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I performed 99 military burial details over 4 years in the Marine Corps. We never once had 7 riflemen at a funeral. It was usually 4-6 depending on who was available, plus the SNCO.
Many of the funeral details I was in were two Marines, folding the flag. We had some volunteers from the Frozen Chosin who would play live taps, but for the most part we used a trumpet with an attachment that played taps for you. The Marine would start the speaker and then bring the instrument to their lips and taps would play. Other times we would use a boom box to play taps.
The folded flag is the key and most important part of the ceremony. Expended brass from the rifle volley is sometimes inserted into the flag as it is folded.
My father, a Marine, had 7 rifleman PLUS DOUBLE taps played live. As I recall about 12 Marines in all.
Read the comments. It was never a 21 gun salute, it was 3 volleys. That is what my dad got when he was buried.
3 volleys with 7 rifles is a 21-gun salute.
The number of volleys is always the same. Only the number of rifles differs. Military funerals most commonly have fewer than 7 rifles; traditionally the 21-gun salute was reserved for higher ranking naval officers in the past. A 9-gun salute, done with 3 rifles, is much more common these days. In some areas, a 6-gun salute is done with 2 rifles.
It isn't the number of rifles that is significant. It is the salute itself. It has always been, and always will be, a special salutory that is reserved for those who served in our military forces only. That it has creeped into civilian use is, in my opinion, not a good thing. Police forces should not conduct any rifle saluting, but some have.
The tradition comes from the ancient practice of shooting off the remaining unfired naval cannons when a combatant ship was defeated in battle. This was done to show all the artillery on the defeated ship was empty of loaded guns when it was boarded. For half of our history, it was an honor reserved for sailors and marines only.
In most of the country, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion do the gun salutes. One big reason why the 21-gun salute is so rare now is due to the age of the vets in both organizations. Neither has as much membership as they once had, and they're all getting old now. Many of the members are no longer fit enough to conduct the ceremony.
Another big problem these days is finding buglers to play Taps. It's more common now to play a recording of Taps than to have a live bugler playing it. Locally, a few years ago there was an effort to recruit teenage trumpeters in local school orchestras to play it, but after school orchestra programs were cut out of the school budgets, our VFW chapter now only has one of those kids left. He's now in his 20s, and may not stay in town forever, but he's pretty dedicated.
I talked to him once briefly, and he said that there are times when the salute detail will sometimes play multiple funerals and put a lot of miles on their car in a day, as they are the only salute detail in 3 counties. The rifles they use are all WWII vintage.
I know so little about this. Does every veteran get a military funeral? Does the family go about making this happen or some other organization like VFW? Is VFW involved in every funeral? Do you have to belong to a VFW chapter or all veterans are automatically members of their local VFW chapters? Are the rifles real and only fire blanks? What sort of rifles?
I know so little about this. Does every veteran get a military funeral? Does the family go about making this happen or some other organization like VFW? Is VFW involved in every funeral? Do you have to belong to a VFW chapter or all veterans are automatically members of their local VFW chapters? Are the rifles real and only fire blanks? What sort of rifles?
We told the funeral home managing the funeral in my dads hometown and he go in touch with the nearest AF base and they brought 6 pallbearers, 3 of which did fire blanks in a gun salute to his service.
Just ask and the branch it is in will have guys lined up that will be there, in honor of the veteran. Especially one that served in a conflict, and especially a Medal of Honor recipient.
Do onto your BROTHERS in Arms as you hope that that they WOULD DO FOR YOU.
How many soldiers would show up, if not ordered, when the day comes (and I hope way out in the future...I don't like him, but I want to see the crap that he will raise--Kinda like Carter) that the obuma family expects those cannons to go off.
Someone will find the money then
This is a slap in the face of the men and women that served for you and me
Honestly, I don't mean to be disrespectful but why does it matter if they get a 21 gun salute or not. They're dead. Sorry, if that sounds cold but I would much rather we take care of our vets who come home...many who have become disabled and can't support their families.
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