[TPIN] Taps

[Allegro69]

During my last year stationed with the Newport Base Band, I had a very
chilling experience at the cemetery where I had to play taps. As it turned
out, the funeral was for a guy I went thru boot camp with. We were in the
Special Units Company where he (clarinet) and I were in the R.T.C. band.
>From time to time after band rehearsal, we'd jam trading some Dixieland kind
of licks. While I never saw him again after we graduated, the last words I
heard from him was that I was one of his favorite trumpet players. Before
the burial  ceremony, I learned that he was mistakenly shot and killed by
his wife, thinking that he was an intruder since he came home unexpectedly
off schedule. Needless to say, some forty years later, it still blows my
feeble mind that one of his 'favorites' gave him a heartfelt send off to
Davy Jones' Locker.

BOB

**************************************************
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 25 May 2007 15:51:13 +0000 (GMT)
From: nickmondello at optonline.net
Subject: [TPIN] Taps
To: TPIN at tpin.okcu.edu
Message-ID: <e365860216f62.465705f1 at optonline.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Peter, et al:

I handled the Echo Taps ceremony at L.I. National Cemetery, Farmingdale, NY.

The "Bugles Across America" website instructions for ceremony MDs asked us
all to use 1-2 to accomodate younger players.

FYI, we had over 100 youth and adult participants and were covered by News
12 (with the help of Joe Varsalona, the late, great, trombonist Bart
Varsalona's (of Kenton fame) son! Small world!).

As a  veteran and trumpeter, it was a very heartwarming, rewarding
experience.

Thanks for asking!
Nick Mondello
-
     Many call El Lippo a piece of work.
But this piece of work is a true work of art.
                         o-iii<0