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This editor has been receiving emails from FCMs asking if I can answer as to why they can't connect with the other
Volunteer Publisher/Editor, Mr. Norm Dreschel responded to my inquiry with the following:
"My sites are hosted by Network Solutions and about a week ago they were the target of a "denial of service attack." This caused intermittent problems with accessing sites on their servers. I've also had problems where some people were unable to access pages, but it always worked here and I even had other people test through other internet service providers (IPs) and have been unable to find out what's causing the problem. I had Network Solutions test the servers on two different occasions over the past two weeks and everything checked out okay. It's certainly nothing I am doing and hopefully the problem will go away soon."
Buglers Across America's (BAAs) Policy - Pay for Sounding Taps
The DIRECTIVES FOR BUGLERS make it very clear that at no time, will any volunteer for BAA be allowed to require or even suggest that a family pay a fee for sounding Taps at a service. Doing so will result in immediate deletion from the membership roster. We have had some confusion about this issue recently, and this message is posted to clasrify the position of BAA.
The policy has been in place since the inception of the organization, some 11 years ago.
The directives plainly spell out that if anyone offers a BAA bugler an honorarium, he may accept it with gratitude and dignity. We advise to not expect such a gift, so as not to offend the giver; if the bugler doesn't wish to keep it, he may give it away, at his own discretion. Bugles Across America is a 501c(3) organization, and they publically state that their services of Live Taps are “free”. When one of their volunteers accepts a mission, informing the family of his or her fee (??), this constitutes a misrepresentation on the part of BAA, and it simply will not be tolerated.
The only possible exception to this rule is that if the bugler is a paid bugler under a military AP3 program, then he/she is being paid directly from government funds, provided under that particular state’s AP3 program, usually controlled through a state National Guard. Accepting pay under this program does not fall under the protocols of BAA’s DIRECTIVES FOR BUGLERS , whereby, not placing “undue” pressure on a grieving family.
Every state does not have these AP3 programs available to BAA buglers, so they can check with their state NG Military Funeral Honors coordinator.
If you are a volunteer for BAA, and have been charging a fee for your services, you are hereby required to cease from that activity immediately. If we receive complaints from families that you have charged, we will deal with those, accordingly.
BAA sincerely hopes and believes that the percentage of problems, of this nature, are very low, but in these situations, communication is the key. They have made the DIRECTIVES FOR BUGLERS very transparent and available to all, feeling that they have done their job to convey the information properly.
Anyone with questions about this matter can contact Mr. Tom Day, any National Coordinator, or your State director. BAA thanks all BAA buglers, for what they do to Honor the Veteran. - Larry Wiseman, National Coordinator
U.S. Army Does Not Forget Those Who Have Gone Before Us
The 1st Cavalry Division takes care of its own and even after 60 years, Pfc Joseph Terrell was laid to rest at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) National Cemetery. Cousin, Lucille Crowder, received a flag and Joseph's medals after providing DNA to identify Terrell’s remains. Pictured are (from left) Sgt.1st Class James Byington from Ft. Hood, TX who made the presentation, Mrs. Crowder and John A. Simonetti of Mabank, who volunteered his services as bugler to play “Taps” for the ceremony. John is a past president of the USS Intrepid Association, Inc., an organization of former USS Intrepid crewmembers who served from WWII through three tours in Vietnam aboard the Intrepid. He is also a volunteer
bugler for Bugles Across America.
A request for a bugler can be made simply by going to Website at http://www.buglesacrossamerica.org/RequestABugler.aspx
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