WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) — As those in Trumbull County honored the fallen on Memorial Day, a live bugler played taps at several points throughout the ceremony.

Gary Watson is from Cortland and is a bugler with the American Legion Honor Guard. He is one of several who played taps for 110 military funerals in the area last year.

Watson said the practice is becoming less common, and instead, a recording is sometimes played.

But he’s passionate about how taps bring peace to military families.

“It’s very important to me. I was never able to serve in the military, so this is why I am doing what I am doing, and it’s just a closure for many, many, many families to have taps played,” Watson said.

Watson encourages anyone who plays the trumpet to learn and uphold the tradition. He’s part of Bugles Across America, which assigns players to such events.