Glenn’s Trumpet Notes

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Posts Tagged ‘Super Olds’

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“Showtune Favorites” Trumpet Show at Chateau Pacific Retirement Community in Lynnwood

Posted by glennled on April 18, 2018

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Glenn Ledbetter’s “Showtune Favorites” trumpet show, Chateau Pacific Retirement Community, Lynnwood

Trumpet shows at retirement communities are unusual. More often, the residents are treated to piano, guitar, or flute music and singers. But after I performed a one-hour show entitled “Showtune Favorites: Hit Songs from Musicals and Movies” on 29 March for an audience of about 40+ in the Fireside Lounge at Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Andrea Uchytil, the Life Enrichment Director, said to me, “We want you back soon!”

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Andrea Uchytil, Life Enhancement Director, Chateau Pacific Retirement Community

Before the show, she had warned me, “People come and go during these shows.” But there was very little of that. People hummed and sang along to songs from The Sound of Music, Porgy and Bess, Casablanca, South Pacific, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, Hello Dolly, and more. And they chuckled or groaned at my jokes. I performed at Happy Hour (3:30 p.m.), and indeed, it was a happy time for all of us.

I used three horns, two mutes, and three mouthpieces during the show: my Super Olds cornet (1954), Getzen Eterna Severinsen trumpet (c. 1977), and Jupiter JPT-416 Pocket Trumpet (2000). IMG_4983

Meanwhile, I enjoyed learning about Chateau Pacific Retirement Community (see http://www.chateau-pacific.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/Chateau-Retirement-144233238701/ ). It is located near the intersection of State Highways 99 and 525 in north Lynnwood.

Chateau Pacific was built in 2000, and is 4 stories high. The community has the capacity of 147 apartments, including the Memory Care units which can accommodate 24 residents. The Independent and Assisted Living units are integrated throughout the whole community. Units for Respite Care are not available on a regular basis.

There are five basic floor plans. Counting the variations of those plans, there are actually 15 different layouts, as shown on the website:

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Chateau Pacific Retirement Community, Lynnwood

  • Studio, 1 Bth – from 294 to 431 sq.ft.
  • 1 Bdrm, 1 Bth – from 457 to 738 sq.ft.
  • 2 Bdrm, 1 Bth – from 821 to 834 sq.ft.
  • 2 Bdrm, 2 Bth – from 854 to 895 sq.ft.

The Photo Gallery at http://www.chateau-pacific.com/senior-living/wa/lynnwood/photo-gallery contains 20 photos, showing the rooms, common areas including indoor pool and fitness room, garden, patio, fireside lounge area, game room, and library reading room.

Photos by Brian Seguin, Gary Walderman, and Chateau Pacific. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.

The Fireside Lounge, restored to its usual warm, comfortable setting

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My New Jupiter Pocket Trumpet

Posted by glennled on March 31, 2018

 

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Jupiter Pocket Trumpet JPT-416

We’ve been travelling more than ever in the past few years, and each time we return, it takes me awhile to regain my embouchure strength, stamina, power, and slotting control. For years, I would take along my mouthpiece and/or my P.E.T.E. (Personal Embouchure Training Exerciser—please see http://www.warburton-usa.com/index.php/pete).  My intent was to maintain as much embouchure fitness as I could while away, but I missed the many benefits (such as eye-to-hand coordination) of actually playing. A pocket trumpet is specifically designed to fix this problem. I’ve wanted one for a long time.

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L to R: Getzen Eterna Severinsen model 900S, made in c.1977; Jupiter Pocket Trumpet, JPT-416, made in 2000; and Super Olds Cornet, made in 1954 and given to me by my parents as I became a freshman in high school band

Then recently, an excellent trumpeter in Edmonds posted on Facebook a picture of herself playing her pocket trumpet while on a cruise. Enviously, I commented that I want to buy one for myself. Well, in late February, she contacted me and said she was going to sell it—would I be interested in buying? We set an appointment for a tryout. In short, I liked it very much and bought it on 7 March.

It’s a Jupiter model JPT-416. She inherited it when her Dad passed away in 2016. He was a trumpeter also and often sounded “Taps” at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington. She said he purchased it new in 2000, so I am now the third owner. It came with a case and a Bach 1-1/2C mouthpiece. I’m thrilled! It’s in beautiful condition and plays so well. Of course, this model has now been superseded. What is the MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) for the current model, JTR-710? Jupiter informs me that in 2017, it was $1,159.

