Hand Salute

Hand Salute

Trivia: What is the history of the “hand salute”?!

ANSWER: The hand salute is believed to have began in the days of chivalry when it was customary for knights dressed in armor to raise their visors to friends for the purpose of identification.

By 1700 grenadiers were wearing tall, conical hats held in place with secure chinstraps that were difficult to raise in greeting.

The men began to merely touch their hats as if intending to raise them.

Soon other soldiers adopted the shako, busby or bearskin, all of which were held in place by a chinstrap. They, too, stopped raising the hat and instead merely touched 
its brim.

This action was formalized as the salute in European armies by about 1780,

The US Navy adopted the hand salute from the Royal British Navy.

There is general agreement that the salute as now rendered is really the first part of the movement of uncovering. From the earliest days of military units, the junior uncovered when meeting or addressing a senior.

The US Navy hand salute is slightly different than the Royal British Navy so some believe the US Navy salute, with the palm downwards evolved because the palms of Naval ratings, particularly deckhands, were often dirty through working with lines and was deemed insulting to present a dirty palm to an officer; so the palm was turned downwards.

PICTURE: The picture is of Retired Chief Petty Officer William Brown during the presentation of colors on board Naval Station Everett, WA.,in 2004.

Chief Brown was attending the Pearl Harbor Survivors Ceremony. Chief Brown is a Pearl Harbor survivor.

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