A close friend asked me about the significance of the 21 gun salute. “Why is it 21 rounds”? he asked. My thanks to him for the question. Although in general I was aware of the reason, inevitably over time some dates and specific events had been completely forgotten. Some reading and research refreshed my mind. For him therefore, and for all others who may be curious about this solemn ritual, here is the background and explanation.
In this article, the general term “gun” will be employed, although “cannon” is actually meant, except for those occasions (for example at a funeral) where rifles are specifically used. The word “gun” has now superseded “cannon” in common parlance. I have used it here as a general term for all pyrotechnic projectile weapons for convenience. In military use, it is not applied to personal weapons (“This is my rifle, this is my gun …”), but mainly for rifled cannon, and for machine guns.
See the end of the article for Origin of terms & Credits and Thanks for source material.
The practice itself of saluting can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The act of placing oneself in an unarmed position, and therefore in the power of those being honored. This may be noted in the dropping of the point of the sword, presenting arms, lowering sails, manning the yards, removing the headdress, or laying on oars. Apparently this custom was universal, with the specific act varying with time and place, depending on the weapons being used. A North African tribe, for example, trailed the points of their spears on the ground to indicate that they did not mean to be hostile.
The use of gun salutes for military occasions is traced to early warriors who demonstrated their peaceful intentions by placing their weapons in a position that rendered them ineffective. The tradition of rendering a salute by cannon originated in the 14th century as firearms and cannons came into use. Since these early devices contained only one projectile, discharging them once rendered them ineffective. A man ‘o war visiting a foreign port would discharge all its guns to demonstrate clearly that all guns on board were empty. Since the ship would not have enough time to reload before it was within range of shore batteries, it was clearly demonstrating its friendly intentions by going in to port with empty guns.
Originally warships fired seven-gun salutes. There are several theories as to the reason for this.
The number seven was probably selected because of its astrological and Biblical significance. Seven planets had been identified and the phases of the moon changed every seven days. The Bible states that God rested on the seventh day after Creation, that every seventh year was sabbatical and that the seven times seventh year ushered in the Jubilee year.
The British established the naval seven gun salute, because seven was the standard number of guns (cannons) on each side of the vessel. At that time, regulations stated that although a ship would fire only seven guns, shore batteries (having a greater supply of gunpowder) would fire three shots for each one shot afloat, hence the number 21 The multiple of three probably was chosen because of the mystical significance of the number three in many ancient civilizations. Early gunpowder, composed mainly of sodium nitrate, which degraded easily at sea, but could be kept cooler and drier in land magazines. When potassium nitrate improved the quality of gunpowder, ships at sea adopted the salute of 21 guns.
The 21-gun salute became the highest honor a nation rendered. Varying customs among the maritime powers led to confusion in saluting and return of salutes. Great Britain, the world’s preeminent seapower in the 18th and 19th centuries, compelled weaker nations to salute first, and for a time monarchies received more guns than did republics. Eventually, by agreement, the international salute was established at 21 guns, although the United States did not agree on this procedure until August 1875.
A myth common in the United States relative to this tradition, is that the year 1776 inspired the 21 gun salute due to the sum of the digits being 21 (i.e. 1+7+7+6). While an attractive theory, it is nonetheless untrue.
The gun salute system of the United States has changed considerably over the years. In 1810, the “national salute” was defined by the War Department as equal to the number of states in the Union – at that time 17. (This practice was partly a result of usage, because John Paul Jones saluted France with 13 guns at Quiberon Bay in 1778 when the Stars and Stripes received its first salute) This salute was fired by all U.S. military installations at 1:00 p.m. (later at noon) on Independence Day. The President also received a salute equal to the number of states whenever he visited a military installation.
In 1842, the Presidential salute was formally established at 21 guns. In 1890, regulations designated the “national salute” as 21 guns and redesignated the traditional Independence Day salute, the “Salute to the Union,” to be equal to the number of states, i.e. 50. Fifty guns are also fired on all military installations equipped to do, so at the close of the day of the funeral of a President, ex-President, or President-elect. More details on this tradition is provided in following paragraphs.
Today, a 21-gun salute is rendered on the arrival and departure of the President of the United States; it is fired in concordance with four ruffles and flourishes, which is immediately followed by Hail to the Chief – the actual gun salute begins with the first ruffle and flourish, and concludes after Hail to the Chief has ended. A 21-gun salute is also rendered to former U.S. Presidents, foreign Heads of State (or members of a reigning royal family), as well as to Presidents-elect. In such a ceremony, the national anthem of the visiting dignitary’s country is played, following the salute.
