Post by Keith Heitmann on Nov 8, 2002 19:33:59 GMT -5
Now the U.S. military has gone and done it.
It seems that there some 500,000 veterans that may need the eventual services of a bugler at a funeral, not taking into consideration other cermonial events a bugler may be called for. However, there are only 500 buglers currently in the military. The Pentagon tried to fill the gap with Taps played from a boom box but the relatives and family of those so honored complained that it wasn't dignified. The Pentagon agreed.
Enter the self-playing bugle. That's right a bugle that plays itself with out the aid of a trained bugler. The Pentagon commissioned the creation of a bugle that with the aid of a computer chip could be programmed to play Taps or other tunes via a computer chip. The bugle itself looks just like any other unless viewed from the horn end wher you can see the speaker and electronics.
It seems that the Pentagon has field tested the self-playing bugle and observers admit that they could not tell the difference between the sound of the computerized bugle and one played by a real bugler.
So now all anyone has to do is pose as if playing the new bugle and the bugle does all the work. Somehow that just doesn't seem right.
Could you imagine the British army with all its military tradition switching over to a self-playing bugle? Not likely. Leave it to the Pentagon to come up with a shortcut.
It seems that there some 500,000 veterans that may need the eventual services of a bugler at a funeral, not taking into consideration other cermonial events a bugler may be called for. However, there are only 500 buglers currently in the military. The Pentagon tried to fill the gap with Taps played from a boom box but the relatives and family of those so honored complained that it wasn't dignified. The Pentagon agreed.
Enter the self-playing bugle. That's right a bugle that plays itself with out the aid of a trained bugler. The Pentagon commissioned the creation of a bugle that with the aid of a computer chip could be programmed to play Taps or other tunes via a computer chip. The bugle itself looks just like any other unless viewed from the horn end wher you can see the speaker and electronics.
It seems that the Pentagon has field tested the self-playing bugle and observers admit that they could not tell the difference between the sound of the computerized bugle and one played by a real bugler.
So now all anyone has to do is pose as if playing the new bugle and the bugle does all the work. Somehow that just doesn't seem right.
Could you imagine the British army with all its military tradition switching over to a self-playing bugle? Not likely. Leave it to the Pentagon to come up with a shortcut.
