This Navy Officer Plays ‘Taps’ Each Night, But His Neighbors Aren’t All On Board

Lt. Cmdr. Joshua Comey plays Taps each night to honor his service and fallen soldiers. Screenshot via YouTube

For nearly two years, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Joshua Corney has stepped out of his front door and into his yard in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, at 7:55 p.m. every night, where he stands at attention for the world’s most famous bugle song — Taps.

“I made a promise to God that if he brought me back home safe and sound, I would do something in remembrance of those who had fallen while I was there but also those who have died in past wars and who will die in future wars," Corney, who has served more than 20 years in the Navy, with deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq under his belt, told Penn Live.

But not everyone in Glen Rock appreciates the gesture. Some have found the fact that Corney plays the music over loudspeakers to be a disturbance. Originally, it started out as a neighborly dispute, and in an effort to resolve the issue, Corney told Penn Live he spent $2,000 to adjust the speakers.

Now, the Glen Rock Borough Council will have to decide if the song, which is 57-seconds long, constitutes a noise violation. As for now, he will only be allowed to play the song on Sundays and holidays.

A Change.org petition to drum up support for the continuation of the nightly ritual has over 1,000 signatures.

“We are creating this petition to protect the continued play of Taps due to the outpouring of community support,” the petition reads. “It is played as an audio memorial to honor our country, service members, and those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. It is also an opportunity to reflect on and be thankful for the sacrifices it took to obtain our freedoms.”

Corney says he has been surprised by how many people have come out to in favor of his desire to continue playing Taps each night.

"It makes me very happy," Corney told YDR. "I thought I would probably get a lot of people complaining about this. It makes you feel good that the majority of people are supporting this."

Task & Purpose reached out to Corney, and will update this story as more information becomes available.

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