HELENA — Cannons fired through the day Thursday at Fort Harrison as the Montana Army National Guard honored the life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter.

“I think it pretty special. It is an honor to be able to do that, to celebrate the internment and cohesion across the military forces, to be chosen as one of the people that’s going to shoot that cannon off to him”, said Montana National Guard Sergeant Major Michael Hughes.

Montana National Guardsmen fired three howitzer 75mm cannon blank rounds at 8 am, noon, and 5 pm to recognize President Jimmy Carter’s service to and impact on the United States.

Hughes shared the significance of the cannon salute.

“Cannons are significant cause they are obviously attention-grabbing, so it is something that everybody notices. It is very similar to a 21-gun salute, which is common at military funerals and other similar ceremonies,” said Hughes.

Hughes also says that being a Navy veteran, Carter’s death created a bond with many military members, as the country honors the former president.

“I think it shows cohesion across military units because Carter was in the Navy and the president. So, it was within the spirit and core of the cohesion within all the services to shoot during the internment.”