Fanie Van Loggerenberg (Vets Page) John Goodrich Taps and the Military Funeral By John Goodrich Many origins of Military custom are forgotten, but all these traditions have a source and result from a single ‘triumph over adversity’ or by some continued practice that eventually evolves into tradition. Many of the roots of these traditions are ambiguous and two experts will give you two conflicting facts about the origins of these usages. Despite some of these explanations, most are documented, the facts sometimes not as romantic as the conflicting stories we in the forces grew up on. The actions of a military funeral come to mind after reading about the derivation of ‘Taps’ and ‘Last Post’ in your news letters of late. Both these haunting bugle calls bring tears to hardened soldiers and anyone else who knows what they represent when played at funerals and memorials. ‘Last Post,’ ‘Taps,’ ‘Extinction des Feux,’ the French meaning ‘Fires out’ on which ‘Taps’ is based, are the bugle calls signalling the end of the day and the signal for the sentries to commence ‘challenging.’ ‘Reveille’ is the bugle call that the day has begun and the sentries may discontinue challenging. The origin of Taps written in 1862, (from your earlier newsletter) was considered crude and in 1874 General Butterfield got a friend in the music industry to change this a bit “…until I had it to suit my ear and got it to my taste”. This only became mandatory in the US Drill Regulations in 1891. The new version first played by O.W. Norton, the bugler of the 3rd Brigade, First Division (Army of the Potomac). These bugle calls have a second meaning, bidding a soldier ‘Farewell from this life.’ (Reveille: welcoming the soldier to ‘the everlasting’). As recorded in the colloquial vernacular of the day, by Gustav Kobbe, the editor of the Century Magazine in 1898; “Taps has a tender, touching, mournful character in keeping with the fact that it is sounded not only for Lights Out, but also over the soldier’s grave, be he a General or Private, so as with Lights Out, night closes in upon the soldier’s day, so with the same call rolls upon his life.” The Military Funeral, as we know it today, is a evolution of elements taken from the great historical funerals of Queen Elizabeth I, Wellington, Nelson and Napoleon. The use of the flag as a Pall, the coffin carried on Gun Carriage and other practices all have recorded origins, but I have heard so many stories about the Firing of Volleys over the grave and Reversed Arms at funerals and memorial services. This, too, is recorded (documents kept at the West Point Military Academy). Baron von Steuben, a German General who became the Military advisor to Washington and later the Inspector General of the fledgling Continental Army, was given the task of recording this document; ‘Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States Army’. From this he compiled the first US Ceremonial Manual. Many of these rules were brought over from Europe and are regarded as international. When a truce was called to clear a battle field of wounded and to bury the dead, all blades were to be sheathed and all muskets and lances were to be reversed. Any infringement of this rule would be regarded as a sign of aggression and would end the ceasefire. After completion of the burials three shots were fired by each side of the conflict ending the ceremony and it was the signal that the burial parties were again ready to accept battle. A quote from the US Conduct of Ceremonies says it all: “These old customs add colour, pageantry and ceremony to military life and deserve careful perpetuation.”
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:47:08 +0000
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