Before this, I had played only one pocket trumpet, and it gave me fits. I had a great deal of trouble with slotting. I splattered notes all over the place. My embouchure settings from playing my Super Olds cornet and Getzen Eterna Severinsen trumpet simply did not translate to that pocket trumpet. Also, I’d always been warned that many pocket trumpets play out of tune and produce poor tonal quality. So I was concerned.

But I had no such troubles playing this Jupiter. It played easy, open and free, with a solid sound in all registers. My slotting was right on. I used a tuner to check whether the intonation was erratic—I found that it had no more variability than a good quality trumpet. Its clear lacquer finish was impeccable. So I bought it right then and there.

You can bet that on our next trip, it’s going into my suitcase (along with my practice mute)!

Please click on any photo to enlarge it.

 

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My “Things Remembered” Show at SHAG Retirement Community in Lynnwood

Posted by glennled on December 20, 2017

 

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Glenn Ledbetter (background) plays trumpet and cornet in his one-hour show, “Things Remembered,” for SHAG’s Lynnwood City Center Senior Living residents

 

Last Saturday afternoon, 15 December 2017, about 45 people in a retirement community whom I’d never met came to hear me play trumpet. I had promised to perform a one-hour show for them, playing a mixture of 25 songs—12 Christmas songs and 13 songs from classic musicals and movies. I entitled my show “Things Remembered.”

I chose songs to induce them to remember different times and stages in their own lives. Here are some examples. One of the most beautiful songs ever written, “Over the Rainbow,” expresses our universal hopes and dreams about finding happiness and IMG_4631success, and “I’ve Got the World on a String” expresses our achievements of the same. But then, “Stormy Weather” expresses our feelings of failure and depression, while “Make Someone Happy” answers the question of how to make those Over-the-Rainbow dreams come true—love. For caring for babies, those helpless, totally dependent creatures we conceived, “Summertime” says it best.

The Christmas songs I played were to entice us to remember being a kid and later, having kids and grandkids. They tell us of the birth of our Savior. They renew our spirit, they spark new hopes and plans and joy and peace. My elderly audience sang the words from memory.

IMG_4641For thinking about retirement, I chose “When I’m Sixty-Four.” For feeling gratitude, I played “God Bless America.” For summing up our lives, I played the lovely, precious “What a Wonderful World,” and then finished with this earnest farewell, “Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas.”

Amongst the songs, I worked in a dozen jokes that I have shared this year with my 12-year old granddaughter, who last Christmas gave me a whole book of jokes. And I offered a handout to the audience—a list of 50 jokes and riddles from that same book, so that they could share them with their own grandchildren. All 30 copies disappeared.

I played both my Getzen trumpet (Doc Severinsen model) and Super Olds cornet (63 years old). Sometimes I used a Harmon mute, as in “Santa Baby.” When I use a deep-cup mouthpiece with the cornet, it sounds like a flugelhorn. I tried to make my horns sing the lyrics of those lovely songs. IMG_4599

Their kind gifts totaled $20, which I then donated to VFW Post 1040, Lynnwood, where I am the Post Bugler.

 

SHAG’s Lynnwood City Center Senior Living

Senior Housing Assistance Group (SHAG) is a non-profit organization formed in 1988 and is the largest provider of affordable senior apartment homes in Washington State. SHAG offers some units at market rates with no tenant-income restrictions, and others which are for tenants living on limited incomes. In compliance with state and federal laws, SHAG gladly accepts Section 8d and VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) certificates and vouchers.

SHAG  communities serve more than 5,000 active, independent seniors in 25+ locations in the Puget Sound region, from Bellingham to Olympia, including eight locations in Seattle. These locations are near public transit hubs, retail shopping and public services.

All SHAG senior living communities have income and/or age restrictions that residents must meet in order to qualify for an apartment. The Lynnwood City Center Senior Living community serves seniors of all income levels who are 61 or older by the end of the IMG_4649 current year or 55 or older and disabled. The minimum lease term is 6 months, if available, but leases are generally for 12 months. The units are 1- and 2-bedroom size. Certain units have washer/dryer hookups and reserved garage parking. However, you need not own a car to live here. If you qualify, you can join SHAG’s Nissan Leaf Program and drive a so-called “company car.” Many SHAG residents contract with in-home care providers for housekeeping and medical help.

