USS TOPEKA CLG 8
Departed Shipmates

 Last Six Months

Robert Fletcher SN 60-61
Posted 07/14/24

Cecil Hankins FN 61-65
Posted 04/20/24

Kenneth Ewing CPL 64-66
Posted 03/27/24

Norman Altenburg SN 64-66
Posted 03/14/24

John Stark RD2 59-62
Posted 02/22/24

Name

 Rate/Rank Taps Dates
on
board
A. Abernathy CSCS ?? 59 - 61
Marion Adams YN3 04/14/01 62 - 65
Jack K. Ahart BT3 ?? 59 - 63
Elmer Alexander SK1 09/12/01 66 - 69
Norman Altenburg SN 1967 64 - 66
George Ames FN 1970 65 - 67
David J. Anderson LTJG 05/21/90 64 - 66
Don C. Anderson ET2 09/03/06 62 - 64
T. E. Anderson SN 1983 60 - 62
Mike M. Angulo CWO3 11/02/13 65 - 67
Richard Annis SN 06/10/70 67 - 68
Jesse Aragon BM1 07/14/16 59 - 62
Don Archer DK3 11/12/15 63 - 67
Robert Archer BT3 04/05/13 64 - 64
Stephan Archbold SKSN 02/11/04 60 - 63
Charles Armstrong DCCM 2008 62 - 63
Thomas Arnold MM3 03/18/04 65 - 68
Jean T. Attey RD3 05/29/01 65 - 67
John M. Attey RD2 09/12/19 62 - 65
Glen Baggett SA 1997 60 - 62
John Bailey RD3 07/11/98 61 - 62
William Balfanz CS2 09/26/14 62 - 66
Richard Barnard RMSN 01/04/20 60 - 61
Kenneth Barnett BT3 12/04/20 63 - 67
Larry Barr RM3 07/03/84 62 - 65
Edward Beanland FTM2 1975 61 - 64
Robert Beddig SN 1974 63 - 65
Ransford Begin GMG3 2022 63 - 66
Edward Bennet BT2 ?? 59 - 62
Randall Bess CWO4 04/05/03 60 - 62
Jimmie Betsworth RMSN 03/23/88 59 - 61
G. W. Bieber LT ?? 65 - 66
Charles R. Bigham BT3 2007 63 - 65
Richard Bihr CAPT ?? 66 - 68
Ray L. Billings SFM1 05/29/2019 63 - 65
David F. Bills SN 2009 60 - ??
Jack V. Bock LTJG 01/05/2017 62 - 65
William D. Bodine CS3 07/11/2016 63 - 66
Clyde R. Bomgardner LTJG 05/24/12 60 - 61
James E. Bond YN3 05/24/12 64 - 67
Robert A. Bond DK2 11/17/12 62 - 64
John S. Bone LT 11/26/02 62 - 64
John W. Boyd Jr SN 01/17/93 66 - 68
Paul Boyd BT3 11/04/04 63 - 64
William Brew CPL 11/19/19 64 - 66
Charlie Brocklesby SN 12/07/00 65 - 68
George W. Brown SN 04/22/22 62 - 64
Leonard H. Brown LTJG 09/11/17 66 - 68
Freddy L. Bruce BTFN 01/18/18 64 - 67
Joseph Buda GMC 05/31/04 60 - 62
Tom Buell CAPT 04/22/94 64 - 66
Ken Burch SN 2002 61 - 64
Tom Butler SKC 1997 62 - 64
Daniel Callihan GMSN 07/??/2015 60 - 61
Don Cameron LT 10/25/01 60 - 62
Keith Camp BT3 1998 61 - 65
Charles Campbell BM2 01/??/11 60 - 65
John Campbell LT 07/10/01 61 - 63
Augustine Carella CWO3 05/30/09 ??
William Carver SN 2004 60-63
William D Carver BM3 08/19/17 60-63
Dudley E.Cass LTJG 08/12/22 61-64
Earle Caywood CS2 2012 62 - 68
Chester D Chapman GMM3 04/11/13 65 - 67
David Clink MM2 07/2023 68 - 69
Richard Clark RM2 08/28/2012 62 - 64
Lannie Conn LCDR 2012 62 - 63
Raymond Conley FTG3 04/18/06 60 - 64
Jack Connery LCDR 11/05/20 64 - 66
Charles Cooke SM3 06/11/02 62 - 63
Dennis Corkrey SN 2013 66 - 63
Irye Couch BM1 03/17/11 60 - 65
John Courtney MM3 02/14/01 59 - 62
Donald Cowdery EM1 02/17/18 62 - 64
James Curtin LTJG 05/10/23 60 - 62
Kenneth Cushman MM3 12/15/2020 61 - 65
Donald Roland Cusson AG2 11/01/04 64 - 68
Andy Cutbirth YN3 12/17/10 61 - 64
Andrew Czilli LCPL 2010 64 - 66
Raymond E. Danes PO2 1969 64 - 68
Walter Davidovich GMC 07/14/2012 59 - 63
Marvin Davis LTJG 02/25/2023 61 - 62
Gordon Day CWO ?? 62 - 64
Roy L. Denio RM2 12/08/18 60 - 63
Gary S. Derks IC2 03/13/18 59 - 61
Alford DesVoignes RDCS ?? 64 - 66
James Dewey LCPL ?? 63 - 65
Roy DeWitt BTC 1995 60 - 63
David Dilsaver BTFN 2013 59 - 60
Patrick Doyle RM3 2012 61 - 63
Alan Drentlaw IC2 ?? 59 - 62
James Dunaway LTCDR ?? 60 - 61
Gary T. Dungan SN 07/01/10 62 - 64
Gerald W. Dunne LTJG 11/01/15 64 - 66
Paul Dworznik ETR2 11/19/10 59 - 63
Charles Dykeman LT 12/15/19 65 - 66
Tom Eagling GMC 02/17/12 60 - 63
Kenneth Ewing CPL 03/27/2024 64 - 66
Ted Edwards GMM3 2019 59 - 64
Joe Ellis LTJG ?? 61 - 64
Erin Endicott RD3 02/15/19 61 - 63
Don Ervin QMC 05/??/10 60 - 61
Clyde Enans BT3 01/06/12 63 - 66
Frank P. Fasone LI3 03/09/23 64 - 66
Robert M. Farwick SFM3 11/08/06 60 - 63
Lawrence "Butch" Fields LCPL 09/05/11 65 - 67
Henry P Fisher SF1 03/15/02 60 - 62
Larry J Fisher BM1 10/23/10 65 - 69
Michael D. Fisher FTG3 01/03/09 63 - 66
Matthew F. Fitzpatrick FTM3 11/23/14 63 - 65
Fletcher, Robert SN 07/14/24 60 - 61
Tom Fleming Jr LTT 01/31/05 61 - 62
Don E. Ford MM3 01/29/18 66 - 68
Herb Francis QMC ?? 62 - 64
Lyman Franklin MRC 10/06/2017 59 - 60
Joe Friend CPL 2008 62 - 64
Lewis Galloway SD1 1995 59 - 65
James "Bo" Garrison LCPL 11/26/01 61 - 64
Joseph Gavlyak BTFN 1980 63 - 65
Larry Geibe SM3

