Faces of Service: David Harrison — A Lifetime of Honor in 24 Notes

For David Harrison, sounding Taps is more than a musical performance. It is a sacred responsibility—a heartfelt expression of gratitude for a fallen service member and a final gesture of support for the family left behind.

“It’s not about me,” David often says. “It’s all about that fallen service member, then the family.”

David began playing the trumpet at age 12 and first sounded Taps at 17 during Memorial Day events at his school. Something about those 24 solemn notes touched his heart and awakened a lifelong passion for honoring America’s veterans.

Nearly five decades later, that feeling has never faded.

“The 24 notes never get easier,” David shared. “I will always have tears that I can’t explain except as honor.”

David’s love of music has also provided him with other memorable opportunities. For nearly five years, he played the National Anthem for the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Coliseum in Richfield before the team moved to downtown Cleveland. Yet it is his work honoring veterans and fallen service members that has remained closest to his heart.

That commitment has endured through tremendous personal adversity. David overcame cancer at age 30. Then, in 2011 at age 49, he suffered a stroke that caused complete paralysis on his right side.

The stroke interrupted nearly every part of his life, but it could not silence his passion for honoring veterans. David remained determined that he would one day lift his trumpet and sound Taps again.

That day came when he was asked to perform at a cemetery. David got a ride to the service and used a walker to reach the location where he would play. Standing there with his trumpet, he knew he was beginning to reclaim an important part of his life.

“I knew I was on the mend,” he recalled.

As his recovery continued, so did his service. David returned to sounding Taps at memorials, funerals and community ceremonies throughout Northeast Ohio. Among his most personal performances were those at the funerals of his father and father-in-law.

David’s father taught him from an early age about respect, service and the importance of honoring veterans. Sounding Taps at his funeral was incredibly difficult, but it also gave David the opportunity to honor the man who instilled those values in him. He carried that same sense of duty when paying tribute to his father-in-law.

David also regularly visits the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman. During Memorial Day weekend, in addition to his scheduled ceremonies and events, he walks the cemetery grounds and sounds Taps at 24 different locations—one tribute for each of the 24 notes.

“If I could spend every day sounding Taps for our fallen service members, I would,” he said. “My heart has such a strength of honor for them.”

His dedication extends into several organizations and partnerships. David is a proud member of Bugles Across America, an organization committed to providing live performances of Taps at veterans’ funerals whenever possible. He is also involved with AVVA, giving his time and heart in support of the men and women who served, even though he did not personally serve in the military.

David’s journey also led him to Ohio Veterans Memorial Park in Clinton, where he met Steve Toohey from Operation Flags of Freedom. After David sounded Taps at an event there, a shared passion for veterans brought the two together. Their connection grew into a friendship, and David now supports many of Steve’s remembrance events whenever he can, including annual ceremonies in Perry Township.

David has sounded Taps and performed the National Anthem at numerous events throughout the region, always approaching each opportunity with the same humility. He does not seek attention or recognition. His focus remains on the veterans, the fallen and their families.

“I know some people do it for their own recognition, but that’s not what it’s about,” David explained. “I think that is why the emotions are true from my heart.”

After learning about NEOPAT through a friend, David began reading the stories and watching the videos of the people and families touched by the organization’s mission. The compassion he saw resonated deeply with him and inspired him to reach out and offer his musical talents in support of NEOPAT’s events and community.

Throughout David’s story, one word appears again and again: honor.

It is the honor of remembering those who gave their lives. The honor of standing beside grieving families. The honor of continuing to serve after cancer and a life-altering stroke. And the honor of using his gift to ensure that a fallen service member receives the live tribute they deserve.

NEOPAT is proud to recognize David Harrison as one of our Faces of Service. His journey is a powerful reminder that military service is not the only way someone can devote a life to America’s veterans. Through compassion, perseverance and 24 unforgettable notes, David continues to ensure that the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes will never be forgotten.