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SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | MAY 2023 17 Submitted by Linda Weiss, Resident Rom Thoughts of Kindne For my Kindness article this month, I would like to share a real- life act of kindness that happened to me that actually benefited a lot of people. On March 9, I wrote an email to a neighbor: "Just wanted to thank you for adding the light on the side of your house to add additional safety to our mailboxes. I am sure all the residents assigned to that box appreciate your efforts. I know I do. Can we help you with cost of the light and installation? Thanks again. Linda and Chuck Weiss. On March 9, at 11:01 am, I received from resident: "Hi Linda and Chuck. You're very welcome. We had been thinking about doing this for the past year and finally pulled the trigger. We have been overwhelmed by the all the positive responses from our neighbors. We hope the light may make mail thieves think twice about breaking into the boxes thinking they are being filmed (no camera only light). Thanks for offering but no help needed on the cost as this is the least we can do living in this great community of ours. Thanks again for the kind words." On March 9, 2023, at 11:05 am I responded: "Well, thank you again. It was a very kind thing to do." Since this light has been installed to shine on our mailbox, I have heard of other residents with an area on their homes facing a mailbox, who have also installed lights to shine on their mailboxes. I want to reach out to those of you that have taken it upon yourselves to do this and say thank you to all of you. You all have shown a great kindness to your fellow neighbors. I'm sure they are all as thankful as I am. By Ralph Grider, Resident We in the United States have all heard the haunting song, TAPS. It's the song that gives us that lump in our throats and usually creates tears in our eyes. I have felt the chills while listening to TAPS but have never seen all the words to the song, or the story behind it. Both are not as easy to document as it sounds. We are fairly certain it all began in 1862 during the Civil War. Taps historian Jari Villanueva, a former bugler at Arlington National Cemetery, notes that the bugle call used during the Civil War was titled Extinguish Lights, telling soldiers to turn out the lights and go to sleep. General David Butterfield found it too formal and decided to revise it. Along with his bugler, Oliver Wilcox Norton, they fashioned what we are familiar with today. If you look online there are several sites verifying this, although perhaps not in this simplified version. Another story, circulated online and in print for years, appears to be a well-meaning hoax. It tells a tale of a Union Army Captain, Robert Ellicombe, who upon hearing the moans of a wounded soldier, decided to bring the stricken man back for medical attention. Sadly, the soldier was dead and wearing a Confederate uniform. Ellicombe, recognizing his own son, asked for a full military burial but was denied. Instead, he had a solitary bugler play a dirge from a series of musical notes found on a piece of paper in the dead youth's uniform pocket. Great story but by many, many accounts it's not true. TAPS — The origin Day is done, gone the sun, From the hills, from the lakes, from the sky. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. Go to sleep, peaceful sleep, may he soldier Or sailor, God keep. On the land or the deep, Safe in sleep. Love, good night, must thou go, When the day and the night need thee so? All is well. Speedeth all to their rest. Fades the light; And afar goeth day, And the stars shineth bright, Fare thee well; Day has gone, night is on. anks and praise, for our days, 'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, 'neath the sky, As we go, this we know, God is nigh. For Memorial Day and everyday… remember those lost and harmed while serving their country. TAPS is not considered a song, as a bugle call it is a signal. Even though there are no "official" words, according to the US Memorial Day Organization, the most popular of the lyrics are:

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