Salutes and the Peace

On why military salutes are something like exchanging the Peace -- two stories involving John Wayne and President Bush.

This morning I happened to catch a fragment of the John Wayne movie Rio Grande. Wayne plays Lt. Col. Kirby York, a cavalry officer commanding a lonely desert outpost.

In an early scene, Col. York is doing paperwork at a field desk, under a large, open canvas tent. A young soldier enters the tent, reporting for duty. It's the Duke's long-estranged son, whom he has not seen in many years.

Father and son, trooper and colonel, talk briefly. Apparently it is not a happy reunion.

The Duke dismisses his son and turns back to his paperwork. The son salutes, but doesn't march off -- instead, he continues to stand there, holding his salute.

The Duke looks up and growls, "Well, what are you waiting for?" The son replies, "Trooper York is entitled to have his salute returned. Military regulations, sir."

Impressed, the Duke stands, puts on his cap, comes to attention, and returns the salute.

This fictional scene nicely illustrates an egalitarian aspect of military tradition. While salutes are initiated by the junior -- and are supposed to be accompanied by a greeting such as "good morning, sir" -- the senior must return the salute, and preferably the greeting as well. Each acknowledges that the other is not an organic-based machine, but a colleague, a fellow member of the profession of arms. (At least that's approximately how it was explained to me when I was on active duty.)

I imagine this is something like exchanging the Peace at church: No matter who you're sitting near, no matter what your social or economic rank differences, you're expected to wish them the peace of the Lord, acknowledging them as brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. (See this true story about President Bush exchanging the Peace with a very surprised parishioner at St. John's Episcopal Church across the street from the White House.)