Navy officer could be fined for nightly musical tribute

A Navy officer in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, may face a $300 fine for a daily audio memorial that honors the men and women who served in the U.S. military, according to CNS News.

Lt. Cmdr. Joshua Corney has played the classic bugle song "Taps" every day at 7:55 p.m. for nearly two years. Earlier this week, though, the Glen Rock Borough Council sent Corney a letter saying that his musical tribute constitutes a noise violation. Corney is still allowed to play the 57-second long tune on Sundays and select holidays, said CNS News.

Corney served in the military for 20 years and made eight deployments, which included trips to Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an April story from Penn Live. While on tour, Corney made a promise to himself that he would pay homage to his fellow service members who were not lucky enough to make it home.



"When I was in Afghanistan and Iraq, I told myself, I had a conversation with God, and I said, if I made it home, I would do this," Corney said in a video filmed by the York Daily Record.

When he returned to Glen Rock, Corney equipped his back porch with a three-speaker sound system. The system never exceeds 80 decibels, roughly equivalent to a hair dryer, Corney said. People from throughout the community routinely stop in Corney’s driveway to take part in the ritual, according to Penn Live.

However, many of Corney’s neighbors don’t share the same sentiment — at least noise wise. His neighbors say the song is disruptive and that, at the very least, Corney should respect their wishes.

"I don't think that's how a serviceman should behave," Victoria Ribeiro told Penn Live. "I don't think that's how a real soldier should behave. This is not a military base. This is not a church bell. it's not a train whistle that serves a public safety purpose or a police siren."

Corney says he intends to fight for the bugle call and will take legal action if necessary. He has created a Change.org petition to garner support for the nightly tribute. More than 1,000 people have signed the petition so far.