[NFBMT] Memorial Day Musings

Mon May 25 13:08:30 UTC 2020

Hello, fellow Montana Federationists.

I awoke this morning feeling particularly contemplative and grateful for
Memorial Day and what it means to me, particularly in this topsy-turvy world
we are living in.  I am reminded that every generation has lived through a
topsy-turvy world.  I remember my dad, a member of the Greatest Generation,
who has now passed on.  

Below you will find some excerpts from two emails I received this morning,
plus some musings that I have cobbled together from other sources.  I hope
you have a meaningful Memorial Day.  Joy 

From: Corey Stapleton  

Sent: Monday, May 25, 2020 6:01 AM

Subject: Remember The Important Things

Remember The Important Things

By Corey Stapleton

When you live on a naval base, twice a day everyone freezes in place.  Across
the military base our national anthem is played at 8:00am, and then 'Colors'
is played later at sunset.  The music is always trumpets over distant
loudspeakers.  Everyone outside comes to attention and holds their salute for
the duration of the song.  It seems like the whole world stands still to
remember those sailors and soldiers who fought for our freedom.

I miss that.

Remember people fought and died at a very young age, to give us these United
States we call 'home'.

Remember these health, business, and economic crises are this generation's
challenge, not unlike those challenges previous generations faced.

Remember to live freely and love.  We cannot live in fear.

Each month I get a magazine from my alma mater United States Naval Academy,
and it features the biographies of alumni who have passed away.  It's a
really cool section to read, as so many Academy grads did amazing things in
service to our country.

On this Memorial Day I share with you my favorite quote which is always
featured each month in the Last Call section.  Keep in mind the first
paragraph, above, for reference:

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; 

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.  

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them."
-Laurence Binyon. (1914)

Always remember,

Corey Stapleton

Montana Secretary of State

This is an excerpt from an email that I received today from a friend.  I'm
sure each of us has a personal remembrance of the importance of Memorial Day
regarding a friend or loved one.

Hi everyone

Memorial Day has always been a big day in my family. When I lived at home we
always went to the cemetery for the memorial day service. The local High
school band always marched and played. Now our band in those days reminded me
of the Mayberry band in the Andy Griffith show. But it was our band so we
were always glad to hear them play. After moving back to Michigan a few years
ago I had resumed that practice where I would meet and sit with some of my
sisters and Brothers-in-law. The band is much better I'm happy to report. My
Brother-in-law Pete singled handedly took it upon himself in the last few
years to research and purchase appropriate flags for all of the service men
and women who have been buried in the 3 cemeteries around my home town. One
of his son's was killed while in the Coast Guard. Last year he suffered a
massive stroke. He is not the same person he was before the stroke. We all
have to deal with that.  This week as a tribute to those who have lost their
lives on behalf of all of us, but also as a tribute to Pete for whom it was
so important. 

This is a favorite quote.

IT IS THE SOLDIER

It is the Soldier, not the minister, Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us freedom to
protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer, Who has given us the right to a fair
trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician, Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag, And
whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester to burn the
flag.

Charles M. Province

A SOLDIER'S CREED

I am an American Soldier.

I am a Warrior and a member of a team.

I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my
Warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States
of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.

AN OLD SOLDIER'S PRAYER

I have fought when others feared to serve.

I have gone where others failed to go.

I've lost friends in war and strife,

Who valued Duty more than love of life.

I have shared the comradeship of pain.

I have searched the lands for men that we have lost.

I have sons who served this land of liberty,

Who would fight to see that other stricken lands are free.

I have seen the weak forsake humanity.

I have heard the traitors praise our enemy.

I've seen challenged men become even bolder,

I've seen the Duty, Honor, Sacrifice of the Soldier.

Now I understand the meaning of our lives,

The loss of comrades not so very long ago.

So to you who have answered duties siren call,

May God bless you my son, may God bless you all.

Lewis Millett

TAPS

"Taps" is a bugle call played at dusk, during flag ceremonies, and at
military funerals by the United States Armed Forces. The official military
version is played by a single bugle or trumpet, although other versions of
the tune may be played in other contexts (e.g., the U.S. Marine Corps
Ceremonial Music site has recordings of two bugle and one band version[1]).
It is also performed often at Girl Guide, Girl Scout, and Boy Scout meetings
and camps. The tune is also sometimes known as "Butterfield's Lullaby", or by
the first line of the lyric, "Day Is Done". The duration may vary to some
extent; the typical recording is 59 seconds long.