05/16/10

60 - 64
Raymond Geibe SM1 2008 59 - 63
Grady Germany SA 12/15/08 66 - 68
Donald Gerrick FTG1 07/06/11 60 - 62
Eugene Glenn LT ?? 62 - 64
Fred Godwin GMG2 1998 60 - 62
Chester Goodwin BTC 02/14/09 60 - 62
Elmer Greeno FTCS 1996 60 - 63
Jackie T. Gregory SN 04/??/02 59 - 63
David Grey MMFN 01/??/12 67 - 69
Otto Grunwald CWO ?? 60 - 61
George Grupe LTJG 05/31/07 62 - 65
Charles V. Guenther GMM3 03/21/15 60 - 64
Donald N. Habener RD1 10/07/14 59 - 62
A. D. (Doug) Haigh Jr. LTCDR 06/19/07 61 - 63
Gerald Hakari EM2 3/17/22 60 - 61
Joe Hale RD2 01/31/08 60 - 63
Robert Hale SN 08/03/04 59 - 61
George Halvorson CAPT 07/04/78 67 - 69
Cecil Hankins FN 2018 61 - 65
A. Hargis HM2 ?? 59 - 61
Thomas Harris CSCS 2003 65 - 67
Eddie Harrison SN 2006 61 - 64
Bill Hart LT 2003 60 - 62
James Hartley LCPL 2020 64 - 67
William H. Hawkins Lt CDR 2006 61 - 65
Stan Hayes PH2 08/??/09 66 - 69
Will Hays LT 03/16/22 60 - 61
Donald Hayworth MM3 05/15/07 59 - 62
Dana Heater SN 05/16/07 66 - 68
Herbert Hedge LTCDR 1996 64 - 66
Jack M. Hendricks CWO2 2022 62 - 64
Thomas R. Henrichs SHB3 2016 65 - 69
James T. Henslee BT3 06/05/20 65 - 68
William Herring CSC 1997 61 - 64
Edward F. Hewitt SKC 01/20/08 63 - 66
William E. Hilliard CPL 07/02/67 65 - 66
John Hojaboom GMG1 09/08/99 60 - 69
Robert Holmes SN 2010 66 - 68
Norbert Howe SDC 08/26/06 60 - 60
Joseph L. Hummel RD3 07/31/04 68 - 69
Charles H. Hunter LCPL 09/15/19 60 - 62
Edward Hunziker IC3 12/24/11 59 - 61
Josesph Huskuliak GM3 08/16/93 60 - 62
Richard Ingo AG3 1979 63 - 65
Willard Inman LT 1997 64 - 65
Robert Jakeway MM3 08/17/08 59 - 61
Frederick F. Janey CAPT 08/18/03 60 - 61
Allen Jefferis CDR 05/26/08 67 - 69
Fred Jenkins SH3 04/??/00 60 - 63
John Jessup FTM2 06/09/2013 66 - 69
Art Johnson ETCS 1992 60 - 62
Robert E. Johnson QM2 08/17 67 - 69
W. Lamar Johnson FTM2 2022 64 - 68
William Jones SD1 05/??/83 64 - 67
Jerry Judge FTCS 05/17/07 63 - 66
Gerald Keathley EM3 05/26/07 62 - 63
John Keepper LTJG 08/16/12 61 - 65
Virgil Kefauver RDCM 10/11/2013 60 - 63
Ernest Kershaw BT2 11/01/16 59 - 63
Daniel Kish CS3 02/27/2017 64 - 68
Bob Kershner LTCDR 11/10/05 63 - 66
Pete Klein CDR 04/05/03 65 - 67
"Gus" Volker Kleinfeld SM1 11/16/06 65 - 66
Craig Koester EM2 ?? 59 - 63
Ervin Kolodzik BTC 05/04/13 60 - 67
Ray Kraft LTJG 1995 59 - 62
Charles Kress RD3 1995 67 - 68
Robert Krim SH3 02/24/2018 66 - 69
Ronald Krolcki ?? 08/08/04 ??
Jim Krutsinger SN ??
Duane Langer GMG3 09/14/01 63 - 66
Roger Lauer PH3 06/01/18 61 - 65
Russell Lett SN 10/28/2016 66 - 68
Michael J. Leahy MM3 10/20/18 66 - 69
Ralph D. Lohr BMC 08/29/10 64 - 66
Libby Loyd RM3 2001 60 - 63
Edward M. Loughry LTJG 2015 64 - 66
Allen R. Lyman PFC 06/13/68 66 - 68
Robert F. MacLean EN3 06/13/23 65 - 67
James A. Mahoney HM3 10/10/16 59 - 61
Richard P. Malone AG2 2011 64 - 67
Ronald D. Malone RM3 08/06/06 65 - 66
William Maloney FTGC 1999 67 - 69
John Manley LtJG 2000 63 - 65
Fred M. (Blacky) Mann BM1 02/25/01 64 - 66
Jack Mansfield CAPT 08/24/01 62 - 64
Dennis M. Martin MM3

