Union County Corrections Honorguard Ceremonial Unit

08/31/2026

08/30/2026

Before Taps is sounded, there is a silence no one teaches you about.

It begins before the bugle ever reaches the lips.
The honor guard is still.
The flag is waiting.

A family stands nearby, carrying a lifetime of memories into a moment that lasts only a few minutes.

And then everything becomes quiet.
Not empty.
Not awkward.
Sacred.

In that silence, the smallest things seem louder.
The wind moving through the trees.
A bird somewhere beyond the cemetery.
The movement of a uniform.
A breath.

Then the bugle is raised.
The first note sounds.
And for a brief moment, 24 notes speak for a grateful nation.

They say what words often cannot.

Thank you.
We remember.
You served.
You mattered.

Then comes the final note.
It hangs in the air for just a moment…and disappears.

The bugle lowers.
And the silence returns.
But it is not the same silence.

Now it carries the memory of what was just heard.
A folded flag.
A family standing together.
A veteran’s life.
A final farewell.

At Taps for Veterans, we believe the silence before and after Taps is every bit as important as the notes themselves.

Silence is not the absence of the music.
Silence is part of the music.

That is one of the quiet differences of a live sounding of Taps.

A bugler does not simply play 24 notes.
They enter that moment with the family.
They wait.
They breathe.
They sound the call.
And when the final note fades, they allow the silence to remain.

Just a human being standing in service to another human being.

Breath. Brass. 24 notes. Silence.

And somewhere in that silence, remembrance takes its place.

🎺 24 Notes. One Final Promise.

The next time you hear Taps, listen closely after the final note.

Sometimes the most powerful part is what comes next.



Taps for Veterans
Taps Across America 🇺🇸
Taps For Veterans Community

08/30/2026

Dakota Meyer was told four times not to go in. He went anyway, driving straight into a Taliban ambush where more than 50 fighters were firing machine guns, mortars and RPGs at his trapped comrades. He kept returning to the k*ll zone until he had helped save 36 men and recover four fallen Americans.

It was September 8, 2009, in Ganjgal, Afghanistan.

Meyer was 21, a Marine scout sniper attached to an Afghan training team.

Four American service members were trapped inside the village.

They were surrounded.

The radio traffic was desperate.

Meyer asked permission to go get them.

Denied.

He asked again.

Denied.

Again.

Denied.

Four times.

Then Meyer stopped asking.

He climbed into a Humvee with Staff Sgt. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez and drove directly toward the ambush.

Taliban fighters were firing from the mountains.

Machine guns.

Mortars.

Rocket-propelled grenades.

Meyer entered the k!LL zone anyway.

He searched for the trapped Americans.

He found wounded Afghan soldiers and began pulling them toward safety.

Then he went back.

Again.

And again.

Each trip meant driving back through the same enemy fire.

Meyer was hit by shrapnel in the arm.

He kept going.

He helped evacuate wounded men.

Then he returned for the fallen.

Four American service members had been k*lled.

Meyer refused to leave without recovering them.

By the end of the battle, he had helped save 36 people, including 13 Americans and 23 Afghan personnel.

He had repeatedly driven into an ambush commanders had told him to avoid.

In 2011, President Barack Obama presented Meyer with the Medal of Honor.

But the medal wasn't the defining moment.

The defining moment came when he heard his friends were trapped.

He was told to stay out.

He went in.

He was told the situation was too dangerous.

He went back.

He was wounded.

He went back again.

Dakota Meyer didn't charge into the ambush because he thought he couldn't d*e.

He went because he couldn't leave his men there.

08/30/2026

Rest in Peace, Columbia, South Carolina, Police Officer Christopher DeLong, Jr., E.O.W. August 29, 2026.
Police Officer DeLong responded to a domestic violence incident where the suspect fled before DeLong's arrival. When he continued his patrol he observed the suspect at another location. DeLong and his backup officer, P.O. David Dymock, approached the suspect who apparently opened fire striking and killing DeLong and wounding Dymock. The suspect was shot and killed.
Police Officer Dymock is reported to be hospitalized in satisfactory condition.
Police Officer DeLong was 29 years old and served with the Columbia Police Department for one year and eight months. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Christopher, rest in the Lord's eternal embrace. Always Honored, Never Forgotten.

08/30/2026

Save the date and mark your calendars! National Wreaths Across America Day 2026 will take place on Saturday, December 19!

08/30/2026

08/29/2026

08/29/2026

A Marine injured by a su***de bomb outside Abbey Gate at the Kabul airport tended to other Marines and provided cover in the wake of the attack. Later that night, he sat in his room digging shrapnel out of his own hip. He had avoided medics and his own platoon sergeant at the scene of the explosion, afraid he’d be ordered to leave the scene if they saw the severity of his wound.

On Wednesday, Lance Cpl. Jordan Houston was one of three Marines who received awards for their actions at Abbey Gate following the attack outside of the Kabul airport five years ago. The attack killed 13 U.S. service members and approximately 170 Afghans.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device for valor to Houston and Gunny Sgt. Jonathan Eby. Hegseth was awarded Cpl. Michael Gretzon received the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal with “V” device.

All three served in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines during the operation when the blast went off. The unit had arrived in Kabul on Aug. 14, 2021, to provide security at the airport for evacuating American citizens and Afghan allies.

08/29/2026

Happy Birthday, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve! 🇺🇸

On August 29, we proudly recognize the birthday of the United States Marine Corps Reserve and honor the men and women who stand ready to answer our nation’s call.

For generations, Marine Reservists have balanced service to their families, careers, and communities while remaining committed to the defense of our country. Their dedication and willingness to serve represent the very best of America.

To all Marine Corps Reservists, past and present, and to the families who stand beside them, Blue Star Mothers of America thanks you for your service and sacrifice. ❤️💙

Happy Birthday, Marine Corps Reserve! 🇺🇸