Submitted by the Spokane (Wash.) Chapter

When a close friend of Lt. Col. Phil Kowzan, USAR (Ret), died in 2001, a bugler was not available to play taps at the service. The solemn 24 notes would be played from a tape recorder. Kowzan, a member of MOAA’s Spokane (Wash.) Chapter, felt the song should be played live, so he got out his brass bugle and played taps at the funeral.

Since then, he has sounded taps with his brass bugle at 3,335 services, predominantly at the Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake as well as at churches, funeral homes, and other Spokane cemeteries. He also rendered taps on Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day, and for four nights upon the closure of the Vietnam Traveling Wall’s visit to Spokane.

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After graduating from Eastern Washington University in 1961, Kowzan served 12 years on active duty, including at Tooele Army Depot, Utah; Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Gordon, Ga.; and in Korea and Vietnam. He then served 16 years in the Army Reserve.

For the next 25 years, he continued to proudly wear his Army dress uniform each time he played taps.

Now, at age 88, Kowzan has retired from his volunteer role of honoring those who served during their final farewell.

His bugle calls created an emotional and memorable final farewell for many uniformed service families.