New Hampshire III

While we were visiting Boscawen we noticed a guy walking in with a bugle in his hand. We got talking to him and it turns out that every night from Memorial Day to September 11th someone comes and plays Taps at the cemetery. This has become a tradition at the site and these musicians, all volunteers, sometimes travel a great distance to do their part. The gentleman we spoke to drives 50 miles each way just to play 24 notes at 7p.m.

These volunteers are young and old, male and female, vets and non vets, but all want to be part of this solemn tribute to New Hampshire's, and by extension, our nation's lost heroes. Steve and I and two other visitors were the only ones present as the instantly recognizable melody floated over this sacred and beautiful place. He told us that sometimes dozens of bulers play at the same time, some echoing the others. That must be a very emotional moment and I doubt that here is a dry eye in the place.

Interestingly, Memorial Day to 9/11 is 100 days and thus the people involved in this tribute call themselves "100 Nights of Remembrance" You can find out more about them here;

http://www.100nightsofremembrance.org/

The bench, donated by the organization, actually has the correct musical notation for Taps!

If you look in the background of the pictures, up on the hill, you can see stone pillars (for lack of a better word) in front of the mousoleums. Each of these has a photo and information about American involvement in a number of wars. The last photo is of the one that gives a little history about Vietnam. This is currently the last in the series. I do not know when, or if, they might be adding more about our more current involvements.