Amenities at Lynnwood City Center include courtyards, a rooftop deck, fully equipped fitness center, social room and TV lounge, craft and game room, business center, pea patch, rooftop dog run, free Wi-Fi in common areas, and social activities. Small pets, such as cats or dogs weighing 25 lbs. or less, are welcome. There is a two-pet maximum per household, and a $100 fee per pet is due at move-in. All pets are subject to approval.

You can reach SHAG’s Lynnwood City Center at www.shaglynnwood.com and 425-201-5284. For SHAG itself, the website is http://www.housing4seniors.com, telephone 1-844-592-SHAG (7424).

Photos are courtesy of SHAG’s Lynnwood City Center. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.

 

 

 

 

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2015 Wreaths Across America–“Never Forget”

Posted by glennled on February 5, 2016

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“Never Forget”

On this same day at this same hour of every year, the same ceremony is conducted in more than 900 locations across America and around the world—wreaths are placed on graves in military cemeteries on the second Saturday of December. It is called Wreaths Across America (WAA) and is an outgrowth of the Arlington Wreath Project, started in 1992. As the popular ceremony spread across the country, WAA was formed in 2007.

Here in Seattle, the theme of the 6th annual ceremony was “Never Forget.” Michael G. Reagan, famed artist of the “Fallen Heroes Project,” was the Keynote Speaker. Reagan was awarded the Citizen Service Before Self Honor (known to some as The Civilian Medal of Honor) on 25 March 2015 by the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation in Arlington, VA.

The local ceremony was held at Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, Evergreen-Washelli, on 12 December. Six military Medal of Honor recipients are buried there. The Navy Wives Club of America (NWCA), Totem 277, led by Donna Turner and Crystal Wilkerson, started hosting this event in 2010. Lorraine Zimmerman is the club’s WAA project leader and site coordinator for Everygreen-Washelli. Totem 277’s territory is from Seattle to Burlington.The primary element of the annual ceremony is the ceremonial wreath dedication by representatives of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, and POW/MIAs.

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“Never Forget”–William W. Wilson, former POW, places flag on wreath, followed by hand salute. Photo by Jacque Hodgen.

Zimmerman introduced the POW/MIA representative with these moving words: “William (Bill) W. Wilson, former Prisoner of the Vietnam War, made 33 missions over NVN and Laos, flying an F-111 before being shot down while bombing the Red River docks in downtown Hanoi on 22 December 1972. He evaded capture for a week, was nearly rescued by a Super Jolly Green helicopter, and then was captured by the North Vietnamese on 29 December. He spent a month in the ‘Heartbreak” section of the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ before being moved to the ‘Zoo.’ He returned to U.S. control on the last C-141A out of Hanoi on 29 March 1973 during Operation Homecoming. Bill will now place a flag [on the POW/MIA wreath] in honor of the more than 83,000 United States Servicemen from all branches of the service whose last known status was either Prisoner of War or Missing in Action. These individuals have never returned to their families and homes. We will not forget you.”

Among the many voluntary participants was the VFW Post 1040 Honor Guard. As Post Bugler,  I played “Assembly” on my Super Olds cornet at 9 a.m. as Zimmerman issued the Call to Order and the 62nd Airlift Wing Air Force Honor Guard presented the colors. To close the ceremony, the VFW Post 1040 Honor Guard fired a perfect rifle salute, and I sounded “Taps.” Afterwards, participants and audience members placed wreaths on numerous tombstones in the cemetery.

For more information, please see:

One photo below is by Geoffrey T. Lewis. All others are by Jacque Hodgen. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.

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High School Band Day at Husky Stadium—UW vs. Idaho State

Posted by glennled on May 27, 2014

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UW Director of Athletic Bands, Dr. Brad McDavid

On 21 September 2013, the University of Washington Husky Marching Band, under the direction of Dr. Brad McDavid, hosted its annual “Band Day.”  In 2013, the Husky Marching Band, created in 1929, commenced its 84th season.

Selected high school bands from all over the state performed in the second home football game held in the newly renovated Husky Stadium in Seattle. The Huskies beat the Bengals of Idaho State University, 56-0, and as a member of the Husky Alumni Band, I got to play my 59-year old Super Olds cornet again. I’m of the UW Class of 1962.

The photos below were taken by Louis Figueroa (ground level) and Garry Nakayama (press box level). Please click on any photo to enlarge it.

