OperationTaps Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 (edited) www.OperationTaps.org Updates and News: 6/20/08 Since starting this project on Pearl Harbor Day 2007: OperationTaps participating units have performed at military honors funerals for: 123 Veterans for whom the only other option was to use a recorded version of Taps. Remember: Every day is Memorial Day for 1500 - 1800 families around the country. According to the US Dept of Veteran Affairs: 23.8 Million living US Vets Average age of WWII Vets: 84 Average age of Korean War Vets: 76 Average age of Vietnam Vets: 60 It is estimated that there will be 686,000 deaths of veterans eligible for a full Military Honors Funeral this year. Active Military Buglers: 500 Operation Taps is dedicated to encouraging civilian brass players and marching music organizations to proactively make themselves available to honor our nation's military heroes. Thank you to all who have participated. Edited June 21, 2008 by OperationTaps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Tom, Starting this school year (August) I am training my trumpet players for Taps. I am then sending out letters to all American Legions and VFW's in the area that we have buglers available for all veterans. Thanks for the info www.OperationTaps.org Updates and News: 6/20/08 Since starting this project on Pearl Harbor Day 2007: OperationTaps participating units have performed at military honors funerals for: 123 Veterans for whom the only other option was to use a recorded version of Taps. Remember: Every day is Memorial Day for 1500 - 1800 families around the country. According to the US Dept of Veteran Affairs: 23.8 Million living US Vets Average age of WWII Vets: 84 Average age of Korean War Vets: 76 Average age of Vietnam Vets: 60 It is estimated that there will be 686,000 deaths of veterans eligible for a full Military Honors Funeral this year. Active Military Buglers: 500 Operation Taps is dedicated to encouraging civilian brass players and marching music organizations to proactively make themselves available to honor our nation's military heroes. Thank you to all who have participated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OperationTaps Posted June 21, 2008 Author Share Posted June 21, 2008 Tom, Starting this school year (August) I am training my trumpet players for Taps. I am then sending out letters to all American Legions and VFW's in the area that we have buglers available for all veterans. Thanks for the info That's awesome Keith - great work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPeashey Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Congrats to Tom on what he is doing. Keith, great idea, but I wonder if contacting the Legion and VFW is enough? Unfortunately, when a veteran dies, the Legion or VFW only get involved if asked to. This is usually only in the case of very active members or someone way too far away from a military contingent. And Tom... jump in here if I mispeak... I certainly defer to your expertise... My experience was that most funeral directors ask the family if the deceased was a Vet and whether or not they wish to request a military funeral. That was the case in my father's situation - even though he was a member of the VFW and Legion. The funeral director told us that he qualified for a full military funeral and that a contingent (military honor guard) would travel down to Oswego from Ft. Drum (10th mountain division) and perform the honors at no cost OR we could have the Legion or VFW. The prospects of having a full honor guard was too good to refuse... It was a most impressive funeral that my dad would have very much appreciated - you would think you were at Arlington. Then came taps... and we look over at the bugler and my 3 brothers and I see (pre the fake trumpet taps) the LT. going over to push the buttons on a boom box... we were so embarrassed and wanted to go over and stomp on it... any one of us could have done it or arranged for a bugler (ya think?)... a friggin boom box.... My point is... I talked this over with the funeral director and he said the only sure way to do this is if you get the information on buglers being available directly to the funeral directors... (as well as the VFW and Legion) Then, the system can work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OperationTaps Posted June 21, 2008 Author Share Posted June 21, 2008 Congrats to Tom on what he is doing. Keith, great idea, but I wonder if contacting the Legion and VFW is enough? Unfortunately, when a veteran dies, the Legion or VFW only get involved if asked to. This is usually only in the case of very active members or someone way too far away from a military contingent. And Tom... jump in here if I mispeak... I certainly defer to your expertise... My experience was that most funeral directors ask the family if the deceased was a Vet and whether or not they wish to request a military funeral. That was the case in my father's situation - even though he was a member of the VFW and Legion. The funeral director told us that he qualified for a full military funeral and that a contingent (military honor guard) would travel down to Oswego from Ft. Drum (10th mountain division) and perform the honors at no cost OR we could have the Legion or VFW. The prospects of having a full honor guard was too good to refuse... It was a most impressive funeral that my dad would have very much appreciated - you would think you were at Arlington. Then came taps... and we look over at the bugler and my 3 brothers and I see (pre the fake trumpet taps) the LT. going over to push the buttons on a boom box... we were so embarrassed and wanted to go over and stomp on it... any one of us could have done it or arranged for a bugler (ya think?)