U.S. Army Master Sgt. Paul Wilhoit loved playing the trumpet. For 27 years, from 1974 to 2001, he played both the trumpet and the bugle for the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” at Fort Myer, Virginia, helping to render musical honors for national leaders, foreign dignitaries, heads of state, diplomats and veterans. He also honored the nation’s heroes at Arlington National Cemetery, sounding Taps at funeral services and wreath laying ceremonies.
Wilhoit’s constant practicing at home became his family’s background music as he and his wife, Elizabeth, raised their four children. Wilhoit had auditioned for the Army Band twice before being accepted and heading to basic combat training on May 10, 1974. When he returned, he made an odd request of his wife, asking her to wear something red to his funeral. “I said ‘Okay,’” she recalled. On July 27, 2026, Elizabeth kept her promise by wearing a red dress to her husband’s funeral service in Section 57 of Arlington National Cemetery.
During his career with the Army Band, Wilhoit performed with the U.S. Army Ceremonial Band, the U.S. Army Brass Band and the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets. He also marched in every presidential inauguration from President Jimmy Carter to George H.W. Bush and played the herald trumpet for visiting foreign dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth II. “He considered it a privilege to work in that position,” Elizabeth said.
Wilhoit retired from the Army in 2001. He worked on school computers and drove around the country, mapping areas for a satellite company. When he passed away in early 2026, Elizabeth decided Arlington National Cemetery would be his final resting place. “Arlington shows respect to the people who gave their lives to keep this country safe,” she said, “It’s an honor to be there.”
At the funeral service, U.S. Army Chaplain (Capt.) Shannon Demoret praised Wilhoit’s military service. “For 27 years, with Pershing's Own, his trumpet proclaimed our nation's dignity, echoing from presidential inaugurations to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” she said, “but above all, he was a deeply devoted husband, a father and a grandfather.”
After Demoret concluded, Staff Sgt. Noah Mennenga sounded Taps for Wilhoit and his family, not realizing that the soldier he was playing for had performed Taps in the cemetery for decades. When he finished, Elizabeth thought to herself, “That was beautiful. Thank you, Lord, that was beautiful.”
Elizabeth also said that her husband was a good man who surprised her with his musical talent. “There's no reason why I couldn't have the best,” she said with a smile. And while she felt sad about losing her husband, she was not grieved. “I know where he is.”