United States Navy Band plays taps – a 24 note melody, 150 years old – honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom -- especially remembered Memorial Day.
"This version of taps was recorded by the United States Navy Band at the following locations: Display Ship Barry, Washington Navy Yard U.S. Navy Memorial, Washington, D.C. Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.”
The first war in my lifetime, WWII which began when I was a child, is forever imbedded in my memory. I believe that without a doubt the existence of this country, free, as we know it to be, depended entirely upon our forces prevailing in that war's outcome. Fortunately, allied forces did prevail.
Our challenge is to safeguard those freedoms with balanced powers among the branches -- executive, legislative, judicial as described in our constitution -- needing to be monitored by public support of a dedicated to truth non-partisan Fourth Estate press.
My only still living cousin who served as a Wave is 96 years old. My older brother who served in the U.S. Navy submarine service survived the war, but like increasing numbers of aging veterans died in recent years.
My only brother and sibling focused his later years on Internet searches for reports of naval subs, ships and crews who had been lost at sea during the war. Some vessels with their occupants had begun to be located in the ocean depths those many decades later and some yet today.
My brother was well aware he could easily have been one of those lost at sea. The enemy fleet had been alarmingly spotted streaming through the Pacific Ocean in the direction of Australia. At the last minute his commanding officer determined his communication skills were most needed ashore, so reassigned him from the submarine he had expected to be aboard. That submarine with crew stealthily launched but was never heard from again.
Regrettably, we have had more wars, more lives lost. A PBS News Hour special report reveals by clicking on that link how many Americans have died in U.S. wars. We pay tribute to them all.
