Sounding “Taps”: Meet our June Granite Stater of the Month

Over a decade ago at a military funeral, our June Granite Stater of the Month — retired Air Force Master Sergeant and retired State Trooper Lee Hirtle of Northfield — noticed that “Taps,” the traditional bugle call performed at military funerals, was playing from a C.D. player hidden behind a gravestone.

When he returned home from the funeral, Master Sergeant Hirtle went to his basement and dusted off his old trumpet, an instrument he hadn’t touched since he was a college student. He taught himself to play “Taps,”, and practiced until he was skilled enough to play at funerals of fellow veterans and service members.

Since playing at his first funeral in 2007, he has sounded “Taps” over 3,650 times across the northeast.

I was honored to speak on the Senate floor about Master Sergeant Hirtle:

We can never fully repay those who have served or have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom, but we must commit ourselves to honoring those sacrifices.

Master Sergeant Hirtle is a true embodiment of that commitment, and for his dedication to honoring those who have served, I am proud to recognize him as the June Granite Stater of the Month.

If you would like to nominate an exceptional Granite Stater for Granite Stater of the Month, click here.