By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – For 67-year-old retired Air Force pilot James Duprey, honoring America’s fallen isn’t just an annual Memorial Day tradition. Every Saturday, he shows up at the Arizona Heroes Memorial at Naranja Park in Oro Valley to play taps.
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It’s a weekly promise he has kept since December, missing only two Saturdays to prepare for a hip replacement.
“Been playing the horn since the fifth grade,” Duprey said. “I said it might be a nice way to commemorate the memory of all of our heroes – living and passed away.”
The 24-note song lasts about a minute. Traditionally played to signal “lights out” and the end of the day, taps is now most commonly associated with military funerals and memorial services.
“It’s a time of possible closure, a sign of respect, and proof – whether it’s history or those who serve now – that they too will be remembered for their sacrifice,” Duprey said.
Sacrifice is not new to Duprey, who spent 20 years on active duty with the Air Force. Service is a family tradition- his father was a World War II Purple Heart recipient, and his brother served as an Air Force pilot for 26 years.
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When Duprey picks up his trumpet each Saturday, he asks himself one question: “‘How would I like taps played for me?’ And that’s how I try to play it.”
On most Saturdays, he plays to an empty park, but says the 24 notes echo beyond the memorial.
“They will hear the taps,” Duprey said.
Duprey plans to be at the Arizona Heroes Memorial Park this Saturday at 5 p.m. and every Saturday after that.
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