Remembering a bugler’s broken note

The bugle used by Sgt. Keith Clark, Principal Bugler of the U.S. Army Band, at the funeral of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Photo By Wikimedia Commons user Tim Evanson

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy, 50 years ago Friday, was followed by four days of grieving, culminating in a final farewell at Arlington National Cemetery. As Principal Bugler of the United States Army Band, Sgt. Keith Clark had played “Taps” at Arlington hundreds of times.

But on Nov. 25, 1963, he was there to play the solemn 24-note melody for the president’s state funeral.

In the rendition of “Taps” heard by millions around the world, Clark fumbled the sixth note of the tune.

The broken note served as a symbol of sorrow to a lamenting nation. The media picked up on the blunder, calling it a “tear,” and suggested the note was missed on purpose. To the experienced bugler, it was nothing more than a mistake.

Clark, who died in 2002 at age 74, reminisced about the performance in an Associated Press report in 1988 on the 25th anniversary of Kennedy’s death.

“I missed a note under pressure. It’s something you don’t like, but it’s something that can happen to a trumpet player,” he said. “You never really get over it.”