Dozens gathered outside the newly-renovated Veterans Memorial Wall in Mira Mesa for the community’s first-ever Memorial Day ceremony.
Among them was Marine Corps veteran Roy Zanni. He has attended thousands of services.
"My record for one day is 11 details in one day," Zanni said.
He always goes in uniform and stands away from the crowd. "I can't stand anywhere close to a family. I just can't," he said.
That’s because Zanni prefers to be heard, not seen. "When I'm playing, I can see over the bell. Sometimes I look, sometimes I don't," he said.
Zanni is the assistant director for the California arm of Bugles Across America.
The non-profit started in 2000 to provide live “Taps” for military funerals, instead of a recording.
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“You hear me play today, or you hear one of our buglers play anywhere, you can hear some heart. That’s the difference. That’s the difference right there,” Zanni said.
Zanni puts his heart on display almost every day of the week because, not only is he a patriot, he’s still here. "I have a little bit of survivor's guilt, so it's a good way for me to get that out of there."
Zanni is one of just four active members of Bugles Across America here in San Diego.
He said in just the last few years, they’ve gone from covering two-to-three services a month to about 80.
To find out how you can request a bugler or to volunteer, click here.
