On Memorial Day, Janice Urquhart makes it a priority to visit the grave of her father, veteran Raymond Urquhart. And thanks to a group of volunteer buglers, he is able to get the respect he earned with his service.
Urquhart enlisted in the Navy during World War II, part of "The Greatest Generation." He died a few years ago and was honored with a military funeral at at Bourne National Cemetary.
But "Taps" was piped through a speaker system connected to a recording. Kami Lyle says the song should be performed by a musician at all military funerals out of respect.
"It's their last song, and it should be played by a live person with a heart," said Lyle, who is also professional singer and songwriter.
The problem is, there aren't enough volunteers to do it live at military funerals. To help fill this void, she joined Bugles Across America, a non-profit started 17 years ago, connecting military families with volunteer buglers.
"All the trumpet players within a 60 mile range will get a ping and note on our phone," said Lyle.
After all this time, there's still a great need.
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"We need more trumpet players," Lyle said. "High school kids, college kids, retired people."
Lyle never served in the military, so she says this is her way of giving back. After hearing about what was missing at Urqhardt's funeral,
she's been trying to make things right.
So she goes back to Bourne National Cemetary several times each year, playing "Taps" alone, without any recognition or applause -- just the way she wants it. It's a gift to Urquhart's family, and to all the veterans who deserve this final honor.
