Korean War veteran leaves legacy of honoring fellow soldiers through his music.
91-year-old Elmer Hayes plays the 24-note soundtrack in remembrance of those who have died while serving the country.Elmer Henry Hayes, 94, a Korean War veteran from Stratford, Wisconsin, died in his sleep last Saturday -- seven days after his birthday, according to his son.
"He needed somebody and I was playing in the band so I learned how to play taps ... just one of those things that happens," Hayes, then 90, told Wausau ABC affiliate WAOW.Elmer Hayes with his granddaughter, Hannah Hayes, on Memorial Day in 2017.After that, Hayes played the 24-note tribute during the funerals of fellow veterans and at Memorial Day services.
"You think of what the piece is actually saying," he added."It's this one long, beautiful piece and you try to play it as emotionally as you can. ... It has an effect on you."In Hayes' later years, he made a name for himself in the polka scene and when he turned the tender age of 80, founded the Hayes Boys Orchestra.
Elmer Hayes was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame, a nonprofit organization.
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