Remember soldiers on Veterans Day

Throughout October, I received several calls from area veterans requesting I republish my article on Taps. For those who have served and continue to serve this great nation, thank you for your sacrifice.

On Nov. 11, we will celebrate Veteran's Day.

This is for those of us who have served in the military and have heard the haunting melody of Taps.

For me, the song gives me a huge lump in my throat and usually causes tears in my eyes.

The song itself pulls on our emotional strings and causes us to think about past and present wars that our fathers, mothers, sons and daughters have served in.

When I was a young private in the Army and on my way to Vietnam, a first sergeant told me the story of Taps. I thought I would share it with you.

During the Civil War in 1862, a Union Army Captain named Robert Ellicombe was positioned near Harrison's Landing, Va.

The Confederate Army was on the other side of a narrow strip of land. During the night, the captain kept hearing the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field in front of him.

Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, he decided to risk his life and bring that wounded soldier back to his side for medical care.

The captain crawled on his stomach through punishing gunfire to the stricken soldier.

Not wasting time, he grabbed the soldier's collar and dragged him back to his old position.

When the captain finally reached his encampment, medical personnel rushed to both soldiers' aid.

The doctor treating the Confederate soldier said, "he's dead." In the dim lantern light, he found the face of his oldest son. The boy had been studying in the South when the war broke out. He apparently decided to enlist in the Confederate Army.

The following morning, heartbroken, the captain requested permission to give his son full military burial despite his enemy status. His request was only partially approved. They only approved one bugler to play a series of musical notes he found on a piece of paper in the pocket of his son's uniform.

The haunting melody is today known as Taps.

Note: ISG Arthur Demming died three days after telling me this story in 1971.

If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed at NWES, 255-2266, or send them to the Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint, ID, 83864, Attn. What Would Ed do?

Ed is the CEO of Northwest Executive and Environmental Services LLC.