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Posts Tagged ‘Assembly’

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“Taps” at 50th Anniversary Commemoration of the Vietnam War Ceremony at Tulalip

Posted by glennled on April 30, 2015

Vietnam War Commemoration Flag

Vietnam War Commemoration Flag

On 7 February 2015, some 150 veterans, family members, and friends gathered at the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center, north of Everett, WA, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War. The theme of the ceremony was “Welcome Home,” exemplified by displaying the new Vietnam War Commemoration Flag.

In a Proclamation (see http://www.vietnamwar50th.com), President Barack Obama declared that the period 28 May 2012 through 11 November 2025 is designated as “Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War.” He called upon federal, state, and local officials to honor, with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities, “our Vietnam veterans, our fallen, our wounded, those unaccounted for, our prisoners of war, their families, and all who served.” That’s just what the hosts did on this occasion. The sponsors were the Tulalip Veterans Center and the Washington State Gold Star Mothers (see my posts of 06/17/2014 and 06/19/2014).

USS Koiner (DE-331)

Some 15 symbols on the flag are explained at http://www.vietnamwar50th.com/about/about_the_flag. Martin Spani of VFW Post 1040, Lynnwood, spoke about each one. The message at the bottom of the flag has special meaning to Vietnam vets: “A Grateful Nation Thanks and Honors You.” The keynote address was presented by Vietnam veteran, Michael Reagan, of the Fallen Heroes Project (see my posts of 11/19/2011, 11/19/2012, and 06/17/2014).

To open the ceremony, I sounded the bugle call, “Assembly.” At its conclusion, I sounded “Taps.” I also am a Vietnam War veteran—Lt., USNR, served in Operation Market Time off Vietnam in 1965-67, USS Koiner (DE-331), Operations Officer. The Koiner was home-ported in Agana, Guam during the Vietnam War. She was named for Ltjg. James Duval Koiner who died during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942.

You may click on any image to enlarge it.

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5th Annual Wreath Dedication at Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, Seattle

Posted by glennled on April 28, 2015

Lianna Bennett sits at the headstone of her grandfather U.S. Army Col. William W. Etchemendy during Wreaths Across America's 150th anniversary, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Lianna Bennett sits at the headstone of her grandfather, U.S. Army Col. William W. Etchemendy, during Wreaths Across America’s ceremony, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Every December, every year, the crowds keep getting bigger as the Wreaths Across America ceremony spreads and becomes more well-known. Here in Seattle, it was celebrated for the fifth time on 13 December 2014, at the Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery at Evergreen-Washelli. The prime sponsor of the local event is Navy Wives Clubs of America #277, led by Lorraine Zimmerman.

The 1st Corps Command Honor Guard performed Color Guard duties. For the fifth year in a row, the Honor Guard of VFW Post 1040 in Lynnwood furnished the rifle team and bugler for the rifle salute and bugle calls, “Assembly” and “Taps,” and as you know, I’m 1040’s Post Bugler. I’ve posted two other articles in this blog about this annual event (see my posts of 12/16/2011 and 1/9/2013).

This ceremony has its roots in the patriotic experience of the owner of the Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, in 1992, when he and others took some surplus wreaths to be laid at selected tombstones, including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. At the third website in the list below, you can read the history of how this ceremony has spread nationwide since 2007, when the non-profit organization, Wreaths Across America (WAA), was formed.

In 2010, WAA and its national network of volunteers laid more than 220,000 memorial wreaths at 545 locations in the USA and beyond. One year later, Navy Wives Club #277 joined that group of volunteers in bringing the ceremony to Evergreen-Washelli and Seattle.

For additional information, please go to the following websites:

 

 

 

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“Echo Taps” on Veterans Day at Veterans Park in Lynnwood, 11-11-2014

Posted by glennled on April 15, 2015

Trumpeters who sounded "Echo Taps"

Trumpeters who sounded “Echo Taps”

Why is this holiday on 11 November? Because that’s when World War I ended—at the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. And that helps explain why, 96 years later on Veterans Day 2014, the memorial ceremony at Veterans Park in Lynnwood, WA commenced at 11 a.m.

VFW Post 1040 hosted the event, attended by hundreds of people who gathered to honor all veterans. Participants included Lynnwood Mayor Nicola Smith, Puget Sound Honor Flight, Northwest Junior Pipe Band, Boy Scouts Troup 49, Cub Scouts from BSA Pack 331, Legion of Honor  of the Nile Shrine Center, and the VFW Post 1040 Honor Guard.

As VFW Post 1040 bugler, I sounded three bugle calls: “Assembly” to call the people to order to commence the ceremony, “Echo Taps” to conclude the ceremony, and afterwards at noon, “To the Color,” to raise the flag from half-staff to full-mast. In playing “Echo Taps,” I was joined by a trumpet student of mine from Juanita High School in Kirkland. Please click on the photo to enlarge it.

