Irwin scout takes part in '100 Nights of Taps' in Gettysburg

Scotty Clark Jr. has practiced taps, the historic bugle call sounded at military funerals in the United States, countless times.

But that didn’t stop the 14-year-old Irwin native from getting a stomach full of butterflies as he prepared to do his part at “100 Nights of Taps” on the historic Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg on Aug. 6.

“Having the nerve and the strength to start is the hardest part,” said Clark, a member of Troop 239 out of Penn Township’s Claridge neighborhood, where he serves as assistant senior patrol leader as well as a den chief for a local Cub Scout pack.

Clark and another scout played taps last year at a Memorial Day service in Claridge, but he said performing at Gettysburg was different.

“I played solo at a national cemetery with a larger crowd, all eyes were on me and I knew I had to hit each note as a way to honor all the fallen heroes who sacrificed everything to preserve our freedoms,” he said.

Every night from Memorial Day through the Labor Day weekend, trumpet players and buglers play taps at 7 p.m. at the Soldiers’ National Monument.

The nightly event includes an educational segment about a soldier buried in the cemetery and honors all of the active-duty military and veterans in attendance.

His mother, Kim, said it was a true honor to watch her son take part in the ceremony.

“Our family got to stand there on hallowed ground, listening to our son sound taps,” she said.

“It was one of our proudest moments. Scotty has visited Gettysburg several times, hiked the battlefield and earned his patch for completing the Gettysburg Heritage Trails program.”

Clark said he loves knowing all of the rich history that took place in Gettysburg.

“It was a true honor to play taps and a humbling experience,” he said.”