Saluting on the Quarterdeck
Rendering a proper salute on the quarterdeck is a timeless tradition that has stood the test of time. Shortly after joining the Navy, every recruit is taught to salute on the quarterdeck without knowing the history. The salute, the quarterdeck and the relevance of the combination of the two in history and present day and will be discussed.
History
The history of the salute started in the days of knighthood. It was customary for knights, dressed in armor, to raise their visors to show their identity to friends to avoid confrontation. Rank played a role in who raised their visor first with the junior making the first gesture. The U.S. Navy adopted the transformed hand salute from the British Navy. The origin of the British Navy’s saluted started as the first part of uncovering when greeting or addressing a more senior person. Eventually, the process of taking off one’s cap was simplified into just touching the cap and finally into the present day salute. Now that the history of the salute has been addressed, the history of the quarterdeck will now be discussed. …show more content…
It was the place where the Commanding Officer commanded his vessel and where the Ship’s colors were located. Because of the importance of this location, it became the main ceremonial and reception area onboard the ship. Now that the history of the salute and the significance of the quarterdeck have been discussed, the combination that became saluting on the quarterdeck will be addressed. Roman, Greek and Carthaginian ships all carried shrines, which were given special respect. British warships adopted the same tradition and displayed their religious shrines on the quarterdeck. All hands were required to salute the shrine by removing their covers. Eventually this grew into the tradition of saluting when one desired to enter or cross the
Rendering a proper salute on the quarterdeck is a timeless tradition that has stood the test of time. Shortly after joining the Navy, every recruit is taught to salute on the quarterdeck without knowing the history. The salute, the quarterdeck and the relevance of the combination of the two in history and present day and will be discussed.
History
The history of the salute started in the days of knighthood. It was customary for knights, dressed in armor, to raise their visors to show their identity to friends to avoid confrontation. Rank played a role in who raised their visor first with the junior making the first gesture. The U.S. Navy adopted the transformed hand salute from the British Navy. The origin of the British Navy’s saluted started as the first part of uncovering when greeting or addressing a more senior person. Eventually, the process of taking off one’s cap was simplified into just touching the cap and finally into the present day salute. Now that the history of the salute has been addressed, the history of the quarterdeck will now be discussed. …show more content…
It was the place where the Commanding Officer commanded his vessel and where the Ship’s colors were located. Because of the importance of this location, it became the main ceremonial and reception area onboard the ship. Now that the history of the salute and the significance of the quarterdeck have been discussed, the combination that became saluting on the quarterdeck will be addressed. Roman, Greek and Carthaginian ships all carried shrines, which were given special respect. British warships adopted the same tradition and displayed their religious shrines on the quarterdeck. All hands were required to salute the shrine by removing their covers. Eventually this grew into the tradition of saluting when one desired to enter or cross the