked General Powell his opinion. Powell wrote that if he had told Reagan to discontinue it, and his comrades-in-arms had ever gotten wind of it, that his name would have been Mudd in the military forever after.

I think it is a Catch-22 situation - a Reagan sets the precedent, and a Clinton picks up on it and turns it into something you wish never got started. At this point it would take an act of Congress to terminate the precedent.