The sound of Taps could be heard from lawns and porches Monday afternoon as trumpeters and buglers across the country honored Memorial Day at a safe distance. It was a national movement called Taps Across America and it could be heard in Washington. While Washington’s traditional Memorial Day services were cancelled due to COVID-19, the traditional tune was heard across town as a breeze carried the song through the sunny sky with multiple horns producing the 24 notes of Taps.

One trumpeter was John Harris, who played Taps at the United Presbyterian Home. His mother, Pat Minneman said it was important for Taps to be heard, “Well, the old saying, ‘Lest we forget.’ We don’t want to forget that, so we want to do it at every opportunity that we can.”

People spread out on Willow Street, most of them wearing masks, to hear the song and to honor those who gave their lives in the armed services. Harris’s silver trumpet shone at 3 p.m. Monday afternoon.