 

 

 

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“Mele Kalikimaka” Honors Lost Family Matriarch on Christmas Eve at Home

Posted by glennled on January 12, 2013

Glenn Ledbetter plays "Mele Kalikimaka" on his Super Olds Cornet (1954)

Glenn Ledbetter plays “Mele Kalikimaka” on his Super Olds Cornet (1954)

Our family tradition on Christmas Eve includes singing Christmas carols after dinner and before opening gifts. My wife plays piano as we sing, and a few years ago, we added a couple of trumpet solos to the program. This year, I played “Mele Kalikimaka” because on all our minds was the recent loss of my wife’s mother, Ruth, who died peacefully on 12 October. This was our first Christmas without her.

To Ruth, Hawaii was paradise. She and her husband, Mac, first went to Waikiki to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They always returned annually until he passed away, and then she continued to go back. In all, she vacationed there for 39 straight years! She was a bright spirit, and we miss her so much.

“Mele Kalikimaka” means “Merry Christmas,” and Robert Alex Anderson wrote the song in 1949. Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters recorded the song in 1950 on Decca 27228 (78 rpm)/9-27228 (45 rmp). To hear their recording, please see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJhYrC8Rq8w.

For my second trumpet solo, I played “Angels We Have Heard on High,” a traditional French carol.

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“Echo Taps” for War of 1812 Bicentennial Ceremony at Evergreen-Washelli in Seattle

Posted by glennled on July 2, 2012

War of 1812 Monument (front side), Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Evergreen-Washelli, Seattle

For six years, the Washington State Society, United States Daughters of 1812 (WSSUSD 1812), labored hard on its project to dedicate a monument honoring those veterans of the War of 1812 who died in Washington Territory. At last, the ceremony was held on Saturday, 23 June, at Evergreen-Washelli, Veterans Memorial Cemetery, in north Seattle. The war had started on 18 June, 200 years earlier, when President James Madison signed the declaration passed by Congress.

The beautiful monument at the foot of the Bell Tower was unveiled by WSSUSD 1812 President Linda Rae Lind of Bremerton. Inscribed on both sides are the names of 16 veterans for whom there are authentic records verifying that they served in the War of 1812 and died in Washington Territory. (Washington became the 42nd state in 1889.)

War of 1812 Monument (back side), Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Evergreen-Washelli, Seattle

Of the 16, Abel Ostrander was born first (1777) and William M. Stewart died last (1885), a span of 108 years. Ostrander came from New York and died in Cowlitz County in 1859. Stewart (born in 1794) came from Ohio and died in Pierce County.

Washington State Archivist, Jerry Handfield, was the guest speaker on this day. To conclude the outdoor ceremony, two members of the Washington State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (WASSAR) fired their muskets in a rifle salute, immediately followed by the sounding of “Echo Taps” by me and Lt. Col. Bob O’Neal, U.S. Army (Ret.) who is WASSAR Color Guard Commander. I play a 1954 Super Olds cornet, and Bob plays a 1927 King Silvertone trumpet. Incidentally, 2012 is also the 150th anniversary of the composition of “Taps.”

The War of 1812, fought against the British in the U.S.A., Canada, and in the Great Lakes and on the high seas, is sometimes called the Second War of Independence. It is famous for many things still well-known in American culture. Let me list a few: first, the text of our national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner,” was written by Francis Scott Key during the defense of Ft. McHenry near Baltimore, MD, from British naval bombardment in September, 1814. Second, “Old Ironsides,” the USS Constitution, was never defeated in battle. Named by George Washington, she is the oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat and is berthed in Boston. Third, in the midst of the bloody battle between two frigates, USS Chesapeake and HMS Shannon, Master Commandant James Lawrence, captain of the Chesapeake, mortally wounded, issued his famous, final command to his men, “Don’t give up the ship!”  Fourth, after a naval battle on Lake Erie in September, 1813, Commodore Oliver Hazard

“Echo Taps” for War of 1812 Vets who died in Washington, sounded by Glenn Ledbetter, VFW Post 1040 Bugler, and Col. Bob O’Neal, SAR (not shown)

Gale Palmer and Stan Wills, SAR, fire musket salute

Perry, U.S. Navy, penned the famous words, “We have met the enemy and they are ours…” Fifth, the British burned the White House and the city of Washington in August, 1814. Sixth, in January, 1815, as the war drew to a close, Major General Andrew Jackson (“Old Hickory”) defeated the British Lieutenant General Sir Edward Pakenham in a lop-sided victory at the Battle of New Orleans. Seventh, Robert Fulton invented the “torpedo,” now known as an underwater mine, and designed the world’s first steam-powered warship, Demologos (later renamed Fulton).

