Memorial Day Bugle Post

May 25, 2007 6:34 PM

In honor of Memorial Day, the music teacher at my wife's school played TAPS. Find out what they mean while listening to them: The U.S. Army Bugle Calls. In memorium. (not an add for the army or the current "war" or any other political thing.
posted by snsranch (10 comments total)

Hm, it looks like it is all camp calls, I thought I would finally hear that pre-radio classic "we see the enemy and he is cavalry" from back when buglers communicated stuff. Interesting though
posted by Iron Rat at 6:50 PM on May 25, 2007

Also in honor of Memorial Day, Rosie O'Donnell and Elizabeth Hasselbeck of ABC's "The View" duke it for over five minutes over the Iraq war. The first time the show has gone split-screen. An incredible display of the battle between left versus right, truth versus image, what's on the surface versus what lies below.
posted by phaedon at 7:02 PM on May 25, 2007

Can't get to the site right now, but I would bet that it lists many calls that are still played on a daily basis in most Army posts around the country. For example:

Reveille, Retreat, To the Colors - played when raising and lowering the flag, respectively.

Lunch, dinner, recall calls - played for the respective meals. Also played to call soldiers back from those meals, letting them know it's time to get back to work.

Tattoo - played anywhere from 15-30 minutes before Taps.

A few of the others are only used in parades and formal ceremonies - for example, Adjutant's Call and Attention.
posted by zbaco at 8:05 PM on May 25, 2007

And let's don't be paying tribute to fallen soldiers with battery powered bugles, or one of my dead grandfathers might rise up and kick somebody's ass.
posted by hodyoaten at 8:55 PM on May 25, 2007

Taps was one of the things that sticks out when I think of military duty. Standing there on most afternoons and thinking about why that was being played. I have had the same feeling that TAPS evoked very few times in the 17 years since.
posted by winks007 at 9:23 PM on May 25, 2007

From hodyoaten's link; 'learn' new taps -- mp3s for: U.S. Army, British Army, Navy, South Africa...
posted by acro at 9:51 PM on May 25, 2007

Similar post here
posted by knapah at 3:42 AM on May 26, 2007

this is all good
posted by Busithoth at 9:21 AM on May 26, 2007

For those in need of a bugler, start here. This volunteer website offers the services of live buglers for military funerals as opposed to the audio electronic bugle insert. The authorization of this device prompted a backlash and Bugles Across America was inundated with volunteers.

BAA Requests are forwarded to a bugler or buglers in your area.

Enjoy your weekend, but please take a moment to remember.

IAAB.
posted by bach at 8:37 PM on May 26, 2007

Here in Korea, we only get Reveille(6am), Retreat(5pm), and Taps.(I think 11pm, I'm usually asleep by then). I didn't know they had bugle calls for half that stuff on the schedule.

And it's a canned recording.

Best Retreat/Flag ceremony I ever saw was at Post HQ at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Real good stuff, that was.
posted by SeanMac at 2:43 AM on May 27, 2007