Annual Taps Reservation
& Cancellation Policy

Taps: A well-known, sonorous 24-note bugle call that is considered a unique ceremonial piece of the United States military. Typically sounded at funerals, wreath-laying ceremonies, and memorial services, “Taps” originally functioned as an infantry signal to extinguish lights.

Daily Taps: Every day at 5 pm Eastern, one or more buglers, usually attired in a World War I or other military uniform, play “Taps” at the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C., located at Pershing Park on Pennsylvania Ave NW, between 15th and 14th Streets.

Honoree: “Taps” is played in tribute to all individuals who have served or are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces. Additionally, a daily honoree is commemorated, which may be an individual, a group, an organization, a significant anniversary, a special date, an event, or any combination thereof.

IHO: An acronym for “In Honor Of,” denoting the rendition of “Taps” for an Honoree.

IHO Date: The specific date on which “Taps” is sounded for an IHO.

IHO Sponsor: The individual, group, or organization that requests an IHO for an Honoree.

IHO Anniversary Date: The corresponding calendar day in subsequent years to the original IHO Date.

Registration: The process by which an IHO Sponsor requests an IHO, usually completed through a digital form on the Doughboy Foundation’s website.

One-Time IHO: A registration request for a single occurrence of an IHO.

Annual IHO: A registration request for an IHO to be performed annually on the same IHO Anniversary Date.

Annual IHO Cancelation: A request to discontinue an Annual IHO, thereby freeing the IHO Anniversary Date for subsequent years.

When an IHO Sponsor requests that Daily Taps be played for an Honoree, they may choose any available date selectable from the online calendar. Each day can only be exclusively reserved for a single Honoree.

Date selection typically considers two factors:

1. Whether the desired IHO Date is available.
2. The significance of the IHO Date to the Honoree or the IHO Sponsor.

To honor the importance of these dates, we offer “One-Time” and “Annual” reservation options. Selecting “Annual” secures the IHO Date for subsequent years at no additional cost.

To support the continuity of Daily Taps, we encourage a donation to the Doughboy Foundation from IHO Sponsors. Those unable to donate can apply for our Financial Assistance program, ensuring that all can honor their veterans.

Donations are typically made when reserving an IHO Date.

For recurring Annual Taps reservations, donations are processed the day of booking (and this same date the following years) when utilizing PayPal and credit card forms of payment. (For example, an Annual reservation made on March 06, 2024 would process the same day. Then billed again each year on March 06.)

The IHO Anniversary Date is held for 30 days following the IHO Date. IHO Sponsors will receive a reminder email about the upcoming donation charge.

To cancel an Annual IHO, IHO Sponsors must contact us within this 30-day window via a reply to the reminder email or by contacting us at [email protected].

Cancellations apply to future IHO Anniversary Dates. Upon cancellation, no further donations will be requested, and the IHO Date becomes available for others.

IHO Sponsors who donate via check will be sent a reminder near the IHO Date that the IHO Anniversary Date will be released for others to select 30 days after the IHO Date unless they contact us.

For inquiries regarding Annual Taps or cancellation policies, please contact [email protected].