Dont you love it when you find something you have misplaced? Especially when you are baffled and really upset by how said item could be gone?

A year ago exactly, I received a flag from one of my neighbors. He knew I was going to play my trumpet in the "Taps Across America" tribute to our fallen. He wanted to have the flag there and knew I was going to go buy one..

In January I had decided to pick up my very nice horn from a mostly 40 year slumber. Over the years I played for the Grandkids and for myself here and there. Its a really nice professional Trumpet. I spent 3 years mowing the neighborhoods lawns to buy it as a junior high kid. Playing over the years here and there. I could eek out maybe 10 minutes before my lip would swell ending that session.

Starting in January 2020 it was my plan to practice diligently and see if I could revive what I once had. If I could get it back I intended to find a community orchestra or such a group to audition for. So by Memorial Day 2020 I had a pretty strong lip and my sound was better than just promising.

I like the CBS TV program "Sunday Morning" Steve Hartman is one of the Anchors and Journalists for that show. It obviously airs Sunday Mornings but 7AM is earlier than I often remember to turn the TV on. I am up and active but my stuff takes precedence over that TV show much more often than not. So last year two weeks before Memorial Day, I just happened to watch Sunday Morning and Steve Hartman had a request for those who could to go out to their driveway at 3pm in the time zone they lived in and bugle Taps in honor of our fallen American hero's for Memorial Day. Since Covid was in full action, no typical ceremonies honoring our military dead would be happening with the country shut down. So this was a nice way to honor those who gave it all.

I was a member of my high school's Pep Band. While the rest of my classmates were taking a day off for Memorial Day, the 10 of us in the Pep Band would perform for two ceremonies that were at local military cemeteries. Our high school had been doing that for like forty years when I was in the Pep Band all those years ago. It was a tradition that I was honored to help carry on back then.

I decided to take part in the Sunday Morning request and Play Taps at 3pm Memorial Day last year, 2020. I also decided to take it up a notch. I figured if I truly was going to eventually audition that I should get the jitters out by also playing a public thing also. I prepared a 20 minute patriotic montage of music that I performed in the driveway of the Elementary School in front of the housing community I live in. For Memorial Day 2020 I played My Country Tis of Thee, This Land is Your Land this Land is My Land, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, The Marines Hymn, The Army's Cason's Go Rolling, The Navy's Anchors Aweigh, The Air Force Song,. America the Beautiful, and God Bless America . I did this at 11AM so I woundnt interfere with the 3pm Taps Across America program.

It had been 40 years since I was in front of an audience other than my bride or a grandkid or two. My efforts produced a nice group of neighbors. My neighbor and friend Jack gave me a flag so I could display it. I also decked out my F250 with a tribute to my father's Korean War service. I displayed his Bronze Star and his Army commendations/insignias on the hood of my truck.

Days later I realized my trusty Benchmade assisted opening knife was missing. I somehow hadnt needed it for a few days and didnt realize it wasnt clipped to my right pant pocket. When I noticed it wasnt in my pocket I seriously started looking for it. It was such a very treasured thing to me. I found use for it so much. I went for a few weeks before I took another much lesser quality knife off of the tool truck so I could have a knife on me. Im sure many of you have a trusted tool that means something to you so you can relate. I started thinking that it had slipped out of my pocket somehow. While that was possible I really believed I had just put it down in the house or the tool truck somewhere, I have done that before but it never was gone for more that a week one other time. I just recently gave up looking for it figuring it was gone.

My middle son bought me a Blue handled Benchmade for fathers day. It is a very nice knife. And it is from my son. But it was NOT the assisted opener I was so used to. And his was pretty and new. I didnt want to use it like I had used mine. I started to carry the knife he gave me.

Sadly I seriously hurt my back after Memorial Day 2020 I didnt feel like doing anything for months. Covid was in full action also. The trumpet did not come out of its case again for the rest of the year and until Memorial Day this year. I can always manage the 24 notes of Taps even without practicing. Taps Across America was a thing this Memorial Day also. I planned to do my part and bugle taps at 3pm. This time I did so from my driveway not from the elementary schools driveway/flag pole/front office area.

Sunday I reached up to where the boxed flag was stored on the shelf in my garage I wanted to unfurl it for Monday.s playing of Taps. I opened the box.and found My Benchmade knife sitting there waiting for me!!! I guess I packed it up when I last used it to cut the zip ties off of the flag I had put on to make sure the flag was secured to its pole.

Memorial Day 2021 at 3pm I parked the F250 in my driveway. I displayed my Pop's honors on the hood. I mounted my flag on the tree there. I did my part to honor our fallen and bugled the 24 notes of taps.

I am playing again. Maybe this time next year Ill be sitting in the trumpet section of an orchestra somewhere volunteering my time .....


Brutus & I and my Benchmade knife playing Taps for Memorial Day

Now I have two of these Benchmade knives...


..

 

That is an awesome story. Thank so much for sharing. And thak you for the Military salute.

 

~Thank you for YOUR USAF Service! In my opinion a good Toolman has to be of course knowledgeable about what it takes to fix vehicles but he also has to be a good story teller. Tech's work hard, they have tough often thankless job. My tool truck is a repute for 10 minutes where these hard working guys can hear a good story and suck up some A/C while checking out shinny metal. They can also enjoy having their wallet vacuumed.

 

A beautiful story, a happy ending, and WELL PUNCTUATED!!!
Regards, Mark.

 

Nice story. Thanks for sharing . And thanks for your service.

 

[QUOTE=Badmoonreizen;19916016]A beautiful story, a happy ending, and WELL PUNCTUATED!!!
Regards, Mark.[/QUOTE
Ill forever live previous post(s) down where I let my "crazy/happy fingers" go unchecked allowing run on sentences, poor flowing, never ending paragraphs and sometimes general wackiness ...Mark, Thanks for the complement ....Ill take it!

 

Thanks for sharing

 

Great story! Thanks for sharing.

 

Very well done!!!

 

Thanks for sharing your story. You do need to get that trumpet out more often.

 

I loved your story and your patriotism! As Americans, we have much to be proud of and countless brave heroes to honor and be thankful for. It's important for holidays like Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and the Independence Day to be remembered and celebrated. I'm sure your Memorial Day tribute was especially meaningful to everyone who heard it. For us here on the forum who read about it, it was a reminder to find ways, as you have, to celebrate and express our appreciation for the great country we are privileged to be a part of.

For your future, "Patriotic Montages", you might want to consider that the Coast Guard, like the other military branches, also has its own special theme song. The CG hymn is called, "Semper Paratus". It would fit right in with your other selections.

Thanks again for sharing your story and reminding us that there is more to Memorial Day then cook outs and special sales at the local hardware store.

Jim