Bugles Across America is honored to announce the appointment of Mr. Glenn Traylor as the new State Director of North Carolina. Glenn resides in Raleigh, NC with his wife Janet. For the last 20 years, Glenn has served as a Scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America, and has mentored and trained several Eagle Scouts, including his son Paul Traylor. Although having never served in the Armed Forces, he got a front row seat to the world, as his dad was a career Army soldier. 

   Glenn states, “I am an Army brat.   I was born in what is present day Eritrea   (Northern Africa).  My father, deceased, served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam and was stationed in Africa, Europe and Asia (and the US).  He was buried at Sandhills Veterans Cemetary at Fort Bragg with full honors.  I was honored to play Taps at his funeral.  As an Army brat my family followed my father. ...

By Larry S. Wiseman, Bugler and National Coordinator, BAA
Over the last eleven plus years, the volunteers of our organization have experienced a vast myriad of “highs and lows” when it comes to Honoring the fallen. In the early days, Tom Day gave the call to his friends to come alongside him to begin the journey; a journey that has brought us where we are today. Along the way, we have seen a lot of respect shown to us all, and we have also been discouraged and disrespected by some. One often wonders why we would see disrespect, when our main focus has always been to honor the fallen.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Don Ware as the new State Director in Georgia. Mr. Ray Tanner will remain on as Assistant Director, and BAA is very indebted to Ray for his leadership for the last two years. For the last two years, Don Ware has been Asst. Director, assigned to the Quick Response Team of buglers at the Georgia National Cemetery. This team of buglers has been working closely with the National Guard, perfoming approximately 3,000 services in the last two years. Don is a former police officer of 8 years, the father of 7 children, ranging in ages from 5 to 23. His son is currently serving in the US Marine Corps, and his oldest daughter is at the University of Mississippi. Don and his wife Kim reside in North Georgia, and they both work for Moneris Solutions, a credit card management company. Don says"Most of all, I believe in Jesus Christ...

Republished with permission from the Author and the Youngstown Ohio Vindicator Bugles Across America Provides Taps for Grieving Families By William K. Alcorn

alcorn@vindy.com

POLAND

The strains of “Taps” from Reagan E. Moon’s bugle floated across Poland Riverside Cemetery as he paid tribute to the grandfather he never knew, William “Bill” Willis Barris, a World War I “doughboy.”

Ironically, Barris was his company bugler.

He had seen a picture of Barris at his mother’s home near Houston, Texas, standing astride a trench in France holding his bugle. But it didn’t make much of an impact on the retired career Air Force veteran until he became a member of Bugles Across America, a volunteer organization dedicated to ensuring that a live person plays “Taps” at every military funeral.

Bugles Across...

     This just in fromVirginia State Director John Blair who writes:  "Thanks to all of you who took the time to play Taps this last Friday evening to honor those in this tragedy. I had a terrific response to the email and estimate that close to 100 of you participated in this. A special thanks you to our own Tommy South & Russell Wilson who played "Echo Taps" at the Virginia War Memorial here in Richmond."  In 2008, Susan and I had the pleasure of meeting Tommy South at the WWII Memorial as part of the White House Moment of Remembrance.These gentlemen are loyal and dedicated, and we are honored to know them. A very special thanks goes out to CBS affiliate WTVR(video below) for this very touching story.

...

L-R Bugler, Randy Rawlings, Asst. Dir. Jim Houston& LarryWiseman founding members at the 2010 Spirit of 45 Event Visit the Website www.spiritof45.org Georgia Assistant Director, Jim Houston has done a remarkable job of organizing the Spirit of 45 event, to commemorate the end of WWII. It will held on Sunday, August 14th, at the Veterans Wall of Honor, in McDonough, Georgia, 130 Lake Dow Road, in Heritage Park. Many thanks go to the Henry County Parks and Recreation for their support in setting up for the event. County Commissioner Mrs. BJ Mathis will be in attendance. The Griffin Civil Air Patrol Color Guard will present and retire the colors, and the Bethany Baptist Church Celebration Choir and Orchestra, will have special Armed Forces music. There will be WWII Veterans as guest speakers, and two wreath laying ceremonies to honor the fallen. At the end of the program, buglers from BAA will perform Taps Chorale, an echo Taps arrangement, written by National Coordinator, Larry Wiseman. The public is invited.  See the link below to view the flyer....

A friend of mine who is also an aircraft maintenance technician, called me last evening to inform me that one of his close friends passed away suddenly on Sunday, and asked if we could support his Military Funeral Honors with a live bugler. I not only accomodated his request, but I made some calls, and made sure that this gentleman receives Full Honors.

As a National Coordinator, I have had the priviledge and honor of knowing Mr. Hartmut Hausser for several years now. Although we have not formally met, my wife Susan(The Tribute Lady) and I have spoken to him by phone and email, so many times that we feel like he is one of our family. He is indeed one of our BAA family members, and his love and devotion to our Nation, to both honor our troops, and to take care of them at Landsthul, is beyond description. Below is a wonderful letter of commendation from Major David Kirk, US Army; one of many that we have received, honoring our brother Hartmut, former German paratrooper himself.

WARNING TO ALL VETERANS!!! PLEASE READ THIS!!! - Monday, January 24, 2011  

An organization called Veterans Affairs Services (VAS) is providing benefit and general information on VA and gathering personal information on veterans. This organization is not affiliated with VA in any way

 

[Websites with the name "vaservices" immediately after the "www" ARE NOT part of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the US Government agency. D o not go to them or if approached or called, do not offer them any information concerning yourself or data on other veterans.

Keep in mind that the real VA website ends in .gov. Also, be aware that the Department...

o   Starting in the month of February BAA had several states and players do programs around the event in history called "The Four Chaplains". Our member Mr. Ken Wales who co authored a book called "Sea of Glory". This was based on a true story about the ship USAT Dorchester that was sunk in the Atlantic Feb. 3, 1943. Hundreds of men were saved by four chaplains who gave their lives so others could live. More details can be found at www.fourchaplains.org

o   In April, the Military Funeral Honors of the Georgia National Guard, along with State Director Larry Wiseman formed a coalition to provide Live Taps for the NG details; this resulted in the formation of the Ga. BAA Quick Response Team,...