TAPS
We in the United States have all heard the haunting song, "Taps".
It is the song that gives us that lump in our throats and usually tears in our eyes.
Following is the story behind the song.
Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when Union Army Captain
Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harris's Landing in Virginia. The Confederate
Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land. During the
night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded
on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate Soldier, the Captain
decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention.
Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken
Soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment. When the Captain finally
reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate solder, but the
soldier was dead. The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and
went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier.
It was his own son.
The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out.
Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army.
The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his superiors
to give his son a full military burial, despite his enemy status. His request was
only partially granted. The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army
band members playa funeral dirge for his son at the funeral. The request was
turned down since the soldier was a Confederate. But, out of respect for the
father, they did say they could give him only one musician. The Captain chose a
bugler. He asked the bugler to playa series of musical notes he had found on a
piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth's uniform. This wish was granted.
The haunting melody, we now know as "Taps" used at military funerals, was
born. The words are: Day is done.. .Gone the sun. From the lakes.. .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...Gleammg 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.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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CWO2 JOHN W ABERNATHY
1969 – 1971
CAPTAIN RICHARD C ADAMS
1972 – 1974
CS3 JOSE D AGUIGUI
1963 – 1964
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SK3 DALE L ALDRICH
1969 – 1971
SD1 DIONISIO F ASPIRAS SR
1966 – 1970
ADJ3 ELLIS M AXON
1972
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BM2 PHILLIP M BAFFORD
1983 – 1985
SF1 REX C BARKER
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
CDR REAVES H BAYSINGER JR
1967 – 1968
HT1 ERNEST BLANKENSHIP
1981 – 1985
PCSN JACK BLANKENSHIP
1981 – 1982
BTC WILLIAM D BONG
1967 – 1970
MR2 ROBERT J BRATH JR
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
LTjg EARNIE R BREEDING
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
CS3 RICHARD M BRIDGEFORD
1963 – 1966
PLANKOWNER
QM2 JOHN E BUMSTEAD
1969 – 1972
LT ANDREW J BURTON
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
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LT CHARLES CARDENY
1972 – 1973
CDR DAVID R CARLISLE
1970 – 1971
LTjg ROBERT W CARLSON
1967 – 1969
SN JOHN L CASALI
1963 – 1966
PLANKOWNER
BT3 CARLOS CASTRO
1969 - 1970
SKSN FRED CAUDELL
1965 – 1966
SHC BILL J CAUDLE
1968 – 1971
SA RUSSELL W CHAMBERLIN
1963 – 1964
PLANKOWNER
SH3 WILLIAM J CHAMBERLIN
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
SM1 HAROLD S CHASE
1968 – 1973
CWO WILLIAM R CLEMENTS
1963 – 1966
PLANKOWNER
OS1 BARON D COLEMAN
1990 – 1993
BT1 ELMER F COLTON
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
BM3 ROY A COOPER
1965 – 1967
CDR BELMONT W COUSINS
1978 – 1980
EMFN EDWIN L CRENSHAW
1963 – 1964
PLANKOWNER
MMC FRANCASIO P CUARENTA
1968 – 1972
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D
LT CLARKE O DENNISON
1965 – 1968
HMC RICHARD DONNELLY
1980 – 1983
SH3 MICHAEL R DORE
1972 – 1973
MMCM FRANK C DREW
1966 – 1968
MA2 RICHARD M DUCKETT
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
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BT3 DONALD E EAVES
1965 – 1967
SDC LUIS EBUEN
1966 – 1970
BM1 KEITH ELLIS
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
SN RON A EMERY
1965 – 1968
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RD3 STEPHEN R FARQUAHAR
1964 – 1965
DP2 EDWARD J FASSIO
1969 – 1971
LCDR HARRY H FEIT JR
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
EM3 RICHARD O FEVOLD
1963 – 1966
PLANKOWNER
LT RICHARD C FISHER
1965 – 1967
MMCM CARL FREE
1974 – 1976
CS2 JAMES FREEMAN
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
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MSSN CRAIG L GAFFNER
1986 – 1987
DP3 VINCENT F GIACALONE
1969 – 1970
RDC RAYMOND P GILLMAN
1968 – 1970
HMC RICHARD S GODFREY
1963 - 1965
PLANKOWNER
