EchoTaps Worldwide Honors Veterans on Armed Forces Day

EchoTaps Worldwide - May 19, 2007

This year, EchoTaps was performed at every National Veterans Cemetery in the United States on Armed Forces Day, as part of a joint effort by the Veteran's Administration, and Bugles Across America. More than 2,000 volunteers playing horns of all types, including trumpets, bugles, trombones and baritones, rendered a cascade of Taps at 11:00 AM local time on May 19, 2007 beginning at American Battle Monuments Commission sites in the Philippines and continuing throughout Europe. A variety of programs followed at National Cemeteries, Arlington National Cemetery, National Park Service Cemeteries, and participating State Veterans Cemeteries across America, beginning on the East Coast and concluding in Honolulu, Hawaii. Participants and guests included Active-Duty Military, Veterans, families of those who have given their lives serving America, First Responder organizations, and civic and patriotic groups that support America's military, past and present. Participants came from all walks of life, including male and female buglers, and buglers as young as 4th grade, and as old as 80.

The purpose of EchoTaps Worldwide is to raise awareness of Bugles Across America's efforts to ensure that EVERY veteran is honored with a live rendition of Taps at their burial. This initiative also encourages musicians to perform as buglers at veterans' funeral ceremonies year-round.

From the Bugles Across America website: "In January 2000, Congress passed legislation guaranteeing Veterans the right to at least two uniformed servicemen, a flag ceremony, and the playing of Taps at their funeral. Unfortunately, there are not enough buglers to play Taps, so the historic melody has been played on a CD player at many Veterans' last ceremony. Tom Day decided that wasn't good enough for those who had sacrificed so much for their country, so in November of 2000 he founded BuglesAcrossAmerica, with the goal of providing TAPS played by a live bugler at every Veteran's funeral. To this end, we are actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families."