10/12/13

 64 - 65
Richard Martin FTCS

02/16/07

 61 - 64
Bill Marx RDSN 1997 62 - 63
Don Mayo FTGSN 06/12/98 60 - 64
Rudolph McAfee LT 04/22/2022 62 - 65
John S. McCabe LT 06/16/2021 66 - 68
John A. McCamont LCDR 2000 61 - 63
Robert E. McCullough GM1 2006 68 - 69
Frank McGirr LT ?? 62 - 64
Ray McHugh MM2 02/20/08 59 - 63
Sid McLin FTCM ?? ??
Ronald McPhail RDC 2011 67 - 68
James McReynolds RM3 ?? 59 - 61
Peter Mercier ENS 12/21/2020 60 - 61
Walter Michlanski SN ?? 60 - 6?
Robert L. Middleton RMC 12/01/01 66 - 69
John L. Milbrodt SFP3 08/29/15 65 - 67
Dennis M. Miller MM3 2002 63 - 65
Gary Minnis GMSN 11/02/14 61 - 64
Waymon Minor FTM2 06/09/20 60 - 62
John Mobley CS2 1996 59 - 61
William Montgomery CAPT 01/17/12 66 - 6?
Peter Musitano FTM2 09/17/21 62 - 66
Don Nellis CDR 12/20/04 63 - 65
Robert Nielsen ENS 1964 61 - 62
Bill Niles LT 08/10/07 62 - 64
Loy Nix BMM1 03/31/11 59 - 62
Kenneth W. Noble RD2 05/22/16 59 - 63
Arthur G. (Joe) Nolan SMC 01/14/18 63 - 66
Roger Norgaard FT2 03/22/2021 60 - 62
Bob Norrell SH2 1998 67 - 68
Phillip Norris SN 08/13/1991 60 - 64
Wally Nugent 1st LT 2000 60 - 62
Robert J. Odman BM3 10/28/20 64 - 67
James (J.C.) Oehler CWO2 04/24/04 66 - 68
Douglas A. Olson MM2 10/13 63 - 66
Ronald S. Ostrowski IC2 11/16/17 60 - 61
Billy Gene Oxford BT1 1983 ??
Clarence Oriet BT1 1999 ??
Jim Ownby LT 03/27/03 62 - 65
Robert D. Pace CDR 06/13/13 65 - 66
Roger W. Paine Jr. CAPT 11/15/08 61 - 62
Ted Parker BM3 10/05/04 63 - 66
Irad J. Parkhuust FTCM 10/19/02 63 - 66
Thomas K. Parsons SK2 07/31/15 65 - 68
Robert Peden LTJG 2010 67 - 69
Joseph Peragine CWO3 11/08/08 60 - 63
"J" "W" Perkins CDR 2008 63 - 65
Armond Peterson PC1 1995 63 - 65
John Peterson SN 07/25/03 60 - 62
James E. Pflieger LTJG 12/25/15 62 - 65
Gale A. Pfund LTJG 02/21 62 - 64
Michael Piatt LCPL 06/13/2016 65 - 67
F. L. Pinney CAPT 10/20/99 59 - 60
Edmund Pipho CDR ?? 60 - 61
Wayne Pitman EM3 1997 65 - 66
Alfred T. Powell FTC 06/24/12 61 - 64
Bernardo Pulido SDCS 1994 63 - 66
J. Quinn BM1 ?? 59 - 61
Richard W. Ramsey GMCM 12/05/07 62 - 64
William M. Ratliff LTCDR 06/01/01 63 - 65
Eugene Ray DT1 2003 65 - 67
Raphael G. Rayford Jr. SH3 04/12/94 62 - 65
William Raymond LTJG 2012 62 - 62
Roger Ready SN 10/29/05 60 - 62
James Rebeor MMFN 05/07/11 68 - 68
Clinton Reed FTSN 2009 62 - 64
Clay Reuber SN ?? ??
James Reynaud FTM3 05/12/11 66-68
Dan Reynolds YN3 07/02/66 63 - 66
John Reynolds FTM1 11/11/19 61 - 66
John Richardson SK3 03/13/13 63 - 66
David Ritter EM2 05/30/23 59 - 63
Isaac Roberts IC3 10/29/05 65 - 68
Marshall H. Robinson SN 65 - 67
Daniel Robles GMM3 65 - 67
