Navy Dr. (Capt.) Adriel Lopez, left, executive officer of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center’s Deployed Warrior Medical Management Center; Air Force Tech. Sgt. Cathlyn Clark of the 1st Communications Maintenance Squadron, center; and Hartmut Hausser, a German security guard at Landstuhl, chat Saturday after playing taps as part of Bugles Across America’s Echo Taps Worldwide event on the 59th annual Armed Forces Day. The three-minute event took place at the Lorraine American Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France. (Steve Mraz / S&S)
Navy Dr. (Capt.) Adriel Lopez, left, executive officer of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center’s Deployed Warrior Medical Management Center; Air Force Tech. Sgt. Cathlyn Clark of the 1st Communications Maintenance Squadron, center; and Hartmut Hausser, a German security guard at Landstuhl, chat Saturday after playing taps as part of Bugles Across America’s Echo Taps Worldwide event on the 59th annual Armed Forces Day. The three-minute event took place at the Lorraine American Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France. (Steve Mraz / S&S)
Navy Dr. Lopez plays taps Saturday at Lorraine American Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France. (Steve Mraz / S&S)
Dr. Lopez, left, and Air Force Tech. Sgt. Cathlyn Clark of the 1st Communications Maintenance Squadron, walk to their positions Saturday prior to playing taps at Lorraine American Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France. (Steve Mraz / S&S)
SAINT-AVOLD, France - By the third note of taps all spines stiffened.
A reflective, solemn mood beset those paying tribute Saturday to the 10,489 dead resting beneath French soil at Lorraine American Cemetery.
Navy Dr. (Capt.) Adriel Lopez, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Cathlyn Clark and German security guard Hartmut Hausser sounded taps in succession at the cemetery to mark the 59th annual Armed Forces Day as part of Bugles Across America’s Echo Taps Worldwide event.
At 11 a.m., Hausser lifted his brass bugle to his lips and began playing. As he finished, Lopez, who was halfway across the 113½-acre cemetery, began. When he ended, Clark started playing. The event lasted three minutes.
Each slow, brassy note cascaded over the cemetery’s rows of crosses and Stars of David.
Each slow, brassy note drifted past the white marble marking the graves of troops such as Pfc. Frederick Murphy, Pvt. George Brown, Pfc. Paul Woodward, Pvt. Harold Rothgeb and Pvt. Howard Rothgeb.
Murphy received the Medal of Honor posthumously.
Brown died in action 63 years ago Saturday.
Directly behind Brown’s grave is that of Woodward, who died 63 years ago Sunday.
Harold and Howard Rothgeb were twins. Howard died on Jan. 4, 1945. Harold died the next day.
Each slow, brassy note fell upon the ears of the living and the remains of the dead.
Perhaps no song, save the National Anthem, evokes more emotion within the American military than taps. Whether eliciting gratitude, pride, sorrow or pain, the 24 notes of taps penetrate the living while honoring the dead.
"There are various possible emotions," said Lopez, who serves at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. "One is pride — pride in being part of a great nation; pride in that we honor our military and that we honor those who gave the ultimate price for freedom."
Taps didn’t begin a memorial dirge. Union general Daniel Butterfield cared not for the regular bugle call to extinguish lights. In 1862, Butterfield and his brigade bugler came up with taps to sound the end of the day. It caught on.
Buglers should take 60 seconds to play the piece, but it always feels longer. Time slows. The mind delves into memories.
"You have to pay respect to the American people, especially to the American soldiers," said Hausser, who works as a security guard at Landstuhl. "It’s very personal."
Bugling at the largest World War II American cemetery in Europe added to Clark’s emotions.
"Every time I play taps it’s emotional," said Clark, of the 1st Communications Maintenance Squadron. "Today I think it was a little more special."
Each slow, brassy note faded into the stands of pine and oak bordering the cemetery, sheltering the dead.
Memorial Day ceremonies
Bugles and taps will be heard again in the upcoming days during Memorial Day ceremonies at American military cemeteries and monuments in Europe. Here is a schedule of the events:
Belgium
Ardennes American Cemetery: Saturday, 10 a.m.
Flanders Field American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 3 p.m.
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery: Saturday, 3 p.m.
England
Brookwood American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 3 p.m.
Cambridge American Cemetery: Monday, May 26, 11 a.m.
France
Aisne-Marne American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 9 a.m.
Brittany American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 4 p.m.
Epinal American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 3 p.m.
Lorraine American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 11 a.m.
Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 3 p.m.
Normandy American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 10:30 a.m.
Oise-Aisne American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 3 p.m.
Rhone American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 10 a.m.
Saint Mihiel American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 4 p.m.
Somme American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 3 p.m.
Suresnes American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 2:30 p.m.
Italy
Florence American Cemetery: Monday, May 26, 11 a.m.
Sicily-Rome American Cemetery: Monday, May 26, 11 a.m.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg American Cemetery: Saturday, 2 p.m.
The Netherlands
Netherlands American Cemetery: Sunday, May 25, 3 p.m.
Tunisia
North Africa American Cemetery: Tuesday, May 27, 11 a.m.
Details at http://www.abmc.gov/home.php.
Source: American Battle Monuments Commission
