For Memorial Day, CFAY requested Blue Ridge provide a 21-gun salute at noon. This is the only gun salute that has a one-minute firing interval. The next gun salute came on July 4, with 21 rounds fired at five-second intervals. Before the clock strikes 12 and the batteries strike the ammo, there are hours of preparations and training. The batteries are first thoroughly cleaned and lubricated to make sure all working parts are functional.
GMs are then assigned positions on the mounts and practice timing drills with dummy rounds.
The loader is responsible for proper handling of the steel and black powder ammunition that is jammed in the battery at five-second intervals. Handling the ammo properly and having a sense of rhythm are important traits of a good loader. The gunner cycles the trigger bar as the round is loaded. The gunner has to trust that the loader is doing his job correctly, because that Sailor's eyes fixed on the timer, who keeps the five-second intervals falling on his mark. We try to create the same scenario in practice as the day of the shoot.