Edmonds Community College may have dropped its middle name in April, 2020 (the first Covid year), but none of the many veterans and civilians got confused or lost on 25 May when the college held its traditional early Memorial Day ceremony on campus. I’ve been sounding two bugle calls—“To the Color” and “Taps”—at every such event since 2014.

I use my Getzen field trumpet, starting with my B-flat tuning slide for “To The Color” and my G tuning slide for “Taps.” (For photos and more information about the horn and these slides, see my blog post of 4 May 2015, using the Archives in the left column).

The keynote speaker, Wally Webster II, gave one of the most moving speeches that I have heard at any of these ceremonies. He is a native of southern Alabama. To him, as a young black man, the American flag symbolized his terror of men riding on horseback in white robes and conical hats and burning crosses. Then he joined the U.S. Air Force. He said that his military service at a hospital in Japan, caring for wounded soldiers during the Vietnam War, was one of the two most pivotal events in his life. That’s when his deep pride and gratitude for the USA developed and changed him forever. After a 30-year career in banking, he is now one of the six Trustees of Edmonds College, appointed by the Governor of Washington state.