My wife's best friend's Dad's funeral was yesterday. He joined the navy in 1942 so there were two sailors honoring him at the funeral. I was a bit surprised that when one of them played taps, he went quite far away and faced directly away from group to hide that he wasn't playing the bugle. I saw him turn the electric bugle off when he was done. He was obvious to me making it look like he was actually playing.

I don't know if anyone but me cared, and I'm sure I am the only one who noticed. I didn't tell anyone either. I don't know how difficult it is to teach someone to play a passable rendition of taps on a bugle. I played clarinet in elementary school and think I could learn something that would pass in a few months, unless my 60 year old lips wouldn't cooperate.

Bother anyone else that they are deceptive about this?

I imagine that is the best they could come up with.

There is an organization which endeavors to provide buglers at military funerals.

http://www.buglesacrossamerica.org

Pretty standard I think. The Honor Guard team here has a device that fits down inside a real bugle. It plays "Taps" and a couple of other calls I think. There just aren't enough bugle players around to cover every service. From what I gather, the bugle is more difficult to play than a trumpet.

Approximately 2,000 veterans pass away each day, but there are only a few hundred military buglers available. The electronic bugle is better than the alternative of playing Taps from a portable CD player.

This has been going on for years.
Every once in awhile there is a news story about the VA's lack of funding for a full time honor guard at each cemetery,as well as a shortage of volunteers who are able to play the bugle today.

In the situation you describe it is more of the sentimental thought and value that counts.

Take action on your own if it truly bothers you. Buy a bugle, take some lessons, and volunteer to play taps at veterans funerals.

I'd be partial to give a pass on the "bugle-syncing".
I don't know about your area, but the Honor Guard around here is made up of Vietnam and even Korea -era vets. I've watched these old men arrive at funerals and barely be able to get out of their vehicles. They hobble to the muster point & gather their resolve.
Then they do their thing like they are 25 years old again.
Blistering heat & humidity, withering cold...they get it done.
if they don't have enough wind between them to get through Taps, I'll look the other way while they push "play".

Plus, yeah, it takes out the possibility of human error.

I wouldn't worry to much as long as they where respectful and where trying to give the best they could.

I went to a vet's funeral a few years back, they had an honor guard and a bugler. When I say this bugler was bad, he was BAD. Felt sorry for the guy, he was older and he took great pride in what he was doing, but he either didn't have the wind, or he never touched a bugle before.

Another time, the honor guard just put a recording of taps on. That was totally fine with me.

quote:

Originally posted by comet24:
I wouldn't worry to much as long as they where respectful and where trying to give the best they could.

They did.

When my father-in-law was buried in the veteran's cemetery there was a very squared-away honor guard and a rifle squad to fire a salute. But the bugle was electronic. One would prefer a real bugle, but I understand there aren't many actual buglers.

The funeral detail were Air Force members, and it is their assignment. They were excellent - very solemn, respectful, sharp-looking - and led by young black woman sergeant. She carefully lined them up and inspected them, and they did their thing of carrying the coffin, firing salutes, and folding the flag. It was very moving. I mention it because when my father-in-law was in the Army Air Corps and Air Force, that was a job a black woman would have never had. It would have, I'm sure, seemed quite odd to him.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jhe888,

4 different notes and 24 notes total.

Not hard at all.

I have played horns all my life.

I was in the USAF Drum and Bugle Corps.

Maybe I need to volunteer.

Step up, Mister!

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
4 different notes and 24 notes total.

Not hard at all.

I have played horns all my life.

I was in the USAF Drum and Bugle Corps.

Maybe I need to volunteer.

It's all in the lips...

How many of you know that at President Kennedy's burial ceremony the bugler fluffed a note?

I do... as I was fortunate enough to be there.
As a one time competent bugler and trumpet player, I winced and felt badly for him!

Don

All these years, I thought it was deliberate, referred to as a "Sob" note, but I found an article which supports your observation that it was accidental.

I heard it on live TV, watching the funeral ceremonies while in high school, and noticed it at once, having played in bands in grade school and high school.

As a side note, to this day the sound of muffled drums gives me nightmares.

quote:

How many of you know that at President Kennedy's burial ceremony the bugler fluffed a note?

Those of us who heard it will never forget it.
The caisson with the casket and flag.
Black Jack with no rider and boots reversed in stirrups.
John-John saluting.
We were young, so was he.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
When my father-in-law was buried in the veteran's cemetery there was a very squared-away honor guard and a rifle squad to fire a salute. But the bugle was electronic. One would prefer a real bugle, but I understand there aren't many actual buglers.

The last three I've been to were like that

Been to a few lately that a military honor guard was unavailable due to the number of funerals and the Patriot Guard riders stepped up and performed the honors.

The West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery performs a funeral every 45 min a lot of days.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
4 different notes and 24 notes total.

Not hard at all.

I have played horns all my life.

I was in the USAF Drum and Bugle Corps.

Maybe I need to volunteer.

Yeah, it's not hard for us experienced brasswind musicians, but do you remember when you were learning the trumpet / flugelhorn / whatever you learned first for the first time?

How many years did it take before you developed the embouchure for your full range? And more importantly, the control to do those harmonic transitions cleanly?

Not hard if you can do it already. Not something you can just "pick up" without a lot of practice, though.

-Rob

Funeral support for veterans varies widely, often depending on the location. The electronic bugle or CD have been used for many years now. Keep in mind that there is often short notice from the funeral home to the military service requesting funeral honors, which makes finding a bugler more challenging. I've been in several funeral details over the years for veterans where we were notified by the funeral home the day before services. Sometimes the units closest who are asked to provide honors are very small. In many locations, it may be a recruiting office asked to do the funeral honors. If there's a large military base nearby, there's a better chance of being able to find a real bugler, but it's considered routine now for Taps to be played with an electronic bugle or even with a CD over a sound system. This is often discussed in advance with the family and they can choose their preference. Most funeral homes have the CDs.

Ceremonial Bugle

https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/mfh/getLinks.do?tab=Bugle