The on-site photos in this post are courtesy of the Washington State Society, United States Daughters of 1812. Please click on any image to enlarge it. For further information on the War of 1812 and the organizations mentioned in this post, please see the following:

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“Taps” for King County Veterans Who Were Buried Without Military Funeral Honors

Posted by glennled on January 5, 2012

WAARNG Honor Guard reads the deceased veterans' names

Who’s ever heard of the VMT Program? Very few. There’s been almost no news coverage. Yet, as Post Bugler for VFW Post 1040 in Lynnwood, I have played “Taps” three times in the past three weeks for almost 600 veterans who recently died in King County, Washington—twice at ceremonies at Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Evergreen Washelli and once at Acacia Memorial Park in north Seattle. And that’s going to continue. What’s this all about?

All veterans are eligible for military funeral honors, but most survivors do not request them. Before 2010 in Washington state, when the moment for honors had passed, that was that. But now, tribute is later paid to them in absentia by the the Washington Army National Guard (WAARNG) through its Veterans Memorial Tribute Program (VMTP). Now, none are forgotten.

"Ready" to fire three volleys, VFW Post 1040 Firing Squad

The Honor Guard Program of the Army National Guard in Washington and 7 other states is headed by William A. (Bill) Graham, Jr., Regional Director and State Coordinator, located in Camp Murray near Ft. Lewis. When a person dies in Washington, he says, the funeral director typically submits a death worksheet to the Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics. On the worksheet, Question #12 asks whether the deceased was a veteran. Quarterly, the state forwards a list of all such veterans to the WAARNG which then checks this list against a national database of all veterans who already have been accorded military honors. It turns out that about 65% of eligible veterans do not receive military funeral honors. The VMTP remedies this.

Presenting the flag

WAARNG is the first in the nation to institute this tribute program. When VMTP first started in 2010, the state sent them data for 2008, 2009, and 2010 (to date). The 2008 and 2009 batches contained about 14,000 names each!

Mr. Graham says the goal is to furnish an Honor Guard for these mass committal services in all 39 counties of the state. The Honor Guard renders military funeral honors en masse for each new set of deceased veterans. Most are concentrated in King County. For a KREM-TV report on a memorial service held last October in Medical Lake in Spokane County, see http://www.krem.com/news/local/Tribute-program-honors-veterans-gaining-local-support-132498463.html.

With gratitude, respect and honor, the final salute

At a typically brief tribute ceremony, the names of the deceased vets are read aloud, a bell is rung, a prayer is offered, a poem is read, and the nation’s deep gratitude is expressed. In north King County, this is done twice a month by WAARNG’s Bellingham unit which usually reads about 200 new names each time—at Evergreen Washelli on the first Tuesday and at Acacia on the third Tuesday of each month. VFW Post 1040 furnishes the firing squad and the bugler—me, playing my Super Olds cornet, serial number 133097 with my Bach 8C mouthpiece. Similar honors are rendered monthly in south King County. Mr. Graham says that in less populous counties, the tribute ceremony would be rendered less frequently, depending upon the need. The public is welcome to attend.

Photos by Richard Larson at Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Evergreen Washelli; click on any photo to enlarge it.

 

 

WE REMEMBER THEM [excerpt]

At the rising of the sun and at its going down

We remember them…

As long as we live, they too will live;

for they are now a part of us

as we remember them.

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Who, Me—Aspire to Inspire—Really?

Posted by glennled on September 2, 2011

“I was only two years old then!” said Dave after he heard me say that I graduated from the University of Washington in 1962. The tall trumpeter with his bright eyes, wide smile, and salt and pepper beard is a fellow-member of the Husky Marching Band Alumni Association (HMBAA). A few minutes before, Dr. Brad McDavid, Director of Athletic Bands at UW, had asked for a show of hands of those Alumni Band members who graduated in the 1990’s: many hands were raised; 1980’s, fewer hands; 1970’s, very few hands; 1960’s, one hand—mine!

We were standing on the field of Husky Stadium last Wednesday night, about to begin a three-hour rehearsal with the Varsity Band in preparation for the pre-game and half-time shows at this Saturday’s football game, opening the new season. The Huskies are playing the Eagles from Eastern Washington University in Cheney, near Spokane. Last season, the Eagles won the 20-team playoff and are the 2011 national champions of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of the NCAA. And this year, they are again ranked No. 1 in the nation in the pre-season polls. FCS is only one level below the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in which the Huskies play.

