At a graveside service, sound has a way of turning emotion into something physical. The pause before the command. The crisp movement of the honor detail. Then the sharp report that echoes across the cemetery and settles into your chest. In that moment, many families whisper the same phrase—sometimes proudly, sometimes uncertainly: “That was the 21-gun salute.”
But most of the time, what you hear at a military funeral is not a 21-gun salute at all. It’s a 3 volley salute funeral tradition—also called a three-volley salute or rifle salute at funeral—and it carries a different history, a different purpose, and different weapons than the famous artillery salute reserved for heads of state and major ceremonies.
If you’re planning services for a Veteran or trying to understand what you witnessed—especially if you’ve heard “Arlington salute difference” discussions online—this guide will walk you through the real distinction in a calm, family-centered way. You’ll know what to expect at the graveside, what is optional, what varies by location, and how to request military funeral honors without feeling like you’re doing paperwork in the middle of grief.
Why so many people mix them up
The confusion is completely understandable, because families are often counting the sound—not the tradition. A three-volley salute is typically performed by a rifle team firing three times in unison. Depending on how many rifles are in the detail, the total number of shots you hear may sound like “21,” which reinforces the phrase people already know. Arlington National Cemetery explicitly notes that the 21-Gun Salute should not be confused with the three-volley salute commonly rendered at military honors funerals, even though both can be heard in ceremonial settings.
Another reason the mix-up persists is language. In everyday conversation, “gun salute” has become shorthand for “shots fired in honor.” But in military ceremony, “guns” usually means artillery pieces or cannons—while rifles are categorized differently. The words sound similar; the meaning is not.
The quick difference families actually need to know
In the simplest, most practical sense, the 21 gun salute vs three volley salute question comes down to purpose and equipment.
- 21-gun salute: an artillery/cannon salute used for high-level national honors and special ceremonial occasions.
- Three-volley salute: a rifle volley fired at military funerals as part of funeral honors (when available and permitted).
Arlington’s own educational materials emphasize the same point: the three-volley salute uses rifles and occurs during a military funeral, while the 21-gun salute uses artillery and is reserved for the President and special occasions. See Arlington’s Elements of Military Funerals overview for a clear, family-friendly explanation.
What a 21-gun salute actually is
A true 21-gun salute is the “big guns” version—literally. It’s performed with artillery or cannons (not rifles) and is tied to protocol for national leaders and formal state occasions. Arlington National Cemetery explains that, today, the U.S. military fires a 21-gun salute in honor of a national flag, foreign chiefs of state, members of reigning royal families, and U.S. presidents (including ex-presidents and the president-elect). That same Arlington guidance notes additional occasions, such as certain national holidays and presidential funerals. You can read those specifics on Arlington’s 21-Gun Salute page.
It can help to picture the setting. A 21-gun salute may be heard during high-profile ceremonies at places like Arlington, and it may involve artillery units positioned at a distance. It’s thunderous, slow, and unmistakably “cannon-like.” Families sometimes hear artillery in the background at major national cemeteries and assume it is connected to every graveside. In reality, multiple ceremonies can be happening in the same place on the same day.
For historical context, the U.S. Navy’s History and Heritage Command describes how the 21-gun salute became standard for the President and heads of state in U.S. Navy regulations in the 1800s, reflecting the evolution of ceremonial customs over time. See the Navy’s Twenty-One Gun Salute resource for an official, accessible summary.
What the three-volley salute is, and what it represents
The rifle volleys at a funeral come from a different tradition. The three-volley salute traces to older battlefield customs in which fighting paused long enough to remove the fallen; once the dead were cared for, volleys signaled that the ceasefire had ended. Over time, that evolved into a formal funeral honor—three volleys of blank rounds fired by a rifle party. Arlington’s educational materials describe this transformation directly, noting that the tradition became the three-volley salute performed during military funerals and that it should not be confused with the artillery-based 21-gun salute. See Elements of Military Funerals.
Families sometimes ask what the “three” stands for. You may hear symbolic interpretations in casual conversation. The most reliable framing is this: the three volleys are a military tradition of farewell and honor, rooted in the idea that the duty is complete and the fallen are cared for. At the graveside, the meaning often lands less as a literal translation and more as a felt moment—punctuation in the ceremony that says, “We see this service. We mark it. We will not rush past it.”
What military funeral honors include (and what’s optional)
Families are often surprised to learn that military funeral honors have “core elements,” and then “additional elements” that depend on resources and local rules. A helpful, plain-language government overview comes from Military OneSource’s Military Funeral Honors Brochure, which explains that, upon request, the honor detail must include at least two members of the armed forces and will include the folding and presentation of the U.S. flag and the playing of Taps. The brochure also notes that, upon request for full honors, the detail may include the additional element of a rifle volley—subject to what is permitted at the location.
That “subject to what is permitted” line matters. Some cemeteries restrict rifle volleys due to space, safety, noise ordinances, wildfire concerns, or local policies. In other places, the staffing simply isn’t available on the day you need it. None of that means a Veteran is being “denied respect.” It usually means your family is being served by a system balancing tradition with logistics.
If you want a steady, Funeral.com-focused guide that explains how these pieces fit together, the Journal’s Veterans Funeral Benefits and Military Honors: What Families Need to Know can help you understand the process and the common decisions families face.
