TAPS Across America in the Rio Grande Valley

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A Rio Grande Valley man encourages residents to become volunteer buglers and play TAPS at Veteran's funerals and ceremonies.

TAPS Across America was held nationwide on Monday in honor of Memorial Day.

The tribute started during the pandemic when Memorial Day celebrations were canceled due to COVID-19.

In order to honor fallen heroes, a Veteran with a non-profit organization formed TAPS Across America, where people go out to their front porch at 3 p.m., the designated time of remembrance and play TAPS.

Since its creation, Harlingen resident Richard Brotzan has participated in the program and has played TAPS at military funerals and ceremonies since the early 2000s when he found out the Marines did not have a bugler in South Texas.

"Sometimes I've done it for men that I've known, there have been times that I have done it for people that I never met," said Brotzman. "During the Iraq War in the early 2000s, the Marine Corps didn't have a live bugler in this area, so I had the sad honor of playing TAPS at the funerals of five Valley Marines killed in action in Iraq."

If interested in volunteering as a bugler and honoring fallen soldiers visit the website.