| A Photo Gallery of Buglers |
In 1890 Oliver Willcox Norton wrote about bugling,
"That familiar sound echoing among the rocks where they had fought brought back, perhaps more vividly than words could do, the
memories of the days when they had answered so often to its sound."
This page contains photos of buglers and trumpeters from around the country and one in England. These men and women come from all walks of life.
Some are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces in specialties other than music, some have retired, and some are civilians. All share the same
thing - they have answered the call to sound Taps at funerals and ceremonies when a military bugler cannot be obtained.
The most sacred duty a bugler can perform is the sounding of Taps. These twenty-four notes, created on a hot and humid July afternoon in 1862,
comprise our nation's most eloquent melody. Played for a nationwide audience, or at a ceremony for a few people, Taps is performed with the
utmost care and perfection.
"That familiar sound echoing among the rocks where they had fought brought back, perhaps more vividly than words could do, the
memories of the days when they had answered so often to its sound."
This page contains photos of buglers and trumpeters from around the country and one in England. These men and women come from all walks of life.
Some are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces in specialties other than music, some have retired, and some are civilians. All share the same
thing - they have answered the call to sound Taps at funerals and ceremonies when a military bugler cannot be obtained.
The most sacred duty a bugler can perform is the sounding of Taps. These twenty-four notes, created on a hot and humid July afternoon in 1862,
comprise our nation's most eloquent melody. Played for a nationwide audience, or at a ceremony for a few people, Taps is performed with the
utmost care and perfection.
| Tom Day, Berwyn, IL BAA National Director |
| Dan Erickson, BAA Wisconsin State Director Sounding Taps on the new American Heritage Field Trumpet made by Getzen. An active supporter of BAA and bugling, his website is www.fieldtrumpet.com |
| Pete Latham, Saltford, England Royal Navy veteran, served 1962-1977. Sounded Taps at Omaha Beach Military Cemetery, Normandy, France in May 2003. "For the past two years I've sounded 'Last Post' and then 'The Rouse' (after the two min. silence)." |
| SFC Lynette Streitfield, BAA Rhode Island State Director Photo is from the Cumberland, RI Veterans Day Ceremony November, 2002. |
| Dennis Lockwood, BAA Arkansas State Director Sounding Taps in the Ozarks. "I took this picture because the widow of one veteran asked for a copy that she could give to her grandchildren." |
| MSgt. Ron Glazer, Hagerstown, MD, 167 Airlift Wing, WV Air National Guard "MOUNTAINEER PRIDE WORLDWIDE." Ron's story of asking Getzen to overhaul a bugle led to the development of the American Heritage Field Trumpet. This photo was taken at Shepherd College, Shepherdstown, WV on Veterans Day, 2003. Taps was sounded as a C130H flew over at the end of the ceremony. Ron is using his American Heritage Field Trumpet. |
| SK1 Jason Etters, USCG Group, Milwaukee WI Photo taken at Miller Park on Armed Forces Day, May 17th 2003. |
| Gene Horner, BAA Alaska State Director Sounding Taps at Mt McKinley, July 4, 2002 |
| Val "Buddy" Bialecki. Easthampton, MA Performing at the Moving Wall when it was in Easthampton, MA in 2002. |
| David Edberg, Irvine, CA |
| Don Edberg, Irvine, CA |
| Joseph O. Strite, Fayetteville, PA Retired physician sounding Taps at VFW. Joe is using a Stomvi bugle. |
| Sgt. Rebecca Doucette, New Hampton, NH, and MSgt. Jari Villanueva serenade Mark Elrod at his Legion of Merit ceremony, June 2003. Becca is playing a Stomvi bugle, and Jari is using his Bach. |
| Ethan Katz, Manchester, NH Student of trumpeter and bugler Rebecca Doucette, trying out the Getzen field trumpet. |
| TSgt Stephen Goshor, F-16 Crew Chief, 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, "The Green Mountain Boys" |
