from someone who agrees with John Lukacs (the majority of emails are very anti):

John Lukacs is right. Presidents should not return salutes from uniformed
military personnel by saluting. It does look silly, no matter who does it.
Presidents once had a dignified way of returning salutes, which was to tip their
hat and, when reviewing large formations on parade, placing their hat over their
hearts (for example, there’s a famous picture of FDR doing just that while
sitting in a jeep and reviewing American troops at Casablanca). George W.
Bush, having restored proper dress to the Presidency, should now go to the next
step and start wearing hats and tipping his hat to men and women in uniform.