... a friggin boom box.... My point is... I talked this over with the funeral director and he said the only sure way to do this is if you get the information on buglers being available directly to the funeral directors... (as well as the VFW and Legion) Then, the system can work... You are correct. The family is informed of their eligibility, and the appropriate military officials are contacted. In our area it's Fort Drum. Then Fort Drum contacts local Reservist units. Rarely do they have a live bugler available, so they bring the Electronic Device (ugh). I may have this quote somewhere on the web site, but at one service the Reservists told me "The only way to guarantee a live bugler is if they have a friend of the family willing to do it." My belief is that anyone who ever supported us in the drum corps community should consider US a friend of the family. Too often the family has no idea until the end of the funeral service if they are going to have a live bugler or not. That's where the disconnect is. Interestingly, the young man running for US Congress in our district (NY26th) is an Iraq Vet who is strongly committed to veterans issues. He is also the brother of the young man marrying my niece - which is close enough for me to call him "My Nephew the Congressman." His name is Jon Powers, he came back from Iraq after leading the unit that took over Udai Hussein's Palace. When he got back he started a non-profit that sends toys and suppiles to orphanages in Bahgdad - a pretty honorable endeavor. He had no idea that his potential district had more participating "buglers" than anywhere in the country (the district runs from Amherst through Batavia to Rochester's western suburbs) - he can really lead the charge on this issue. I've proposed to him that, just like the DOD changed the rule to allow ALL vets the right to a military honors fumeral, the DOD should also rule that funeral directors be required to inform families that they might not get a live bugler and that they are free to contact a qualified civilian volunteer. Tom, your father's story is all too common. I hear all the time from people who say "I wish I would have known, we could have called you." And even if I couldn't have done it personally we all know hundreds, maybe thousands of qualified buglers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPeashey Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 interestingly enough, I made lots of spending money as a kid getting paid $5 a pop (lot of money then talking probably 1957 or so) playing taps at funerals. The best part was that on Memorial Day I got out of marching the 3 or 4 parades the corps would do that day and would travel with the VFW from cemetary to cemetary doing the ceremonial gig... it was not unusual on memorial day to do 10 or more taps that day... at $5 that's $50 plus for an 11 year old... which no doubt was more like $500 now. Some years ago, my uncle who was a high ranking officer in the Wis. National Guard and multiple purple heart recipient from D-day, specifically requested me to play taps at his funeral... what an honor that was... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingsman1 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 interestingly enough, I made lots of spending money as a kid getting paid $5 a pop (lot of money then talking probably 1957 or so) playing taps at funerals. The best part was that on Memorial Day I got out of marching the 3 or 4 parades the corps would do that day and would travel with the VFW from cemetary to cemetary doing the ceremonial gig... it was not unusual on memorial day to do 10 or more taps that day... at $5 that's $50 plus for an 11 year old... which no doubt was more like $500 now.Some years ago, my uncle who was a high ranking officer in the Wis. National Guard and multiple purple heart recipient from D-day, specifically requested me to play taps at his funeral... what an honor that was... Tom Since retireing from work and drum corps I have been playing "taps" at military funerals for the last 6 years. Sometimes we are payed as gas prices have soared but also I play a lot for free as I believe that is the least I can do for a fellow veteran. Being a vietnam veteran I can only hope that some day when my family will need someone to play over my grave that the favor will be repaid. I not only play here in the erie area but work with 3 or 4 veteran groups in a 60 mile radius from erie Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Thanks for reminding me to change my information since I moved. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPeashey Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 while travel expenses this summer are the talk of the town, I was not suggesting that anyone get paid to do it. It's just interesting to note that in the 1950's, the VFW often paid a small amount to the bugler. I'm sure anyone now would do it gladly - gratis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OperationTaps Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 (edited) while travel expenses this summer are the talk of the town, I was not suggesting that anyone get paid to do it. It's just interesting to note that in the 1950's, the VFW often paid a small amount to the bugler.I'm sure anyone now would do it gladly - gratis. Tom, your experience is similar to a lot of drum corps people. We all remember playing Taps when we were kids in drum corps, but the activity has changed so much that we just don't have the local presence on a community by community basis. I will say that most of the All Age groups I've mentioned this to have been very supportive and, like me, realize that we can all do a little more even it's one Taps performance a year. Edited June 22, 2008 by OperationTaps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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