Military Honors

I had military honors on the brain. Watching soldiers honor their fallen comrades can bring a tear to the eye of any onlooker. I wondered about the origin of this ceremony and some of the logistics. It is a very formal ceremony used by all branches of the United States armed forces. What I didn’t realize until I did more research is that the Three Volley Rifle Fire used at military funerals, often accompanied by Taps, is different than the 21-Gun Salute. My father served in the Navy, and when he died, a Navy chaplain and others came to perform Standard Funeral Honors. It is always mesmerizing to watch them fold the American Flag with such honor, pride, and precision.

There are very few events which include a 21-gun salute. A 21-gun salute is fired at an event including a national flag and a visit from the sovereign or chief of state of a foreign nation, a member of a reigning royal family, and a President, ex-President, or President-elect of the United States. It is also fired at noon of the day of the funeral of a President, ex-President, or President-elect. ¹

There are other types of gun salutes for different military and civilian leaders. These are based on their protocol rank and are always done in odd numbers. A 50-gun salute is also used at the close of the day of the funeral of a President, ex-President, or President-elect. The gun salute has taken different forms over the years and is used by more countries from just the United States. It is actually a signal of the intention of peace and not war.

The three volley rifle fire and Taps, on the other hand, were traditions established on the battlefields. During European dynastic wars between 1688 and 1748, fighting was stopped periodically for all sides to collect and bury their dead. The three rifle blasts indicated fighting could resume.² This eventually morphed into three rifle blasts over the grave of dead soldiers while in the field. In 1862, it is said that when a battery of soldiers was in the woods concealed from their enemy, they were unable to blast their rifles over the grave of their comrade for fear of alerting the enemy to their whereabouts. Instead, Taps was played over the grave in its place.³ During the war this was done several times and afterwards was adopted with the three rifle blasts as military honors.

As an event planner, I want to be prepared for any situation, and would instinctively begin planning this for a family member if needed, so I did a little research. For all four branches of the US Military, it is simple to request Funeral Honors. Each official website has a page with clear instructions and a form to complete. Not as complicated as I assumed. My guess is funeral homes know how to coordinate this as well. It’s a beautiful way to honor those who served our country and perhaps give comfort to their family members.

Thank you to all who have served and are serving in our US Military!

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1. US Army Center Military History, Origin of the 21-Gun Salute, website.
2. Verteran.com, 21 Gun Salute, website.
3. Association of the United States Army, The History of Taps, website.