Before we close the books on Memorial Day 2016, I would like to extend a thank you to Lois Nelson.
It wasn’t until Memorial Day this year that I learned of Lois Nelson and her commitment to playing taps as part of military honors at local veterans’ funerals for the past 20 years.
A few years ago I had the honor of speaking at the Memorial Day service at the Maplewood Cemetery.
That day I shared my personal experiences as a kid growing up in Heron Lake and the importance the local Legion members put toward honoring their fallen comrades.
A very important part of honoring a veteran is the playing of taps at his or her funeral.
I’ve attended a number of funerals where taps was played at the end of the 21-gun salute, and I have been moved to tears because of the sound of the bugle off in the distance.
It wasn’t until my father’s funeral that I realized the importance of taps to the surviving family.
There are three components to military honors at a funeral — the firing of the rifles, taps, and the flag presentation.
For me, the firing of the rifles signifies our military strength. The flag presentation is a sign of a grateful nation. But for me the playing of taps was the most important part of the military honors. Listening to the soft, soothing tones of the bugle somehow gave me the feeling that the whole nation was sharing in our family’s grief. It was so profound, so touching and so important to my mom.
Lois Nelson has provided that feeling to hundreds of families over the past 20 years. I’m sure many of those families have no idea who the person behind the bugle was, but now that I do, Lois Nelson is my hero.