Stars and Stripes reports that "Taps," the national song of remembrance played at the end of military funerals and memorial services, recently turned 150. Daniel Butterfield, an 1849 Union College graduate from Utica who became a general in the Union Army, created the tune that was first played in July 1862 during the Civil War. Today, there are not enough buglers to play "Taps" at funerals due to military budget cuts, along with the loss of large numbers of Korean War and World War II veterans. To fill this need, Bugles Across America, a volunteer group, plays "Taps" at military funerals when the military cannot provide a horn player. For more information, visit the Bugles Across America website at www.buglesacrossamerica.org/.
For more on Memorial Day, visit the Military.com Memorial Day section.