Laurence Rocha GMG3 ?? 63 - 65
Robert Rowlette SA 1963 63 - 63
Paul J. Ruby LTJG 05/16/19 62 - 65
Courtney M. Rudin FTG2 09/10/20 63 - 66
William J. Ruhe CAPT 11/04/03 63 - 64
M. Joseph Rutter BT3 2019 66 - 68
Charles B Ryder EN2 2009 61 - 63
Carl Sapp GMCM 1986 64 - 66
Andre Seaton RD2 07/10/05 59 - 62
LeRoy Servin BM3 06/15/08 62 - 64
Jim Schafer LTJG ?? 60 - 62
Charles E. Schmidt MM2 1998 61 - 65
Robert G. Schoenstein MT2 02/15/19 60 - 63
Don A. Schott 1st SGT 1994 63 - 66
Robert Schramm GSC 12/28/09 61 - 62
Gerry Schwartz IC2 11/07/11 59 - 63
R. Logan Sharrah LCDR 11/24/10 65 - 66
Victor Sheppard SN 01/01/09 66 - 68
Frank Singer CWO 01/23/10 60 - 64
David L. Small RD1 08/??/15 62 - 66
Ronald C. Smart RD3 07/21/2015 59 - 62
James Smith BMC 07/17/61 60 - 61
Henry C. Snyder BT3 10/05/2016 60 - 62
Marvin Soderquist LCPL ?? 66 - 68
Archie Staines FN 09/30/02 59 - 63
John Stark RD2 02/16/2024 59 - 62
Jimmy Starr GS2 09/03/19 60 - 61
Donald Stewart LTJG 1997 63 - 66
Timotht Stickney Sr. IC2 2015 59 - 62
Robert Strouss MM2 03/13/2023 64 - 67
Tom Stumpf CAPT USMC 2021 64 - 66
Pat Temple GS2 ?? 60 - 62
Cliff Thallis ICFN ?? 64 - 67
Harold W. Thompson (Bill) SK2 09/22/22 64 - 67
Michael F. Thompson SN 02/16/22 67 - 69
William H. Thompson BT3 09/10/11 65 - 68
Jerry Thrash SN 1993 63 - 65
Jack Timmons LTJG 03/31/11 64 - 65
Dennis Trone LT 05/05/08 63 - 65
Steven R. Tryk MMFN 08/03/21 63 - 65
James R. Turner SH1 08/06/03 60 - 66
Thomas Uber SN 1997 60 - 62
Leonard Van Gemert ET1 07/24/06 63 - 65
D. Vanderburg SN 1996 65 - 67
Thomas Victory SFCS 2017 60 - 64
Dennis Vignapiano EM2 1999 59 - 63
Bernard Visser GMC 11/??/06 59 - 62
Klaus Vondaggenhausen PFC 01/??/12 62 - 63
Robert D. Wagner RD3 08/16/95 60 - 64
Ed Walkup SN 2020 ?? - ??
John (Jack) Walkins LTJG 10/23/15 62 - 64
Richard Wallace SMSN 06/07/20 60 - 63
Donald Ward Jr. LT 1996 65 - 66
Larry Way IC2 05/01/85 59 - 63
Bobby Warren SF1 1994 65 - 67
Douglas Weeks RD2 03/13/2023 59 - 63
Dick Wemette ENS 1997 60 - 62
Egon Werdelman CDR 05/30/16 60 - 61
James Whisennand SF3 05/01/07 65 - 67
Bob White LT 12/11/03 63 - 64
Jack Wilferd SMCS 2005 59 - 64
George A. Willams MM3 01/08/04 61 - 65
William Willett SF2 01/25/16 64 - 67
Doyne R. Wills, Jr LTCDR 2005 65 - 67
George R. Wills RD3 02/07/18 65 - 68
James W. Willis HM1 2016 61 - 63
John H. Wilms DK2 03/09/2022 65 - 67
John Woodard YN3 06/26/2016 59 - 62
Tom Woodward SN ?? 60 - 64
Paul Wuorenmaa LT 04/15/08 62 - 64
Richard G. Young ?? 1998 60 - ??
Woody N. York LT 01/02/13 60 - 61
Phil Young EN3 04/30/12 61 - 63
Thomas J. Zagoric FTM2 04/10/11 60 - 62

