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Some other traditions that bear mentioning:

The 21-gun salute had its origins long before the patriotic folklore meaning... in days of old, cannon took longer to load, and firing a large volley of cannon salutes kept the ship defenseless for the time it took to reload. Cannon salutes in Britain, such as for the reigning monarch's birthday are generally the monarch's age plus one or two extra to make it an odd number.

21 guns - President of the United States and other foreign heads of state and government
19 guns - Vice President, cabinet secretaries, 5-star and 4-star generals and admirals
17 guns - Cabinet undersecretaries, 3-star generals and admirals
15 guns - 2-star generals and admirals
13 guns - 1-star generals and admirals

There is no truth to the rumor that the British salute (palm outward) means they have been defeated in war; it's just the exaggerated marching movements practiced from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and carried over to the rest of the military. The Polish armed forces use a two-fingered salute much like the Cub Scout salute; the two extended fingers symbolize God and Country.

The United States is one of the few countries in the world that prescribe the folding of the flag in a particular manner; most other countries fold 'em like bedsheets.

The United States has no military decoration jeweled in precious stones except for one: the Congressional Space Medal of Honor (awarded only to US astronauts; it has a small diamond on the medal).

The Legion of Merit is the only US medal awarded in degrees: Legionnaire, Officer, Commander, Chief Commander.

Legionnaire: Officers below the rank of Colonel/Captain (rarely awarded to junior officers and NCOs; they get the Meritorious Service Medal instead.)

Officer: Foreign dignitaries in the general officer/admiral ranks

Commander: Foreign dignitaries in the cabinet/diplomatic ranks

Chief Commander: Foreign heads of state and/or government.