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Honoring sacrifice and protecting tradition

Steve Veikley, a Minot bugler, gives respect to military members and bugling tradition

Submitted Photo Steve Veikley, a Minot resident and a U.S. Army veteran will perform Taps alongside the American Legion Saturday at the Wreaths Across America ceremony held at Rosehill Memorial Park.

Saturday morning, Minot residents will gather at Rosehill Memorial Park and place wreaths on the headstones of fallen military members.

For those in attendance, Christmas Eve will be a solemn occassion that honors the memory and sacrifices made by brave men and women.

Before the ceremony comes to a close, Steve Veikley, a Minot resident and U.S. Army veteran will pay his respects by performing Taps.

“People have an emotional response to Taps,” Veikley said. “It has to be played correctly and according to military regulations. It should be played live at a ceremony by a person in uniform. It’s not always easy. Sometimes your fingers freeze in the cold and you’ll stand for long periods in heated conditions. I just try to play Taps the way it was intended to be presented.”

As a fellow veteran and member of the American Legion, Veikley feels it’s critical for people to never forget that freedom is fought for and protected by the bravey of our military.

“I don’t think that veterans through time have been properly remembered,” Veikley said. “Wreaths Acoss America is an attempt to shine more light on the sacrifices and services of people who are in the military or have served the military. Soldiers have lost their limbs and others have given up their lives. I think it’s important to shine a light on the contributions of the people who have made sacrifices for this country. It’s sad to see apathy set in when nobody pays attention.”

Recently, Veikley has noticed that the bugling tradition has gradually made way for electronic recordings.

“There is a movement to replace live bugling,” Veikley said. “There are machines that play Taps and nowadays we have digital sound reproduction that makes it possible for anyone to hear Taps anytime they want. I don’t believe Taps was intended to be presented by an artificial product. I know that playing Taps artificially is better than nothing but I feel it’s like sending artificial flowers to a funeral. So, I do what I can to show up and make sure a real person in uniform is their to present it live the way it was intended.”

Since Veikley was a child, the sound of the bugle has been an inspirational calling.

“I started playing the trumpet at age 10,” Veikley said. “I found the trumpet to be the nicest thing about going to school. When I was 15, I decided to become a professional musician. As a kid, I was inspired by military bugle calls and after hearing Louis Armstrong, I knew I was going to be a musician. At a very early age, I heard Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. They’ve remained my heroes ever since the first day I heard them. There are quite a few others I admire but I think Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker made me see that I could do something with playing music.”

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