By David Taylor / Managing Editor
The sound of Taps wafted across Sterling-White cemetery on Monday, May 26, 2025, as families, friends and neighbors remembered servicemen and women who have died. The somber, 24-note melody, played at the funerals of those who have served the country, could be heard from every corner of the 29-acre cemetery. Scattered with the trees throughout the cemetery are the heroes whose graves were adorned with the U.S. flag lovingly and respectfully placed with great affection and reverence by Crosby Boy Scout Troop 264 and Pack 264, the Crosby High School Army JROTC, and the Daughters of the American Revolution Old Three Hundred Chapter in Crosby.
“Today is not just about remembrance—it’s about gratitude,” said Isabelle Dion, director of Sterling-White. “Gratitude for the courage of those wo answered the call to serve. Gratitude for the families who endured the unimaginable loss of their loved ones, and gratitude for the legacy of freedom that their sacrifice has secured for all of us.”
Bugler Dana Read has been lending his talents to the ceremony since 2009. He never served in the military but has a heart of great affection and appreciation for those who did.
“It was close. We were under the lottery system then and my number was about to come up and Nixon canceled the draft, and I was relieved,” he said.
He began playing the horn when he was 8 years old and by 10, he was playing Taps at the funerals of those returning home from Vietnam.
“I was raised in Boston, Massachusetts. It was good to be a Patriots fan for a lot of years,” he smiled.
He moved to Houston and taught math, physics, and computer science in one of their high schools. He was forced into retirement because he began losing his sight. Shortly after, he began using his horn again to play Taps again. His talent took him to the rooftop of the Red Sox dugout playing for the 1975 World Series.
“Red Sox legendary pitcher Louie Tiant tipped his hat to me, and they began to play ball,” Read said.
After he retired from school teaching, he began to play at different horse shows around the country getting paid to play.
“It was all good until Covid. It has never come back,” he said.
He not only played Taps, but favorites Amazing Grace and God Bless America.
Cadet Major Josephine McAnespy became the first Crosby High School student to address the special ceremony. She has participated in the ceremony for the past two years and was one of the students who stands and brings the wreath. She has also put the flags on the veterans’ graves.
“What Memorial Day means to me as a kid, I just thought that was a day off of school, a day to barbecue and be by the pool, but being in JROTC, and over the years, I have learned that Memorial Day means so much more than that, and I have begun to appreciate it,” she said.
Once called Decoration Day, Memorial Day became an official holiday in 1868 to mourn fallen servicemen and women
“To give your life up for this country, is one of the most selfless acts that someone can do, and it’s one of the most honorable acts that someone can do, because it’s not the average person that decides to wake up every day away from their family and the Army or Air Force or whatever branch military they’re in, and continue to serve and continue to keep doing what they do, and ultimately sacrifice their life for a greater cause than themselves. And it is more important than anything that we honor the fact that they gave their life up, no matter what rank they were or what medals they earned or what ribbons they had, to give up your life for this country is very honorable,” she said.
Her experiences in JROTC have taught her about local veterans including First Sergeant David McNerney, the Medal of Honor recipient from Crosby and the ROTC building on the campus named after him.
“I appreciate being here to talk about all the values of our fallen service members and veterans, upholding the values of loyalty, integrity and having a strong sense of duty. It’s one of the most important things to me and one of the most important things in my life,” she said.
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