MILWAUKEE — To honor veterans in the best way he knows how, one Wisconsin man has traveled the country sounding taps at military funerals for free.
“I always close my eyes, and I try to go somewhere else in my head and concentrate on what I’m playing," Bill Seaman, a bugle player, said.
From Gettysburg to Arlington National Cemetery and all across Wisconsin, Seaman has sounded taps for hundreds of times. He never served in the military, but it’s his way of honoring our fallen service members.
“I won’t say it’s enjoyable, but it’s a feel-good thing," he said.
Since the mid-2000s, Seaman has gone to about 20 to 30 veterans' funerals a year. It's how he spends his evenings, weekends, and vacation days.
He is so dedicated to doing this, because unfortunately, there just aren't many people who can sound taps at funerals anymore. He and the organization, Taps for Veterans, are committed to sounding live taps to everyone who reaches out to them. The alternative is what has been happening for the past few decades. Since no one could played the bugle, a speaker was put into the instrument that would sound taps. The 'bugler' would then mimic the motions to make it look like they were actually playing it.
“They teach the person that plays it to breathe like I would breathe, and some people come up to them and go, ‘Oh, that’s the best I’ve ever heard,’ and that person holding the fake bugle thanks them.”
The intention is good. However, Seaman isn't a fan.
"The fake ugly bugle aggravates me because it fools people," he said.
For Seaman, and those like him, it's the equivalent of them making the rifle salute pre-recorded.
“You know, I’ve asked many of the guys that I work with from South Milwaukee, ‘Would you like a recording of the rifle detail?’ Well, no.”
In the end, there is just something special about a live performance that feels different.
“Sometimes people come up to me and say, ‘That was beautiful,’ and that’s my pay," Seaman said.
From the first note, anyone can recognize taps. It's a somber tune.
“Because it’s the end of the service," Seaman said.
However, it also sounds like honor and pride. For Seaman, it's the greatest gift he can give a veteran.
You can reach out to Taps for Veterans here if you'd like them to attend a funeral.
Watch the video below to hear Bill Seaman sound taps...
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