George C. Scott mentions this word (or term) during his opening speech in reference to former cadets who have died in battle, and then it's quickly forgotten. Can someone please explain to me what this word means. Thank you.
shareI believe its that sad trumpet tune that the military plays to honor the dead. If I'm wrong, please some one correct me.
toyguy
TAPS Means "time to sleep". It is played at military funerals in the US. It is also played on army bases at lights out. Meaning when Your on base and here taps, you must go to sleep, unless You have spacific after hour duitys, like fire watch.
Our last message to you is, "Live as You please!"-Dessert
Just wanted to clear something up here. "Taps" is not a "term" it is music that is played at ALL military bases at lights out (usually at 2200 or 10:00 p.m. to civilians). You are not required to go to bed (unless you are at recruit training) but it is customary, when in civilian attire, to pause and stand at the position of attention. When in uniform, a salute is required to honor those who have gone before us.
One note to add, this movie was great and I really enjoyed it (I still have it on tape from years ago) but it paints young military cadets as extremists and "brain-washed". Trust me, the movie is not an accurate picture of young adults in the military (at least as far as the Marine Corps or young cadets aspiring to be Marine officers is concerned). Basically, military life is almost like college except with rules and discipline.
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Protocol with regard to Taps varies. On Navy bases where I was stationed, observance was given to morning and evening Colors (raising and lowering of the flag), but not to Taps.
shareI've read that the new 2006 edition "Taps" DVD contains a short video discussing this subject (The history of Taps).
Anybody who has this new edition, I would be interested to hear what that commentary had to say regarding the origins of the playing of Taps.....
Taps most certainly is NOT played at all military bases. I've been at multitudes of AF bases (as a retired AF vet who has twenty years) and I've never heard Taps played for lights out at ANY of them. It's not standard.
Military life is nothing like any college I ever attended. Maybe if you are 18 to 25 you could view it that way, but once you grow up, military life is much like any other accept for the rules you must follow. You have agreed to follow a profession of arms. Those who join for any other reason are one of the problems the military has at this time.
I got so sick of kids telling me they just joined for the educational benefits and what-not. If you aren't joining the military with the goal of defending your nation and it's way of life, you need to reconsider your choice.
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It's not played at Sheppard or at Andrews. I don't ever recall hearing at Seymor-Johnson or at Eglin when I visited them. I know it wasn't played at Eielson or Elmendorf (up in Alaska) either. My experience is that it isn't played at many AFBs. Revely, I've heard alot at many bases. Taps, not so much.
shareCommonly, in some military schools, you have a saying when you hear taps. If I was in the hallway with a group of cadets, we're immediately put at attention when it starts. When the song is over, the highest rank in the hall way yells "For those who served," then everyone else yells back "We will remember." Don't know if that's a tradition at other schools, but it was at mine. After taps is played, we were suppose to inside our rooms and out of the hallways for atleast thirty minutes. A moment of silence basically.
And oh man, if you left any lights on during taps, you were in some extreme *beep*
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It doesn't have to be a religious school. Taps is a time when one can reflect on the great men and women in history ho gave their lives in the name of this great nation. Two minutes is not enough time to show them the proper respect. It's never a waste of time to remember these people and remember what and why they did what they did. The origin of taps came from the Civil War when a Union captain risked death to save a stranger not caring whether he was Confederate or Union. He went to bring the soldier to the get medical aid, but when he crossed the lines he was too late and found the Confederate soldier dead. He then realized that it was his own son who had went to the South before the war to study music but apparantly enlisted with the Confederates. He asked for a military burial but was denied, but he was allowed a bugler. He gave the bugler a piece of paper that ad some notes and these words attched to them: "Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lakes, From the hills, From the sky, All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh./Fading light, Dims the sight, And a start gems, the sky, Gleaming bright, From afar, Drawing nigh, Falls the night./Thanks ad praise, For our days, Neath the sun, Neath the stars, Neath the sky, As we go, This we know, God is nigh." That is taps. It is a call for reflection on the heros and actions of the past.
shareCommon myth of TAPS, but just that...a myth...
