Question for Military Guys

[FL420]

Just a thought re: presidents saluting as it was never covered in any military etiquette course or manual I ever encountered. Perhaps presidents return salutes because it would be considered a snub not to acknowledge a salute in some manner.

Clinton never served in the military. Perhaps that is why he seldom, if ever, returned a salute. I would hope he at least looked the service member in the eye and nodded his head in acknowledgment. I believe most other recent presidents had prior military service and felt comfortable returning salutes while in office as civilians.

 

[skiddriver]

Wearing the appropriate headgear.

GV

Something that most folks forget is that it doesn't have to be military headgear. I know most people wouldn't do it, but if you are covered (wearing a hat, any hat) and it's time to salute, you should salute.

Look it up in your military etiquette book.

 

[smails]

does anyone know how/why the salute began?

 

[timeoff]

does anyone know how/why the salute began?

Here are a few theories:

"The exact origin of this salute has been lost in time. One theory is that it came from Roman soldiers' shading their eyes from the intense light that was supposed to shine from the eyes of their superiors (see emission theory (vision)). Another theory is that it came from when men-at-arms wore armor--a friendly approach would include holding the reins of the horse with the left hand while raising the visor of the helmet with the right, so that one could be recognised. A third theory is that the salute, and the handshake, came from a way of showing that the right hand (the fighting hand) was not concealing a weapon. One romantic legend has it that today’s military salute descended from the medieval knight's gesture of raising his visor to reveal his identity as a courtesy on the approach of a superior. Another even more fantastic version is that it symbolizes a knight's shielding his eyes from the dazzling beauty of some high-born lady sitting in the bleachers of the tournament.
The most widely accepted theory is that it evolved from the practice of men raising their hats in the presence of officers. Tipping one's hat on meeting a social superior was the normal civilian sign of respect at the time [1]. Repeated hat-raising was impractical if heavy helmets were worn, so the gesture was stylised to a mere hand movement.
The naval salute, with the palm downwards, is said to have originated because the palms of naval ratings, particularly deckhands, were often dirty through working with lines. Because it would be insulting to present a dirty palm to an officer, the palm was turned downwards."

 

[smails]

I had always heard the fighting hand story, but I knew that there were others. Thank you for the input.

 

[C-5 MEM]

Put a cover on that grape. Meaning wearing a hat.

 

[GVFlyer]

does anyone know how/why the salute began?

Here's a variation on the same theme.

Saluting is one of the most common and basic forms of military courtesy. It is basically an exchange of greetings between military and/or uniformed services personnel.

The History of saluting has many plausible origins. Some believe that during the "Age of Chivalry" when 2 knights met, they raised their visors to expose their faces. This allowed the Knights to recognize their allies vs. their enemies. The raising of the visor was always performed with the right hand. During the "Middle Ages", men wore heavy capes to conceal their swords. When 2 men would great each other they would raise their right arm to show that it was not on the sword hilt. Greeting someone without raising your right arm could potentially mean that you are about to attack. During the days of the "Borgias", assassination by using a knife or dagger was common. When greeting someone the right hand was raised to show that the person was not concealing a dagger.


The current salute used by naval personnel has its origins from the British Navy who in turn borrowed their hand salute from the British Army. British as well as French soldiers will salute with their right hand turned outward. Some believe that this custom allowed the person being greeted to see there was no weapon in the hand of the person.


Since the first days of military organizations, juniors have always uncovered when addressing seniors. This was done by touching the hat or cap with the right hand or taking it off. If the person was not wearing a hat or cover, they would grab a "lock of hair".


In the late 19th century, Queen Victoria decreed that the hand salute was to be used instead of taking your hat or cap off. This decree came about because military members would uncover in the presence of the queen during official ceremonies and this was considered unsatisfactory.


GV