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Incorrect.

PRACTICE OF FIRING THREE RIFLE VOLLEYS OVER THE GRAVE:

This practice originated in the old custom of halting the fighting to remove the dead from the battlefield. Once each army had cleared its dead, it would fire three volleys to indicate that the dead had been cared for and that they were ready to go back to the fight. The fact that the firing party consists of seven riflemen, firing three volleys does not constitute a 21-gun salute.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/customs.htm

The Order of Arms
Cannon Fire At Arlington National Cemetery

President of the United States 21
Ex President of the United States 21
Foreign Heads of State 21
Vice President of the United States 19
Prime Minister 19
Secretary of Defense 19
Secretary of the Army 19
Brigadier General/Rear Admiral (Lower) 11
Major General/Rear Admiral (Upper) 13
Lieutenant General/Vice Admiral 15
General/Admiral 17

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/arms.htm

The 21-Gun Salute

W. V. H. White

Editor's note: We frequently receive questions about customs, terminology, traditions and related subjects. In an effort to preserve tradition and help our readers understand their heritage, from time to time we will discuss one or more of these items. Further, we invite your questions and will print answers to the most interesting ones.

Sometime back, a reader asked who rates a 21-gun salute. We'll answer that, but it is probably not the question she meant to ask.

Gun salutes are fired by naval guns and/or by saluting batteries with artillery pieces. Twenty-one guns are a national or royal salute. The only individuals entitled to this salute are Presidents or former Presidents of the United States, heads of foreign states and members of a reigning royal family. That's it. Some other personal gun salutes rated are 19 guns for the Vice President and the same for the Secretary of the Navy. The Commandant of the Marine Corps and Chief of Naval Operations also rate 19 guns while other generals and admirals rate 17. Lieutenant generals rate 15, major generals 13 and brigadier generals 11.

That's a very short, partial explanation of gun salutes for individuals. Now we'll try to answer the question we believe the reader really meant to ask.

The real question is who rates the three volleys fired at a military funeral. Anyone entitled to military honors is entitled to the volleys, subject to the availability of a firing detail. Somehow this has become confused with a 21-gun salute. We even receive news releases from official sources referring to the volleys as such.

The three volleys fired at a funeral are just that, nothing more. They are not a 21-gun salute or any other gun salute. The funeral volleys are believed to have originated as an ancient superstition where firearms were discharged to frighten evil spirits away from the grave.

Why then are so many people today confused and erroneously call the three volleys a 21-gun salute? Who knows? Possibly because someone saw a seven-member detail fire three rounds at a funeral. He may have multiplied the three rounds by seven and decided that this must be a 21-gun salute. And it caught on and spread-and spread. Never mind the fact that he should have been taught at boot camp that a rifle is not a gun. Also, firing details can consist of any number of riflemen, but in years gone by the standard was eight riflemen with a noncommissioned officer in charge. How do you conceivably get a 21- gun salute out of these?

You don't.

http://www.mca-marines.org/Leatherneck/21gunarch.htm

At military funerals, one often sees three volleys of shots fired in honor of the deceased veteran. This is often mistaken by the laymen as a 21-gun salute, although it is entirely different (in the military, a "gun" is a large-calibered weapon. The three volleys are fired from "rifles," not "guns." Therefore, the three volleys isn't any kind of "gun salute," at all).

Anyone who is entitled to a military funeral (generally anyone who dies on active duty, honorably discharged veterans, and military retirees) are to the three rifle volleys, subject to availability of honor guard teams. As I said, this is not a 21-gun salute, nor any other type of "gun salute." They are simply three rifle volleys fired. The firing team can consist of any number, but one usually sees a team of eight, with a noncommissioned officer in charge of the firing detail. Whether the team consists of three or eight, or ten, each member fires three times (three volleys).

The three volleys comes from an old battlefield custom. The two warring sides would cease hostilities to clear their dead from the battlefield, and the firing of three volleys meant that the dead had been properly cared for and the side was ready to resume the battle.

The flag detail often slips three shell-casings into the folded flag before presenting the flag to the family. Each casing represents one volley.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/jointservices/a/twentyonegun_2.htm