Stephen Brown Has Played “Taps” at Veterans’ Gravesites for Over 40 Years
Franklin resident Stephen Brown goes on a mission around 30 to 40 times each year. Each mission delivers the final funeral rites to those who served in the military. He begins each mission with a moment of solitude to say a prayer of thankfulness for the person being honored and for the gift he has been given — the ability to share his talent by playing “Taps” on his trumpet. He has been doing just that for 45 years.
Brown started playing the trumpet in the sixth grade. He described the moment that shaped his desire to play at graveside services. He was sitting in band class as an eighth grader when a local funeral director, the late Richard Tudor, walked in and said he needed a trumpet player replacement pronto. Before he knew it, Brown was en route to the cemetery, declaring he did not know how to play “Taps.” Tudor said, “You will learn on the way.” And so, he did.
Brown continued playing trumpet through high school and at Indiana University, where he played in the marching band and the pep band for four years.
“I never got the opportunity to serve my country. Playing ‘Taps’ is my way of serving my country, giving honor to those who did serve in the military,” Brown said.
Giving back runs deep in his heart and soul. Brown has played for 20 years in the Franklin Community Band. The group meets for 90 minutes each week to practice. He said he really enjoys the group and values the chance to keep his chops — the endurance to play well for a long time — tuned.
Brown is a member of the Sons of the American Legion and the Franklin American Legion Post 205, which also serves at military last rite services with an honor guard. Born and raised in Franklin, and the son of a military veteran, Brown has a deep respect for veterans.
In 1994, he started collecting one bullet casing after each memorial service where he played. At last count, he had more than 1,200 casings. While he may appear calm and collected as he plays, Brown said he often needs a moment afterward to compose himself. He takes his mission seriously. Still, he admitted that on some of those cold winter days, putting his lips to the trumpet is like kissing a flagpole.
Brown knows a lot of people, many of whom he has met through his volunteer work with organizations like the Johnson County Shrine Club. If you went to the county fair, you likely saw him serving breakfast in their food tent. He is a member of the Franklin Elks Lodge No. 1818 and Tabernacle Christian Church. He has served as past president of both the Franklin Rotary Club and the Franklin Chamber of Commerce.
In his free time, he enjoys playing golf at Hillview Country Club, where he is a member, and he likes to fish. “Sometimes, I go home, grab a cold drink, and just play my horn for relaxation,” he said.
Between volunteerism and his work as an insurance agent for Franklin Insurance Co., Brown has also taken on the adventure of performing marriages. He once even delivered a sermon from the pulpit.
A memory that evoked emotion in both Brown and this writer was his recounting of a dedication service when a World War I engraving was added to a grave in Hopewell Cemetery. He was able to play a bugle that is on loan to him from Sue Vaught. The bugle had hung on her wall and was a family heirloom from World War I. Brown took a moment before playing to help those in attendance understand the significance of the special horn.
Playing “Taps” — or even just listening to it — evokes a patriotic sentiment and deep emotion, especially after the loss of a friend or family member who served. Brown has a vision to someday write what he calls “The Other Side of Taps.” Inspired by “In Flanders Fields,” the story would describe a young bugler asked to play at the grave of a fallen soldier. Initially, he performs with technical skill but without emotion. Then the bugler loses his own father or loved one who served, and his next performance is infused with personal meaning and emotion.
Brown is a member of Bugles Across America, an organization founded in 2000 after Congress passed a law guaranteeing veterans the right to have at least two uniformed military personnel present to fold the flag and play “Taps,” even if only by recording. Bugles Across America took that a step further by recruiting more than 3,000 volunteer buglers to offer a live rendition instead.
Brown is honored to have been invited to play at the 80th anniversary of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. A memorial service will be held July 29 in downtown Indianapolis to commemorate the occasion. He considers it a privilege to be able to honor those who served aboard the ship and lost their lives in defense of the nation.
Brown says civilians need to seize opportunities to give back even more to those who serve and have served the country. He hopes a young trumpet player may read this story and be inspired to follow in his footsteps.
To learn more about Bugles Across America, visit buglesacrossamerica.org.
