Fifteen years ago in 2011, I sounded “Taps” for my first time on Veterans Day, 11 November, at the annual 11:00 a.m. ceremony, hosted by VFW Post 1040, at Veterans Park in downtown Lynnwood. And several years ago, we started sounding “Echo Taps” instead. Originally, I used some of my own private trumpet students to sound the “Echo” part. Then I recruited a few trumpeters from Inglemoor High School—I used to work for the band director there, Charlie Fix, when we were both at Skyview Middle School in Bothell. Recently, I’ve used trumpeters from Lynnwood High School, and this year, that’s where I found Liam O’Dell, a referral by his band director, Phil Onishi.
The weather was perfect, the crowd was large, and as usual, I sounded the bugle call, “Assembly,” to start the ceremony. Liam and I sounded “Echo Taps” at the close. He used his trumpet, and I used my Getzen bugle. That afternoon, I drove to Mountlake Terrace to perform my patriotic, one-hour trumpet show, “I Stand for the Flag,” at Mountlake Terrace Plaza, a retirement community.
Dr. Peter Schmidt told the story behind the “Boots to Books and Beyond Monument” on the campus. This year is its 10th anniversary. A fascinating staff and faculty slideshow, compiled by Sgt. Moratalla and featuring “We Are the Champions” by Queen, was presented.
What’s it like, when Veterans Day rolls around each November and Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day are fast approaching, to live in a retirement community? If you’ve lost a spouse or child or family or friends or pets, it might be quite lonely. Why not remember, honor, and celebrate those who have passed? That’s the idea behind the 3rd Annual Memorial Walk at Skyline at First Hill, a Presbyterian retirement community in downtown Seattle near St. James Cathedral and Harborview Hospital.
room where the ceremony was conducted on 8 November. In the weeks prior, residents were asked to submit the names of people they want to be remembered. This year, some 200 names were reverently read aloud to the attendees. Afterwards, people wandered through the courtyard, remembering again.
Glenn's Trumpet Notes 