When the bugle cries: the lasting echo of ‘Taps’ on Memorial Day

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hill, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.

Perhaps you started singing the melody in your head as you read that. Perhaps, like me, you learned the words while in Scouts.

The simple, evocative, 24-note melody of “Taps” can signal the day’s end and lights out. It is also often played at military ceremonies, such as those happening Monday in recognition of Memorial Day, and at funerals when a service member is laid to rest. In a somber, quiet moment, the bugler’s notes cut through the air, breaking the stillness. The bugler holds on to the last note for as long as he can, and the vibrations ripple out, gradually fading until they dissipate altogether.

This well-known tune has a history dating back more than 160 years. According to Robert McNamara of ThoughtCo.com, “Taps” was “composed and first played during the Civil War, in the summer of 1862. A Union commander, Gen. Daniel Butterfield, with the help of a brigade bugler he had summoned to his tent, devised it to replace the bugle call the U.S. Army had been using to signal the end of the day.

“The bugler, Private Oliver Willcox Norton of the 83rd Pennsylvania Regiment, used the call for the first time that night. It was soon adopted by other buglers and became very popular with the troops.

“’Taps’ eventually spread throughout U.S. Army during the Civil War. It was even overheard by Confederate troops listening beyond the Union lines and adopted by their buglers.”

The playing of “Taps” at military funerals also began in the summer of 1862.

McNamara writes: “According to a U.S. officers manual published in 1909, a funeral was to be held for a soldier from a Union artillery battery that was in a position fairly close to the enemy lines.

“The commander thought it unwise to fire the traditional three rifle volleys at the funeral, and substituted the bugle call ‘Taps’ instead. The notes seemed to fit the mournfulness of the funeral, and the use of the bugle call at funerals eventually became standard.

“For decades, one particular flawed version of ‘Taps’ has lived on in the memory of many Americans. When the funeral for President John F. Kennedy was held at Arlington National Cemetery in November 1963, Sergeant Keith Clark, a trumpet player in the U.S. Army Band, played ‘Taps.’ On the sixth note, Clark went off-key, partly because he was struggling in the cold weather. The writer William Manchester, in a book on Kennedy's death, noted that the flawed note was like a ‘swiftly stifled sob.’

“That particular rendition of ‘Taps’ became part of American lore. The bugle Clark used that day is now on permanent display in Arlington National Cemetery’s visitor center.”

“Taps” is indeed deceptively simple. It utilizes just three pitches: sol, do, and mi. “Taps” is traditionally played in the key of C (Concert B-flat) on the trumpet, with all valves open. Because it uses the natural harmonic series of the trumpet, all notes are played with the same fingering. The trumpet player adjusts their air flow and embouchure (mouth position) to play the different pitches. While the melody is straightforward, achieving a free, resonant tone with clear transitions between all notes, as well as having the correct timing and emotional effect can be challenging.

In 2020, retired Air Force bugler Jari Villanueva, Co-Founder of Taps for Veterans, started Taps Across America. This movement encourages musicians of all ages, abilities, and instruments to unite in performing “Taps” at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day. People took to their front porches, cemeteries, and local landmarks to play this solemn tune. More than 10,000 musicians participated in the inaugural tribute, and the movement continues to grow, with people from all 50 states participating. People may register to participate at TapsAcrossAmerica.org.

Taps Across America coincides with the NationalMomentofRemembrance,established in 2000 by Congress, that encourages all Americans to pause at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for one minute of silence to remember fallen heroes. So, even if you are not a musician, you can still observe the Moment of Remembrance . Or attend a local Memorial Day ceremony and take some time to reflect on those who have sacrificed their lives for our country. Remember, while Veterans Day focuses on living veterans, Memorial Day is primarily about honoring those men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military. Memorial Day, first known as Decoration Day, originated in the years following the Civil War. The holiday was called Decoration Day because Americans would spend the day decorating the graves of fallen soldiers, of which there were many. More than 620,000 Americans died in the Civil War, roughly 2% of the population at the time. The red poppy, in particular, became associated with Memorial Day and Remembrance Day (Nov. 11) after World War I, when it was inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae. Bright red poppies grew in the fields of Belgium and Northern France on the Western Front where soldiers were buried.

According to Google, “The bright red color of the poppy evokes the blood spilled on the battlefields and symbolizes resilience, as the flowers often grew in the harsh, barren landscapes of war.”

Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971.

Whether it’s a visual symbol like the poppy, an American flag, or a hand salute, or an auditory cue like “Taps” or a gun salute, there are plenty of reminders of the cost of our freedom. Let us resolve to always remember the sacrifices made by our service members.

“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” – Joseph Campbell “Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.” – President Harry S. Truman