BMCS WORDEN S GONYEA
1966 – 1970
EMC HONORIO C GOROSPE
1966 – 1969
CSCS JOHN W GRABE
1966 – 1968
CSCS CLIFTON C GRABILL
1963 – 1967
PLANKOWNER
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PC1 LEVIN C HACKETT
1964 – 1967
LT CHARLES E HALL
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
AMH2 HENRY A HAMMONDS
1972
AKCM GEORGE W HANDLIN
1967 – 1969
SM1 CHARLES H HARDIN
1969 – 1971
BT2 LAWRENCE L HARRIS
1963 – 1967
PLANKOWNER
SK3 RICK D HARRIS
1978 – 1981
SM2 WILLIAM M HARRISON
1980 – 1984
LCDR CARL T HEALER
1969 – 1971
SK3 JAMES T HEWEY
1965 – 1968
CAPTAIN IRA M HIPPER
1985 – 1986
SMC ROBERT C HURLEY
1967 – 1969
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MS1 PAPU P IORAMO
1992
MM3 PHILLIP T IVES
1968 – 1970
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BT3 RICKY S JACOBS
1970 – 1973
PN2 DUDLEY JENAN
1965 – 1968
MMCM ELLSWORTH D JOHNSON
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
SK2 DONALD G JONES
1967 – 1969
SK1 CECILIO C JUDAL
1966 – 1969
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SM3 RAY R KELLY
1964 – 1966
PNC THOMAS J KIRK
1981 – 1984
ENC RICHARD A KNAPP
1988 – 1989
CAPTAIN ALBERT E KNUTSON
1971 – 1972
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LTjg CLYDE E LASSEN
1967 – 1968
DK2 JAMES L LAWEN
1966 – 1967
EN3 WILLIAM C LING
1963 – 1967
PLANKOWNER
AKC STANLEY L LOCZOWSKI
1963 – 1967
PLANKOWNER
LT GERALD T LOMBARDI
1965 – 1967
AK1 EARL LONGWORTH
1963 – 1964
PLANKOWNER
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M
SA PETER J MADAIKA
1963-1965
PLANKOWNER
GMGC OTTO MAHONEY
1968 – 1971
EN2 LANDON L MARKWITH
1966 – 1967
BM2 FRANCIS S MARRARA
1963 – 1967
PLANKOWNER
SK3 GILBERT T MAYON
1963 – 1967
PLANKOWNER
MA3 MILTON L McFARREN
1963 – 1964
PLANKOWNER
SK1 JOSEPH L McGEE
1967 – 1969
CWO2 CHARLES W McGRATH
1983 – 1987
SN GEORGE M McGUNNIGLE
1967 – 1968
RD2 ROYCE E McQUAIG
1965 – 1968
CWO CHARLES McVAY
1967 – 1970
CAPTAIN RUSSELL C MEDLEY
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
LTjg EDWARD W MOELLER
1967 – 1970
CDR EDWARDS M MORRIS
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
LTjg GEORGE MUNGER
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
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EN2 FLOYD O NAZOZRUA
1977 – 1979
SN RICHARD A NEFF
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
MM3 MAYNARD L NELSON
1967 – 1969
MM1 WALTER W NELSON
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
FTG3 JOHN L NICHOLSON
1969 – 1971
ETCM MARVIN NOLAN
1974 – 1976
LCDR HERBERT NORR
1972 – 1974
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GMG3 DENNIS R OTTO
1967
CS2 BOBBY D OTTS
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
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SH1 TRUBIE PALMER
1967 – 1968
SKCM HENRY PASTERNAK
1963 – 1964
PLANKOWNER
QMC EUGENE G PICKERILL
1967 – 1969
SN LARRY PLUMMER
1965 – 1966
SKC NORMAN C POWER
1966 – 1968
R
RDSN JOHN S RAYKOWSKI
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
FT2 TERRY W REED
1963 – 1967
PLANKOWNER
SKC LONNIE D REESE JR
1963 – 1964
PLANKOWNER
MSCS CARLITO D REYES
1976 – 1978
CAPTAIN HORACE R RILEY JR
1966 – 1968
PCC DAVID A RINGLER
1972 – 1974
SK3 DAVID J ROCK
1970 – 1971
DP1 PAUL E ROCKSTAD
1963 – 1971
PLANKOWNER
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LT SHERMAN C SALISBURY
1964 – 1966
BM2 FRED H SCHLICHTHOLZ
1966 – 1969
BT1 MICHAEL E SCHOTT
1969 – 1970
RMC PAUL A SCHUTZ
1974 – 1976
SHSN DONALD A SILLIVEN
1967 – 1969
LT ARNOLD L SINGER
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
GMGC GEORGE F SLATTERY
1966 – 1968
SK2 JAMES F SLOCUM
1969 – 1971
ET3 THOMAS R SNAY
1987 – 1988
SK3 JAMES A STEMPLE
1969 – 1972
SK1 SHELDON C STONER
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
EN1 ALBERT L STORY
1970 – 1972
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SK1 TOMMY S TAAGA
1987 – 1989
SKSN HERSHEL J THOMPSON
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
LT WILLIAM C TONEY
1966 – 1967
SK2 RICHARD A TOON
1963 – 1966
PLANKOWNER
LT HOWARD F TRODAHL
1966 – 1970
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QM3 MARK A UPTON
1981 – 1985
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SK1 RICARDO A VALES
1972 – 1973
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SK3 JIMMIE G WADE
1966 – 1968
EN3 VERNON E WALTERS
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
BM1 LEON WASHINGTON
1972 – 1973
CAPTAIN GEORGE C WATKINS
1965 – 1966
CWO STERLING E WATSON
1972 – 1973
CDR HENRY J WERTIN
1965 – 1967
LTjg PHILLIP H WEST
1979 – 1982
CWO4 TEX L WESTERN
1963 – 1965
PLANKOWNER
SN VAYNE A WHEELER
1963 – 1966
PLANKOWNER
IC1 MORM WOJCZYNSKI
1963 – 1967
PLANKOWNER
LT NEIL H WOODWARD
1968 – 1971
BM1 ROY J WRIGHT
1963 – 1966
PLANKOWNER
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