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Bart Senior
 
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Default OT The Military Salute

Here is part of the reason why the US Military is
strongly behind President Bush.

http://www.strangecosmos.com/content/item/24208.html

Why The Military Salutes Bush - Not Clinton
****************************************
Whether you actually like George W. or not.... This is
worth reading...

First, an observation. 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 those of us who have served in the military
see it right away.

Next time, watch: When President Bush leaves his
helicopter or Air Force One, the honor guards salute
and face him as he disembarks, and 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 the
previous administration. Our soldiers were forced to
obey his 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 not
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 almost 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," (My
favorite quote of all time.) The nation and world learned
some of what our last President did when nobody was
looking. That President has been disbarred. 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.

On Special Report with Brit Hume, at the close of the
show when they normally have some funny video clip,
they showed President Bush and the First Lady on their
way to Maine to leave for Camp David for the weekend.
As the video starts, the First Lady is leading the way into
the helicopter with the spaniel dog on the leash, and the
president is right behind her with the Scotty on the leash.
As the First Lady entered the chopper, the Marine at the
gangway saluted and held his salute. The Scottie the
president was walking decided it wanted to sit right when
he got to the steps. The president pulled on its leash, but
the stubborn Scottie persisted in sitting. The president
bent down and scooped up the pooch and entered Marine
One. After he entered, the Marine cut his salute and
returned to the position of attention. Moments later the
President reemerged from the helicopter and out onto the
steps. The Marine was standing at attention, head and
eyes straight ahead. The President leaned over and tapped
him on the left arm. The startled Marine turned his body
toward the President and received his returned salute!

I was so impressed by this true act of respect for our
military people by our President! He really does get it.
Most any other person of his stature would have just
continued his journey, disregarding the neglected Return
salute. Not George W. Bush. He is earning the respect of
the military community, not expecting it -- as most have
and would.