On Tap
Every day when the sun goes down, a guy by the name of John Hersh steps out on his deck and plays “Taps.” Every single day. He lives on Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore. Everyone stops when he blows that horn: walkers, bikers, people grilling in their backyards, kids playing, teenagers on the run. And when the tune is over, they all clap and cheer. It's the soundtrack of the neighborhood.
Hersh says, “It’s now a tradition. It brings people together.” Neighbors say it moves them, stirs them, even brings some to tears. I guess when John plays "Taps," it makes the daily craziness seem small. This is a simple guy doing a simple thing. He thinks it’s patriotic. He wants people to put politics aside. “We’re all good people. We all have the same needs and wants. We look out for each other.”
The trumpet John uses is the same one he played in the school band as a 4th grader. In high school, he played in the marching band at football games and parades. Later, Hersh was drafted but did not go to Vietnam. He ended up serving in the National Guard. But his buddy Tony Thoman, who played trumpet next to him in the school band, got shipped off and died in combat. He still thinks of his old bandmate every time he plays the tune. This month, John and his wife will visit Vietnam for the first time and pay tribute to Tony.
Keep your dukes up.
If you know someone who’d like these ditties in their inbox every week, have ‘em shoot us an email at darbyo@darbyobrien.com and we’ll add ‘em to the list.