Overview:

The countdown shows how long until the 11th hour local, on November 11th. When the countdown time is reached, "IT IS TIME TO TOLL THE BELLS OF PEACE".

Then (or anytime) you can tap the "Toll The Bells" button in the red band or the "step next" arrow on the top right to access the bells.

TEST YOUR AUDIO: If you are holding a Bells of Peace ceremony, we recommend that you pop over to the Tolling the Bells sections prior to the event and test your audio to make sure your speaker volume is set up correctly, and that your device is ready.

Overview

You are provided with two options:

Sound 21 Bells: Tap this button to play a 21 bell peal, with bells sounding around 5 seconds apart. At the end of the 21 bells, the tolling will stop. The sequence is about 1 minute 45 seconds long.

STOP? Tapping the "Sound 21 Bells" button while the bells are tolling brings up a little option window that allows you to stop tolling, or if you touched the button by mistake, allows you to just continue. 

Sound one Bell Per Tap: Each time you tap this button, the bell will toll one time. See HOW MANY BELLS below.

When you are done you can tap the "Moment of Reflection" button in the red band or the "step next" arrow on the top right.

HOW MANY BELLS?: How many bells you choose to sound depends on your ceremony and your choice. 21 Bellls is a common salute to remembrance but many participants have chosen other numbers to base their ceremony. In one case, a bell was sounded for each person who made the ultimate sacrifice from a particular town. You can use this panel to fashion your own ceremony.

NEW FEATURE

Many Bells of Peace ceremonies include a moment of silent reflection, When this panel opens a button reads "Start Timer". Tap this and a timer clock begins and counts up. The button now shows the elapsed time since you clicked it, and a cicle graphic starts to fill in.

If you tap the elapsed timer button, you are given the choice to stop the timer (which resets it) or continue if you hit the button by mistake. The timer will run for a maximum of 5 minutes.

HOW LONG FOR REFLECTION?: This depends on your ceremony and your choice.
Taking a moment to reflect and remember can be a poignant and deeply felt experience. Typically between 90 seconds and 2 minutes is used. Because many people's sense of time is not very accurate the timer is important.

TRY THIS: You can test your own sense of time, by lauching this panel. Start the timer and close your eyes, and open them again when you think a minute has passed (without counting "one-mississipi, two-mississipi").
How did you do?

When you are done you can tap the "Readings" button in the red band or the "step next" arrow on the top right.

NEW FEATURE

Many Bells of Peace ceremonies include reading, guest speakers, sermons, presentations, and other elements that typically fall into this next section.

If you do not have a planned idea, the app has two famed WWI poems you can access but tapping either of the red buttons. This opens up a panel with the poems text on it for you to read. Taps outside the panel to close it. 

"In Flander Fields" is one of the most famous war poems ever written. It was not written by an American, rather it was written by a Canadian officer Lt. John McCrae, reflecting on the carnage during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium over 2 years before America entered the fray. It is a key reason why the red poppy has become a symbol of remembrance for veteran sacrifice.

"The Young Dead Soldiers Do Not Speak" was writen by Archibald MacLeish. The power verse was exerted and place on the "Peace Fountain" at the new WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C. It closes with the poignant words: "We were young, they say. Remember us."

NEW FEATURE

Taps is a very appropriate way to conclude your Bells of Peace ceremony.  Of you don't have access to bugler, go to this panels and tap the red button to sound taps. This redition of taps is from the U.S. Army Band. At the end of taps the sound will stop.

If you need to stop the bugling, hit the Sound Taps button again and an option to stop or continue will be presented. If you hit the button by mistake, you can continue. If you hit it early, you can stop and restart when ready.

 DAILY TAPS AT THE WWI MEMORIAL

Every day without fail, at 5pm Eastern, taps sounds at the National WWI Memorial in Washington D.C. to honor our nation's heroes. This unique Daily Taps Ceremony pays tribute to all who have served in the armed forces of the United States, and those who perished in the "War that Changed the Wortld". So that all our Veteran heroes are never forgotten, the daily taps program offers a unique opportunity to dedicate a personalized sounding of Taps for your veteran, on a day of your choosing. LEARN MORE.