       

Of all the military bugle calls, none is so easily recognized or more apt to render emotion than the call Taps. The melody is both eloquent and haunting and the history of its origin is interesting and somewhat clouded in controversy. In the British Army, a similar type call known as Last Post has been sounded over soldiers' graves since 1885, but the use of Taps is unique to the United States military, since the call is sounded at funerals, wreath-laying and memorial services.

Taps began as a revision to the signal for Extinguish Lights (Lights Out) at the end of the day. Up until the Civil War, the infantry call for Extinguish Lights was the one set down in Silas Casey's (1801-1882) Tactics, which had been borrowed from the French. The music for Taps was adapted by Union General Daniel Butterfield for his brigade (Third Brigade, First Division, Fifth Army Corps, Army of the Potomac) in July, 1862.

Daniel Adams Butterfield (1831-1901) was born in Utica, New York and graduated from Union College at Schenectady. He was the eastern superintendent of the American Express Company in New York when the Civil War broke out. A Colonel in the 12th Regiment of the New York State Militia, he was promoted to Brigadier General and given command of a brigade of the 5th Corps of the Army of the Potomac.

During the Peninsular Campaign Butterfield distinguished himself when, during the Battle of Gaines Mill and despite an injury, he seized the colors of the 83rd Pennsylvania and rallied the regiment at a critical time in the battle. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for that act of heroism.

As the story goes, General Butterfield was not pleased with the call for Extinguish Lights, feeling that the call was too formal to signal the days end, and with the help of the brigade bugler, Oliver Willcox Norton (1839-1920), wrote Taps to honor his men while in camp at Harrison's Landing, Virginia, following the Seven Days battle. These battles took place during the Peninsular Campaign of 1862. The new call, sounded that night in July, 1862, soon spread to other units of the Union Army and was reportedly also used by the Confederates. Taps was made an official bugle call after the war.

For More history on Taps see
http://www.tapsbugler.com