Each round in a gun salute is fired one at a time. The number of cannon used in a battery depends upon the intervals between each round fired. For example, a 3-gun battery has 2 of its guns firing, each at 5 second intervals between rounds, with 1 gun at the ready in case of a misfire; such a battery would be used at an Armed Forces Full Honors Funeral, or for an arrival ceremony of a dignitary at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. A 4-gun battery has its first 3 guns firing rounds at 3 second intervals, with the 4th gun (again) at the ready in case of misfire.
The U.S. Army SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for Gun salutes provides a 2-man gun crew (one loader, one gunner) for each cannon, as well as a 5-man ‘staff” of soldiers to give the fire commands. The staff includes an Officer in Charge, a watchman (who marks the intervals and signals each gun to fire), an assistant watchman (as a backup), a counter (who keeps track of the number of rounds fired and signals the last round to the Officer in Charge), and a Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (who marches the battery into place as well as signals the backup cannon to fire in case another gun misfires).
Naval vessels now have saluting guns installed which are used solely for such purpose. The traditional timing chant, “If I wasn’t a sailor, I wouldn’t be here. Fire #1,” etc., has been replaced by stopwatch.
A U.S. Presidential death also involves 21-gun salutes and other military traditions. On the day after the death of the President, a former President or President-Elect unless this day falls on a Sunday or holiday, in which case the honor will be rendered the following day, the commanders of Army installations with the necessary personnel and material traditionally order that one gun be fired every half hour, beginning at reveille and ending at retreat.
On the day of burial, a 21-minute gun salute traditionally is fired starting at noon at all military installations with the necessary personnel and material. Guns will be fired at one-minute intervals. Also on the day of burial, those installations will fire a 50-gun salute, one round for each state, at five-second intervals immediately following lowering of the flag.
The 19 Gun Salute
Yes, this also exists. In the United States 19 gun salutes are reserved for vice heads of state, chiefs of staff, cabinet members, and a general of 5 star rank. In the United Kingdom, 19 gun salutes are used for field marshals and equivalents (e.g admirals of the fleet, and air marshals), ambassadors, and heads of government (e.g the Prime Minister).
Origin of terms
Cannon
The name cannon comes from the essential part, the cylindrical bore or barrel, probably through the Latin canna, for a reed, with the Italian augmentative suffix -one, making cannone, and joining the vernacular in the 14th century. Indeed, the earliest Chinese and Arabic firearms used bamboo tubes, cannae, as barrels, and shot arrows. The word canon was used in Latin for a gun (1326 in Italy, 1418 in England), but this is just a Latinized cannone, assimilated to an existing Latin word. Curiously, the word for the military authorities supplying cannons and gunpowder, ordnance, comes from ordinance, which is the real meaning of canon. canale is recorded in 1461 for a gun, referring to the barrel. Bombardum was used for cannon and cannonball as early as 1430, and bombator is known from 1456 for a gunner, or or bombardiator from 1547. These come from the earlier word for a heavy siege catapult. Gunna and gonna are known from as early as 1370 for a gunner or gun, especially in England, and is variously assumed to derive from Gunnhilde (a woman’s name commonly given to a cannon), mangonel (the ballista) or engine. Since an early form of the English word “gun” is “gonne,” the source is probably mangonel, a military engine for throwing stones. In German, the term “buchse” comes from the Greek puxis, “box,” and it the source of the “buss” in words like arquebus and blunderbuss (“Donderbuschse”).
“Ruffles and Flourishes”
Ruffles and flourishes are preceding fanfare for ceremonial music for distinguished people such as heads of state, reigning monarchs and high ranking military officers.
Ruffles are played on drums, and flourishes are played on bugles. For example, the President of the United States receives four ruffles and flourishes before “Hail to the Chief”. Four ruffles and flourishes is the highest honor.
Although roughly equivalent, the United States Navy has a different “Table of Honors” – some civilian officials more, others less; often different musical tunes – and includes in its arsenal of formal Honors one more, which is specific to naval traditions: “Sideboys”, an even number of seamen (in this list 8 for guests with quadruple or triple ruffles and flourishes, 6 for lower ranking dignitaries) posted at the gangway when the dignitary boards or leaves the ship, historically to help (or even hoist) him aboard, presently as a ceremonial sort of guard of honor.
Credits and Thanks
I am indebted to the following sources for factual material quoted in this article: (listed alphabetically)
Arlington National Cemetery
Army Study Guide “Soldiers helping Soldiers”
The United States Army Center of Military History
The United States Military Academy at West Point
The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis
Virginia Military Institute
OK dudes, I’ve heard the word, and seen the writing on the wall. They’re saying I have gotten way too serious.
Davis Guggenheim. What I fail to understand is why Guggenheim would choose to shoot himself in a painful place career-wise, by directing this piece of work. Perhaps the inevitable political label that’s gonna get pinned to his ass for life doesn’t matter to him. Great, for his sake, I hope it doesn’t matter!
