Military Honors At Cousin's Burial.

Recently we flow to Indianapolis IN & then drove to Terre Haute IN for a cousin's funeral. Her ashes were laid to rest next to my grandparents' graves; it was the first time I had seen their tombstones -- 1870-1958 (Granddad) & 1885-1970 (Grandmom). R.I.P.

My cousin served a hitch in the U.S. Air Force right after she graduated from high school in 1961 or so. So at her final rites, the American Legion or possibly it was the Veterans Of Foreign Wars showed up at the cemetery with a bagpiper & a chaplain & a rifle squad & a (digital) bugler, to provide fitting military honors for a fellow veteran of our armed services.

The piper played Amazing Grace, a favorite tune of my late cousin -- & some other appropriate selections. The chaplain said a few words of remembrance & tribute to my cousin's service to her country. At the appropriate moment, the rifle squad fired 3 volleys in final salute & the (digital) bugler let loose with Taps.


Afterward, the chaplain presented the tradional triangle-folded U.S. flag to my cousin's husband, & the commander of the rifle squad presented him with a heavy-guage clear plastic envelope containing the expended brass cartridge casings from the rounds that the squad fired in salute. With the shells was a card signed by each member of the firing squad, along with my cousin's name & the date of the service of interment. The chaplain also presented my cousin's husband a handsome certificate commemorating his late wife's USAF service. In all, it was a highly respectful and moving military tribute.

The digital bugle was just a bit strange -- not bad, not negative in any way, just unusual & unexpected. Where I was positioned, I couldn't see the guy operating it, but I had noticed previously that his instrument looked pretty much like a regular flugelhorn, rather than trumpet or cornet or actual bugle. I just figured the bugler was going to do Taps on flugelhorn -- not that there's anything wrong with that. As it turned out, that particular flugelhorn housed a playback device for a digital recording of Taps. What gave it away was the exceptionally commercially polished sound & style of the recorded rendition -- as though Doc Severinsen was out there playing Taps for somebody. That is, the musical performance style was more reminiscent of Hollywood than of Arlington Cemetery -- not that anything is wrong with that, either.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

Alan,

If your cousin graduated high school in 1981, then she died very young. Sorry to hear about it.

Sharon

Thank You.

3kids4me said:

Alan,

If your cousin graduated high school in 1981, then she died very young. Sorry to hear about it.

Sharon

Click to expand...

I made a typing mistake (fixed now) -- she graduated in 1961. She was 63.

(Shucks, I can remember when I thought that was old. Now I'm pushing 65 myself. So it goes.)

My cousin got to feeling bad in April. The doctors found the tumors in June. By August she was gone.

As for me, I have renewed gratitude for each new day that I am still breathing air.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

I have been to a couple of military funerals. My uncle was buried in Arlington National a few years ago. The bugler stood away, under a tree, and played Taps. It was the lonliest sound I ever heard. It was also the most moving thing I have ever seen.
I am sorry about your cousin. RIP.

My mother-in-law was buried in Arlington Cemetery at her second husband's grave with the same ceremony. Both he and her first husband had military service.

We also had a close friend who was cremated and his urn placed in the Columbarium at Arlington. I was curious how they were going to do it and impressed as they folded the flag holding it taut above the urn.

it is touching

When my father died (miss him everyday), I was suprised that they have arranged someone from the honor guard or wherever to come. They did the bugler with taps - actually played it and did the flag folding and presented it to my Mom. It was very touching! They didn't do the gun salute though.

Sorry about your cousin.

ownsmany said:

When my father died (miss him everyday), I was suprised that they have arranged someone from the honor guard or wherever to come. They did the bugler with taps - actually played it and did the flag folding and presented it to my Mom. It was very touching! They didn't do the gun salute though.

Sorry about your cousin.

Click to expand...

We had the same thing when my Dad died in April. Taps has always made me cry and it did me in that day as I knew it would.

AwayWeGo said:

The digital bugle was just a bit strange -- not bad, not negative in any way, just unusual & unexpected. Where I was positioned, I couldn't see the guy operating it, but I had noticed previously that his instrument looked pretty much like a regular flugelhorn, rather than trumpet or cornet or actual bugle. I just figured the bugler was going to do Taps on flugelhorn -- not that there's anything wrong with that. As it turned out, that particular flugelhorn housed a playback device for a digital recording of Taps. What gave it away was the exceptionally commercially polished sound & style of the recorded rendition -- as though Doc Severinsen was out there playing Taps for somebody. That is, the musical performance style was more reminiscent of Hollywood than of Arlington Cemetery -- not that anything is wrong with that, either.

Click to expand...

These have been pretty common for some time. The military can't provide enough real bugle players to cover all the funerals, so this was the solution - not as nice as a real bugle, but at least better than a recording on a boom box. I believe they still only use real bugles at Arlington, but that is a special place anyway.

Here's an article from USA Today 3 years ago.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2004-06-22-bugle_x.htm

At the time, there were only 500 buglers, and 1800 veterans dying per day.

Bugles Across America

Mel said:

The military can't provide enough real bugle players to cover all the funerals, so this was the solution - not as nice as a real bugle, but at least better than a recording on a boom box.

Click to expand...

Volunteer buglers are stepping up to fill this unmet ceremonial need.

Bugles Across America was founded for the specific purpose of recruiting volunteers willing & able to perform real-time renditions of Taps at burial ceremonies of USA armed services veterans.

Hats off to them.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

For ordinary veterans buried at places other than Arlington National Cemetery, the military provides, at the request of the veteran's family, a uniformed team of two to perform the ceremony of removing the flag draped over the casket, folding it, and presenting it to a family member.

The firing party, the bugler (or the boom-box operator), and the piper are all either volunteers or employed by the funeral home. For example, one of our local funeral homes has a funeral director who plays the bugle.

At a national cemetery located about 25 miles from here, the honor guard is made up of volunteers. The honor guard on each day of the week is made up of members representing a different organization, not necessarily related to the military, which coordinates the volunteers. As an example, on Fridays the military honors are provided by volunteers from area Lions Clubs.

If the family has requested a military presence, the military team will come in to fold and present the flag, just as they will do at a civilian cemetery.

At a civilian cemetery, if the family wants something more than the flag ceremony, the funeral home will contact one or more of the local veterans groups. In the small town where I live the local VFW post has rifles, but often has to ask the local American Legion post to provide personnel in order to have a decent sized honor guard.

In the area where I grew up, one of the local American Legion posts will provide an eight-man firing party, a bugler (or boom-box operator), and a chaplain for the grave-side ceremony. In return, they do ask for a $100 donation to their legion fund, although this donation is not mandatory. This group is one of the reasons I am now an American Legion member; I joined a few months after seeing this at my father's funeral.

My FIL died in July and it was the local chapter of the American Legion that did it all. Kenny was a Past Commander of that chapter so got more than 'the normal' veteran would have gotten in that tiny burg.

while in the funeral home, there was an honor guard, and that was amazing. The pallbearers were all from the Legion also. Gun salute, taps, the flag... It was very moving.

Sorry for your loss.