Etymology

"Taps" is derived from the same source as "Tattoo".[2][3]

"Taps" is sometimes said to originate from the Dutch taptoe, meaning "close
the (beer) taps (and send the troops back to camp)". An alternative
explanation, however, is that it carried over from a term already in use
before the American Civil War. Three single, slow drum beats were struck
after the sounding of the Tattoo or "Extinguish Lights". This signal was
known as the "Drum Taps", "The Taps", or simply as "Taps" in soldiers'
slang.[4][5]

History

Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield

The tune is a variation of an earlier bugle call known as the "Scott Tattoo",
which was used in the U.S. from 1835 until 1860,[6][7] and was arranged in
its present form by the Union Army Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield, an
American Civil War general and Medal of Honor recipient who commanded the 3rd
Brigade of the 1st Division in the V Army Corps of the Army of the Potomac
while at Harrison's Landing, Virginia, in July 1862 to replace a previous
French bugle call used to signal "lights out". Butterfield's bugler, Oliver
Wilcox Norton,[8] of East Springfield, Pennsylvania,[9] was the first to
sound the new call. Within months "Taps" was used by both Union and
Confederate forces. It was officially recognized by the United States Army in
1874.[10]

"Taps" concludes many military funerals conducted with honors at Arlington
National Cemetery and elsewhere in the United States.[11] The tune is also
sounded at many memorial services in Arlington's Memorial Amphitheater and at
grave sites throughout the cemetery. It is also regularly played at the
American Cemetery in Normandy, France, to commemorate the sacrifice made, at
& around that site, by United States servicemen in WWII, during the allied
effort to liberate Europe from the Nazis.

Captain John C. Tidball, West Point Class of 1848, started the custom of
playing "Taps" at military funerals. In early July 1862 at Harrison's
Landing, a corporal of Tidball's Battery A, 2nd U.S. Artillery, died. He was,
Tidball recalled later, "a most excellent man". Tidball wished to bury him
with full military honors, but, for military reasons, he was refused
permission to fire 7 rifles three times (21-shot salute) over the grave.
Tidball later wrote, "The thought suggested itself to me to sound taps
instead, which I did. The idea was taken up by others, until in a short time
it was adopted by the entire army and is now looked upon as the most
appropriate and touching part of a military funeral." As Tidball proudly
proclaimed, "Battery A has the honor of having introduced this custom into
the service, and it is worthy of historical note."[12]

It became a standard component to U.S. military funerals in 1891.[10]

"Taps" is sounded during each of the military wreath ceremonies conducted at
the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every year, including the ones held on
Memorial Day. The ceremonies are viewed by many people, including veterans,
school groups, and foreign officials. "Taps" also is sounded nightly in
military installations at non-deployed locations to indicate that it is
"lights out", and often by Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Girl Guides to mark
the end of an evening event such as a campfire.

Melody and lyrics

The melody of "Taps" is composed entirely from the written notes of the C
major triad (i.e., C, E, and G, with the G used in the lower and higher
octaves). This is because the bugle, for which it is written, can play only
the notes in the harmonic series of the instrument's fundamental tone; a
B-flat bugle thus plays the notes B-flat, D, and F. "Taps" uses the third,
fourth, fifth, and sixth partials.

Taps in C

"Taps" is a bugle call - a signal, not a song. As such, there is no
associated lyric. Many bugle calls had words associated with them as a
mnemonic device but these are not lyrics. A Horace Lorenzo Trim wrote a set
of words intended to accompany the music:[13]

Day is done, gone the sun,

>From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;

All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

Fading light, dims the sight,

And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.

>From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.

Thanks and praise, for our days,

'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, neath the sky;

As we go, this we know, God is nigh.

Sun has set, shadows come,

Time has fled, Scouts must go to their beds

Always true to the promise that they made.

While the light fades from sight,

And the stars gleaming rays softly send,

To thy hands we our souls, Lord, commend.

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfe4TxvUOiw> 

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfe4TxvUOiw> "Taps" performed in Arlington
National Cemetery (summer ...

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4_uTsBzg4s> 

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4_uTsBzg4s> Taps Across America

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWrMeBR8W-c> 

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWrMeBR8W-c> Toby Keith - American Soldier

Joy Breslauer, First Vice President

National Federation of the Blind of Montana 

Web Site:  <http://www.nfbofmt.org/> http://www.nfbofmt.org

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