Last Friday, May 18, the annual Echo Taps ceremony took place at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.
The general public was welcomed at the event, in addition to families of those interred in the cemetery.
The event featured the Vet 21 Salute Honor Guard of Lancaster performing a three-volley rifle salute. Following this, the Echo Taps, a trumpet choir, military service themes, and a unique Taps arrangement called the Silver Taps were played.
The Echo Taps is a type of bugle performance in which multiple buglers stand some distance apart and play Taps, creating an echoing effect. On a large site like the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, this technique produces a particularly effective tone.
Families attending with relatives laid to rest at the cemetery were invited to sign a memorial book. In addition to the BAA players, a number of local students performed in the ceremony.
The Pennsylvania chapter of Bugles Across America sponsored the event. Bugles Across America is a nonprofit organization of bugle players who play for military funerals in the US. For more information, visit their website or call Assistant Pennsylvania Director Doug Wilburne at 717-216-9245.
The Indiantown Gap National Cemetery is a 677-acre military cemetery that serves the the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. It was established in 1976. For more information on the Cemetery, visit their webpage.