| TSgt James Noble, 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, "The Green Mountain Boys." Photo taken at a 9/11 remembrance ceremony/fly-by at the VT Air Guard. |
| FT1/SS Donald A. Davis, USN Taps sounded at a burial at sea in early 2001 aboard the USS Maine SSBN-741(B). "High winds and a fairly rough sea state, as well as the cramped conditions in the port side lookout puka. My elbows are braced and my cover is crammed down on my head to keep it from blowing away." |
| Ronald Bernasconi, Peru, VT Sounding Taps at the grave of General Daniel Butterfield in the cemetery at West Point. "I first played his brigade call and then Taps." |
| MSGT Mark Elrod, USA (Ret.), Germantown, MD Posing with a Stomvi bugle. |
| Anthony VanCampen, Norfolk, VA Tony has sounded Taps at Navy burials at sea for the last 10 years. |
| Sean Smith, Naperville, IL BAA Illinois Assistant State Director, Cadet Corps Director |
| Young Marines SSGT Chelsea Huggett , Lecanto, FL Chelsea sounds Taps each week to conclude the Manatee Young Marines meeting |
| Jeff Stockham, Syracuse, NY Posing in front of the Kennedy bugle display at Arlington National Cemetery. |
| Sandra Chesnut, Sarasota, FL "Between 1974 and 1982 I served Active Army with The Forces Command Band out of Ft. McPherson, GA and the 101st Airborne Division Band out of Ft. Campbell, KY." |
| Unknown older bugler If you ever think it's too cold to perform or think you are feeling too ill to play, just carry this photo along. I think it speaks volumes. |
| Marc Simpson, Blount County, TN Taps sounded at funeral for a local politician. Photo submitted by David C. Stilson, BAA Tennessee State Director. |
| Carl Copp, USMC |
| Robert Goodman, Mechanicsburg, PA Sounding Taps at a flag disposal ceremony in August, 2003, using the American Heritage Field Trumpet.. |
| Tim Seaton |
| Sgt. Duane D. Fly, St. Louis, MO "Working with the Military Honors Program at Jefferson Barracks. We cover Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery and the eastern part of the state of Missouri." |
| Mike Nuckolls, Little Rock, AR Taps in the rotunda of the state capital. |
| John P. Kowzan, LTC, USAR (Ret), Spokane,WA Sounding Taps decked out in his Army dress blue uniform. |
| Frosty Lawson, Haskell, NJ Frosty is also a Civil War re-enactor |
| Joseph Feser, Alaska US Coast Guard, retired. |
| Ross E. Medos, BAA Michigan State Director "Photo was taken while I was explaining how the new digital bugle would work." |
| Bill Crowder Bugler and Civil War re-enactor with the 4th US |
| Douglas E. Grunn, New Jersey Bugler, cornetist, and Civil War re-emactor |
| Tom Eckrich , Loveland, CO Sounding Taps at Loveland Burial Park |
| Walter Salvari, Los Angeles, CA Scoutmaster, Union Avenue Drum & Bugle Corps, BSA - Troop 58 and Boy Scout troop in action. This photo was taken during Memorial Day at Forest Lawn's Independence Hall, in Los Angeles, CA. |
| Tom Ackman, BAA Virginia State Director "Photo was taken in front of the office where I work in Tyson's Corner VA, sounding Taps on the first anniversary of 9/11 - 9/11/2002." |
| Joy Oakes Sounding Taps in Canton, MA January 13, 2004 |
| Sgt. Rick Caccam, San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department, Stockton, CA Performing at the 2003 Peace Officer Memorial ceremony in Stockton, CA. "I am a founding member of the San Joaquin County, CA, Sheriff's Department Honor Guard. I have been playing trumpet/bugle since 1964." Photo courtesy of Craig Sander, The Stockton Record. |
| Dorothy Pence, Minot, ND Playing Taps during a Memorial Day service in 1998. The 82-year-old has sounded Taps more than 725 times. Photo special to The Forum Bob Lind column: "Neighbors: Love of life: Minot's Pence continues playing taps and tennis" |
| Jari Villanueva, Baltimore, MD |
| Peter Borreggine (DM2/MU2), USN disabled veteran, MD Peter has sounded Taps at the Lincoln Memorial on Memorial Day for the past two years by request of the White House Commission on Remembrance. |
| Mark O'Keeffe, The Meadowlands, NJ Mark is founder and director of the All-Star Buglers, professional buglers who sound calls at the nation's racetracks and other venues |