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Dateline: 03/19/01
By David Emery
The U.S. Marine Corps says a widely forwarded email claiming that military personnel intentionally disrespected President Bill Clinton by refusing to face his back when he walked away is "absolutely false." The response from a Marines public affairs officer was published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on March 10, 2001.
Here are a few of the many variants of the message in question:
Collected Feb. 16, 2001:
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Military Courtesy Change
CNN showed George W. leaving HM-1. The marine at the front step
saluted,
GW returned it, and as he walked away, the marine executed a right
face
to stand facing GW's back...something that was missing in eight years
of
the Clinton presidency.
The traditional Marine Corps mark of respect was rendered to the new
president. That one goes back to the days in the rigging, when the
marine orderly to the ship's captain always faced him, no matter his
direction of movement, to be ready to receive an order.
Who says that enlisted men can't hold back when they don't respect
someone? ...And for eight years, they did.
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Collected February 23, 2001:
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Subject: RESPECT
CNN this morning showed George W. leaving HM-1. The marine at the front
step
saluted, GW returned it, and as he walked away, the marine executed a
right
face to stand facing GW's back...something that was missing in eight
years
of the Clinton presidency.
The traditional Marine Corps mark of respect was rendered to the new
president. That one goes back to the days in the rigging, when the
marine
orderly to the ship's captain always faced him, no matter his direction
of
movement, to be ready to receive an order.
Leave it to the Marines to speak so loudly without ever uttering a word.
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Collected Feb. 28, 2001:
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Military Courtesy Change
This morning on CNN George W. was shown leaving 'Marine One' Helicopter
(HM-1). The Marine enlisted man at the front step saluted, GW returned it,
and as GW walked away, the Marine executed a right face to stand facing GW's
back...something that was not done in eight years of the Clinton presidency.
This traditional Marine Corps mark of respect was rendered to the new
president. The Marine's respectful facing maneuver goes back to the days of
sailing ships with rigging, when the Marine orderly to the ship's Captain
always faced him, no matter the direction of the Captain's movement, so to
be ready to receive an order from the Captain. Who says that the enlisted
force could not withhold respect from a individual who didn't deserve their
respect as a person?
For eight years, they did. And for eight years Clinton and his civilian
advisors didn't know enough about the military they were "commanding" to
realize what enlisted the Marines were actually doing (or rather not doing).
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The obvious motivation behind this story is to disparage the ex-president, but what many of its eager forwarders fail to realize is that it disparages the Marines even more.
The crew of HM-1 (the "Marine One" helicopter) is an elite group selected for their professionalism as well as their expertise. The implication that they intentionally and publicly violated protocol due to personal feelings against the Chief Executive is an insult to their honor. Staff Sgt. Keith Milks of the Marine Corps public affairs office told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the crew dutifully followed the same protocol with Bill Clinton that they follow with all presidents.
According to Milks, that protocol is as follows: The Marine at the bottom of the steps salutes the debarking president and, as soon as the salute is returned, turns to face the president's back until he is "a comfortable distance" away.
Military personnel aren't required to like their Commander in Chief, or even respect him in the privacy of their own hearts. But they are required, in accordance with military law and tradition, to show respect for the office, regardless of how they may feel about the office holder. 
Source:
- "Don't Believe Your Email: Marines didn't show more respect to Bush than Clinton." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 10, 2001
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