Bagpipers and honor guard create video to pay tribute to veterans virtually this Veterans Day

BOSCAWEN, NH – Since nearly all in-person Veterans Day ceremonies held in local communities are cancelled this year due to the pandemic, a group of current and retired police officers created a video which they posted on YouTube Wednesday for residents to pay their respects remotely.

At the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, more than 20 members of the New Hampshire Police Association Pipes and Drums band performed a handful of patriotic songs following a rifle volley to salute the dead by six riflemen from the New Hampshire State Police Ceremonial Rifle Unit, and Taps played by bugler and retired state trooper Lee Hurtle.

Four members of the State Police Honor Guard also participated in the ceremony, which was filmed on Nov. 1.

Patrick Cheetham, a Londonderry Police captain and immediate past president of the NHPA Pipes and Drums, made a brief speech before the ceremony, saying the police officers gathered to pay homage to veteran servicemen and women who are currently serving domestically and abroad.

“We wish them all a speedy and safe return home,” Cheetham said.

He said they were performing the ceremony at the Veterans Cemetery because, while they recognize Veterans Day is to recognize those who are actively serving, they “always want to pay tribute to those who have come before us.”

Cheetham said the NHPA Pipes and Drums normally get requests for about half a dozen Veterans Day events across the state, but this year they were informed that the events were cancelled, or they were not requested.

They decided to make the video with the help of videographer Dan Ryan and the Tiffany Eddy & Associates media company, so the occasion did not go unmarked.

The band played a compilation of America the Beautiful, When the Saints Go Marching In, Yankee Doodle, You’re a Grand Old Flag and closed with Amazing Grace.

You can view the video below: