The final note
Story and photos by Petty Officer 3rd Class Connie Terrell
 |
The somber melody of a lone bugle floats through the air on a dreary New England morning as mourners gather on a damp lawn, quietly weeping as they bid farewell to their loved one.
A uniformed bugler stands in the distance playing the slow, steady notes, known as Taps, at the funeral of a former Coast Guard member.
Taps was originally composed during the American Civil War to indicate “lights out,” but is now played to honor service members during their funeral.
"It signals the end," said Coast Guard Auxiliarist John Collins, who dedicates most of his time honoring service members from all five military branches. "This is the last remembrance of their loved one's life and they'll probably remember it forever."
Last year, the 70-year-old bugler drove about 12,000 miles and honored 487 veterans, sometimes performing at five funerals in a single day.
"They deserve the very best and that's what I try to give them," he said. "That's why I travel so far."
Collins, the
"It was embarrassing not having a real bugler for these guys," said Collins. "They put their lives at risk for me - it's the least I can do for them."
"I think when the family sees someone in uniform there playing Taps, it makes it more meaningful," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Jaime Mara, an Honor Guard member from the First Coast Guard District in Boston. "It shows them the Coast Guard cares about them."
 |
In addition to a bugler, two Honor Guard members attend the funeral to render military honors such as folding the flag for the service member’s family.
Mara said Collins always offers his help if the Honor Guard wants to practice folding the flag before a funeral, and even keeps a spare flag in his car just in case.
"He has told us numerous stories from all different branches of service about how things could go wrong," Mara said. "It's good because I think about those things in the back of my mind during the funeral so I don't mess up."
Coast Guard members have the same core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty, said Mara, but he goes beyond that.
"He has a love for the service and a love for what he does," she said. "He pretty much does everything for free - using his own time, gas and personal car to go to the services. He sets an example of what we all should be."
In addition to funeral detail, Collins, a member of Auxiliary Flotilla 43, performs at retirement and change of command ceremonies, teaches safe boating courses and assists with open houses at Coast Guard Station Gloucester.
The Auxiliary is a group of volunteer civilians who support Coast Guard missions but do not receive a paid salary.
When Collins is not bugling or assisting an Honor Guard, he spends time with Rose, his wife of 46 years, five children and nine grandchildren. He also performs in several bands, playing a variety of instruments, and enjoys sailing when he can find time.
"What I do is very rewarding," Collins said. "To know you made a difference - that you meant something to the family."
printer friendly