DaMoude plays ‘Taps’ across country

    Makayla DaMoude, a 2016 Chase County Schools graduate from Omaha, made a special trip home to play “Taps” at area Memorial Day services.
    Shortly after DaMoude chose to play the trumpet in fifth grade, her Grandma Elaine Hink wanted her to play “Taps” at the funeral of her great grandfather Don Hink, who served in the Army during the Korean War. At that time, Richard Munson, her band instructor, prepared her so she could fulfill that request.
    She then started playing for the Elsie Memorial Day service, this being her 11th year. DaMoude said they adopted her as “their girl.”
    A year later, she added the Madrid Memorial Day service, then added Fort McPherson, the National Cemetery in Maxwell where relatives are buried.
    This year, due to the pandemic, services weren’t allowed at Fort McPherson, but she had permission to play “Taps” as long as she came alone.
    “Taps,” the distinctive 24-note bugle melody, was first used to signal “lights out” to soldiers at the end of the day. It is now commonly played at military funerals, memorial services and other military ceremonies.
    DaMoude belongs to two national organizations, Taps for Veterans and Bugles Across America. Members across the country are registered to play “Taps.”
    She has played for Traveling Vietnam Wall events in Imperial and Omaha, a Congressional Medal of Honor decoration ceremony in Kansas, the Taps 150 event at the Berkely Plantation in Virginia, the 50-year welcome home event in Wisner and a Pearl Harbor event at Fort Atkinson, the other Nebraska National Cemetery in Fort Calhoun.

To read more, go to: https://etypeservices.com/Imperial%20RepublicanID359/