On Thursday 17th August I spent a special day with James Hale and his family from Seattle & California. James is a professional musician who was granted permission by the American Battle Monuments Commision to play Taps live at Normandy American Cemetery during the flag lowering ceremony at the end of the day.
A goosebumps moment.
Thank you Jim.

The tune is a variation of an earlier bugle call known as the “Scott Tattoo”, which was used in the U.S. from 1835 until 1860. It was arranged in its present form by the Union Army Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield commander the 3d Brigade, 1st Division, V Army Corps, Army of the Potomac while at Harrisons landing Virginia in July 1862, and wrote it to replace the customary firing of three rifle volleys at the end of burials during battle. Butterfield’s version in July 1862 replaced the previous bugle call used to signal “lights out”. Within months “Taps” was used by both Union and Confederate forces. It was officially recognized by the United States Army in 1874. It became a standard component to U.S. military funerals in 1891.