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Bugle Calls at Memorial Day Ceremony, Edmonds Community College

Posted by glennled on June 17, 2014

Veterans Monument, Edmonds Community College

“From Boots to Books,” Veterans Monument, Edmonds Community College

On 21 May, Edmonds Community College (ECC) held a ceremony to honor those who died during military service–that’s what Memorial Day is all about. As an Honor Guard member of VFW Post 1040, I was fortunate to be a participant. I’m the post bugler, and I got to sound three bugle calls: “Assembly,” “To the Color,” and “Taps.”

Chris Szarek arranged the impressive, dignified program. Chris is the first director of the X-DSC_0196 (2) Veterans Resource Center at ECC, which was established in 2012, to “assist veterans in navigating enrollment, help them access educational and financial benefits, and offer other resources while veterans attend college.” The program started in the Black Box Theatre in Mukilteo Hall, shifted outdoors to the bronze monument entitled “From Boots to Books,” and concluded with a flag-lowering ceremony at the flag plaza. Incidentally, the monument was unveiled in June, 2010.

The guest speaker was Michael G. Reagan, a Vietnam veteran and local artist who has drawn portraits of ~3800 fallen military men and women as part of his Fallen Heroes Project. Please see my post of 19 November 2011 (find it in the Archives in the left-hand column) and his website, http://www.fallenheroesproject.org. Reagan has helped raise more than $10 million for a long list of charities.

Leonard Martin, Guest of Honor, U.S. Army veteran of WW II

Leonard Martin, Guest of Honor, U.S. Army veteran of WW II

 

The Guest of Honor at the ceremony was Leonard Martin (89) of Snohomish, WA. As a corporal in the 104th Infantry Division, “The Timberwolves,” U.S. Army, he landed at Utah Beach in Normandy, in September, 1944. They fought their way up to Holland, and he was captured on 31 October 1944. He spent the next six months as a POW in a German camp. He was liberated on 13 April, and V-E Day came on 8 May 1945.

Dr. Jean Hernandez, President, Edmonds Community College

Dr. Jean Hernandez, President, Edmonds Community College

Another featured speaker was Dr. Jean Hernandez, president of ECC since January, 2011. How different is that from 1967-69! That’s when, as a Vietnam veteran, I was an Assistant Professor of Naval Science at the University of Washington, teaching NROTC on campus. The UW president would never have spoken at one of our memorial ceremonies. This was the time of violent campus protests about the Vietnam War. In fact, on 18 September 1968, I came to work and found that Clark Hall had been the target of an arson fire–someone had attempted to burn down the NROTC building! The fire did about $100,000 in damage.

So, thanks to Dr. Hernandez and others, there is a Veterans Resource Center and a veterans monument at ECC, and on this 21 May, she spoke eloquently about Memorial Day. I hope this ceremony is an annual event.

Photos are courtesy of the Veterans Resource Center at ECC. Some were taken by Todd Clayton and others by Susie Beresford. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Three Bugle Calls at Memorial Day Ceremony, Veterans Park, Lynnwood

Posted by glennled on June 1, 2013

286 flags to honor the Washingtonians who died in the Irag War

286 flags to honor the Washingtonians who died in the Irag War

Of course it rained in Lynnwood on Memorial Day! That’s because there was an outdoor ceremony being performed at Veterans Park to honor our nation’s war dead. It always rains then–it’s traditional. But some 250 people didn’t care and came anyway, God bless ’em!

Glenn Ledbetter sounds "Echo Taps"

Glenn Ledbetter sounds “Echo Taps”

And as Bugler of VFW Post 1040, I had the privilege to sound three bugle calls—first, “Assembly,” to catch the crowd’s attention and cue the Northwest Jr. Pipe Band to commence the ceremony; then “Echo Taps” to close the ceremony; and finally, “To the Color” when honors were rendered as the American flag was hoisted to full mast at noon, according to custom and protocol.

 

Boy Scouts Troop 49 of Lynnwood placed flags in the park and distributed the programs. Garret Lloyd King sang three songs, and VFW Post Piper Ray Colby played “God Bless America” on the bagpipes. The Northwest Jr. Pipe Band played “Green Hills,” “Battles Ore,” and “Amazing Grace.” The “echo” part of “Taps” was sounded by Josiah Chupik, lead trumpeter of the Woodinville High School Bands and a former trumpet student of mine. And the three-volley rifle salute by the VFW Post 1040 Honor Guard was perfect.

 

Please click on any photo to enlarge it. For more information, please see:

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