New Pac-12 logo painted on Husky Stadium field (photo by Dan Niven)

Classes at UW begin in about four weeks on the 28th of September, and most students have not yet arrived on campus. So, it’s traditional for the Varsity Band to combine with the Alumni Band to perform for the fans and team at the first football game of the year. A few weeks ago, when I volunteered to play at this game, I did not realize what I was getting in for. This Saturday, I’ll be marching on the field alongside and among those smart, lively, 19-22 year old kids, all good musicians, pumped full of adrenaline and testosterone. There will be about 160 of us. That’s bigger than the entire Varsity Band when I was in school. “What have I done?” I thought.

Then I counted the years since I last marched in the band on this field, playing my Super Olds cornet—50 years ago, in 1961, the year the Huskies, led by Coach Jim Owens, won the Rose Bowl game, beating the Minnesota Gophers, 17-7. Holy cow, it’s like a Golden Anniversary! And this is the last year for this stadium. It will be demolished and rebuilt after this season.

After rehearsal, as I was walking slowly back to my car on tired feet, Dave caught up with me, and we chatted about the experience. As our pathways diverged, he shouted, “You’re an inspiration!”

 No—really? Shocking! I didn’t aspire to that. But age just happens, doesn’t it, if you’re lucky like me. I arrived home after 10 p.m., and my wife and I had a long chuckle before going to sleep.

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“Echo Taps” for Medal of Honor Ceremony

Posted by glennled on July 19, 2011

Navy MoH, 1861; awarded to Navy, Marines & Coast Guard

Of the millions of men and women who have served in the United States military, including me,

Army MoH, 1862

only3,457 have received the Medal of Honor. Six are buried at Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park on Hwy 99 in north Seattle.

These men, plus a Silver Star recipient, were honored on 16 July at a special ceremony, as reported in my blog post below (2 July). The ceremony featured the unveiling of seven large, permanent, granite markers, engraved with their individual stories of heroism. In August, these are to be placed at the respective graves, so that visitors may read them on site.

Here are some interesting facts about the Medal of Honor, extracted from the website of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society (see http://www.cmohs.org/). The first medal was awarded in 1863, during the Civil War. During that war, in which there were about 625,000 deaths, 1,522 Medals of Honor were awarded. During the Korean War, 136 medals were awarded, and 248 were presented during the Vietnam War. Others: WWI (119); WWII (466); Iraq (4); and Afghanistan (5).

At last Saturday’s event, at least two local TV stations had cameras present and carried stories on the evening news. Please watch the video

Air Force created as separate military branch, 1947; distinct design of AF MoH authorized, 1956; AF design adopted, 1965

(1:48) from KOMO-TV for the excellent report, “Heroes honored: ‘They did things I can’t even imagine doing’.” See www.komonews.com/news/local/125696063.html. The editing and presentation are outstanding. Included among the scenes is one brief clip of me playing “Taps” shortly before the Retiring of the Colors.

As the audience of about 100 family and friends, many with raincoats, hats and umbrellas on this cool morning, slowly arrived, the Washington Letter Carriers’ Band played a 30-minute opening concert. Reportedly, this band is the oldest of its kind in the state, founded in the late 19th century.

Seattle’s soft rain fell upon us in the beginning and quit about mid-way through the ceremony. As the keynote speaker, MG James M. Collins, Jr., U.S. Army (Ret.), summarized each man’s story, he asked the family and friends of each hero to stand for recognition and honor. Scott Sheehan, General Manager of Evergreen Washelli, said that as a result of this event, another person who is

Glenn (right) sounds "Echo Taps" near firing squad - Photo by Janelle Squires

buried there has been identified as a recipient of the Silver Star and will also be honored with a marker.

Then a firing squad of seven fired three volleys. At the command, “Present Arms,”  I commenced sounding “Echo Taps” while standing nearby. Roy Pollock, lead trumpeter of the WLC Band and my fellow member in the Husky Alumni Band, played the echo from near a large tree across the open field. 

Families lay flowers on markers of the seven valiant men - Photo by Evergreen Washelli

Super Olds cornet (1954) - Photo by Janelle Squires

 

Roy Pollock waits (beneath tree) to sound echo in "Echo Taps" - Photo by Janelle Squires

 

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