What families can expect at the graveside
Even when you know what the tradition is called, the moment can still be startling. The rifle volleys are loud, and grief can make sound feel sharper than it usually would. At a typical graveside service, the sequence often feels like this: a quiet gathering, a committal prayer or words from a celebrant, the folding of the flag (if present), Taps, and then the rifle volleys—or, in some ceremonies, volleys before Taps. The exact order can vary by service branch and local detail practice, but the emotional arc is similar: stillness, honor, farewell.
If you’re bringing children, sensitive family members, or anyone with hearing concerns, it’s okay to plan gently. You can let the funeral director or honors coordinator know you’d like a heads-up immediately before the shots. Many families bring discreet ear protection for kids—not because the ceremony is something to “mute,” but because you’re trying to keep the moment from becoming physically overwhelming.
Also, if you’re attending a service at a large national cemetery, know that you may hear ceremonial fire from elsewhere. Arlington, for example, notes that visitors may hear gunfire or artillery as part of ceremonial salutes and that, although blanks are used, the shots can be quite loud. That context is included in Arlington’s Elements of Military Funerals materials.
What changes when the Veteran is cremated
More Veterans’ families are planning memorials that include cremation—sometimes because of travel and timing, sometimes because a national cemetery plan is easier to coordinate, and sometimes because it simply fits the person. National cremation trends also help explain why so many families are navigating these choices. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected at 63.4% for 2025 (with burial projected at 31.6%). The Cremation Association of North America reports a U.S. cremation rate of 61.8% for 2024 in its statistics summary.
Practically, a cremation plan can still include military honors. The VA confirms that a burial flag may be used to drape a casket or be placed with an urn, and it explains eligibility and how to apply for the flag on its Burial flags page. That means the “shape” of the ceremony may look familiar even when there is no casket present. The flag can accompany the urn; the honors detail can still fold and present it; Taps can still be played; and the emotional meaning can still be full-sized.
If you’re looking for a practical bridge between military honors and cremation decisions, Funeral.com’s Military and Veteran Cremation Urns guide explains how families coordinate branch emblems, national cemetery plans, and memorial choices without turning the process into a shopping task.
Making the ceremony feel personal without pushing it to be “perfect”
Families planning a Veteran’s farewell often carry a quiet pressure: to “get it right.” The truth is that the most meaningful ceremonies are rarely the ones where every element is maximized. They are the ones where the choices match the person.
Sometimes that means a formal committal in a national cemetery. Sometimes it means a private cemetery service with honors requested through the funeral home. Sometimes it means holding the ashes close for a time—because the family is still deciding when and where the final placement should be. If you’re navigating that middle space, Funeral.com’s guide on keeping ashes at home can help you think about safety, household dynamics, and respectful placement in a way that feels gentle and realistic.
And when a cremation plan includes an urn, the decision can be both practical and emotional at once. Some families want one central memorial vessel; others want shared keepsakes so siblings can grieve without conflict. If your family is considering that shared approach, Funeral.com’s collections for cremation urns for ashes, small cremation urns, and keepsake urns are a calm place to browse options without feeling rushed.
For some families, the most personal choice is also the quietest one: a wearable memorial. If you’ve been searching for cremation jewelry—especially cremation necklaces that hold a symbolic portion—Funeral.com’s cremation jewelry and cremation necklaces collections can help you see what styles and materials exist, while the Journal’s Best Cremation Necklaces for Ashes guide explains how families choose pieces that fit daily life.
How to request honors and reduce last-minute stress
If you are in the earliest days after a death, it can feel unfair that you have to “request” honors at all. But most families do not have to navigate that request alone. The Military OneSource brochure emphasizes that honors are provided upon request for eligible Veterans and that the Department of Defense provides them at no cost, which is an important reassurance when families are also facing financial decisions.
Your funeral director is usually the best first call, because they coordinate timing, paperwork, and communication with the service branch. If you want a calm overview of what documentation typically helps and how VA and honors logistics fit into real funeral planning, Funeral.com’s veteran resources hub—especially the Journal tag page for Veterans & Military Honors—can help you read in small pieces instead of trying to learn everything in one exhausting night.
When you hear “21,” what you’re really hearing is respect
Language matters, but families shouldn’t feel scolded by it. If someone calls the volleys a “21-gun salute,” what they are usually expressing is a desire to name the honor they just witnessed. The compassionate correction is simply this: most graveside shots are a three-volley rifle salute, and a 21-gun salute is an artillery tradition reserved for presidents, heads of state, and special occasions.
Either way, the heart of the moment is the same. A Veteran is being recognized. A family is being carried through a goodbye they did not want to have to plan. And the sound—whether rifle volleys nearby or artillery in the distance—becomes a shared language when words feel too small.
If you’re still sorting through next steps after the service—questions about a burial flag, how the ceremony works, or what to do with ashes—Funeral.com’s Flag Folding and Presentation at a Veteran’s Funeral is a steady companion piece, especially for families who want to understand the meaning of what they just witnessed without turning grief into a research project.
A final gentle note
It’s okay if you don’t remember the order of events. It’s okay if the shots startled you. It’s okay if your family wants something simple, or if you want every ceremonial element possible. What matters most is not the perfection of protocol—it’s that the farewell reflects love, service, and the life that came before this moment.