TAPS was written during the Civil War, but by Gen. Daniel Butterfield with help from a bugler (name forgotten)...it's a adaptation of "Tattoo" written to fill what Butterfield felt was a empty spot in funeral ceremonies. It was adapted by both North and South and evolved into a call signalling the end of the day, "lights out."
i don't think what i said is a myth if my school,Norwich University, the oldest private military academy in America, which was founded in 1819 and has a ton of Civil War heros who were alumni, teaches us about this in our own handbook. It was a Union captain and is name was Captain Robert Ellicombe
shareFind a university of any sort that doesn't foster mythological stories of its past or events related to its past....there's quite a long list from my alma mater.
myth it is...
http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/taps.htm#add
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Really? I thought it meant 'Ties Are Purportedly Standard'
"I Blame Television...."
Go do some more research on your history!!! That is nothing more then a legend.
shareAll I have to say is no matter what TAPS is (I have to validate that it is not a term, but a song) to anyone it is just met to show respect. So weather you are in the Armed forces or not, you still should show respect when the song is played. Also I know that it is very hard to play on the Trumpet (or bugal, same thing really), and that my brother can play it amazingly.
~@L3><
I hope I can help with this question. I am currently serving in the US Army and Taps IS played at night here on the post I live on. It is not the tune that people are saying we salute to at the end of the day. That is the flag call and it is played around 5pm, that is when we stop and salute as the post flag is being lowered. Taps is played around 10pm and is to signal "lights out." It's more of a symbol now than a real command.
This web site has a wonderful history of the song Taps and what it was made out of. http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/taps.htm
Hope this helps!
The world belongs to the meat eaters, Miss Clara, and if you have to take it raw, take it raw.
To Bike bryan
I've been in the Air Force for 12 years. TAPS is played here at Mcguire and also it was played at Pope. Most Stateside bases now play TAPS at 10 but it is up to the Wing Commander if they want it played. They are trying to get back to being more military and honoring our dead if you know what I mean. Overseas it's generally not played out of respect for the host nation. Just like the National anthem is played at 1700 at most stateside bases but not overseas due to respect for that country.
To Sinatrachairman
When TAPS is played and you are in uniform you stop and salute. In civies you stand at the positon of attention. But most of the time people are either in bead or about to go to bed when TAPS is played and Genreally are not in Uniform to salute.
Let's see now:
Eilson
Elmendorf
Lackland
Sheppard
Keesler
Eglin
Homestead
Andrews
McGuire
Fort Riley
Fort Belvoir
Fort Meyer
Fort Dix
These are all the military installations I have personally been on and have not heard Taps played once at any of them. I don't dispute that it is played many places, it's just far from universal. I would also dispute your statement that "Most Stateside bases now play TAPS 10 10" as in my experience it is NOT - and I also called several friends on other bases not listed and they say it's not played there either.
Again you didn't read the whole messege. It is up to the Wing Commander weather it is played. I spoke to the command Post and they directed me to the Pubic affairs Office and Protocal Office they are the authority on those type matters.ALso in the PFE it also states that those type ceremonies done PER the Wing Commander.So I am not just going off my exprience. And they Play it here. The Army base seem to not play it but Air Force base do. Just like on Army bases at 5 they play the flag call instead of the National Anthem which is what AF bases play at 5 if the Wing Commander wants it. There are differant regulations for Army and AF. No disrespect but I wanted to get correct info and not just go off friends
shareStrange. They play the NATIONAL ANTHEM at 1700 at Fort Meyer and Fort Riley. Don't state facts if they AREN'T facts.
By the way, the list I presented was not a list of what I heard from friends. Those were all installations I personally have been on. That list comes from first hand experience.
Again the fact is that if and when the Wing Commander/Garrison Commander deems them to be played it will be played and that is fact. At those bases you went to the commander did not want them played
share"Taps" is a musical piece sounded at dusk, and at funerals, particularly by the U.S. military. It is sounded during flag ceremonies and funerals, generally on bugle or trumpet, and often at Boy Scout, Girl Scout and Girl Guide meetings and camps. The tune is also sometimes known as "Butterfield's Lullaby", or by the first line of the lyric, "Day is Done".
shareJust curious about a cross-Pond query... TAPS sounds suspiciously like what we Brits would know as the Last Post. The comment upthread about the "front he rising of the sun, and to its setting, and in the morning, we will remember them" statement - this is uttered on Remembrance Day over here in the UK...
There is one original set of lyrics meant to accompany the music, written by Horace Lorenzo Trim:
Day is done, gone the sun
From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky
All is well, safely rest
God is nigh.
Fading light dims the sight
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright
From afar, drawing near
Falls the night.
Thanks and praise for our days
Neath the sun, neath the stars, neath the sky
As we go, this we know
God is nigh.