Naval History and Heritage Command
Bugle, Boy Scouts of America, USS Isabel (SP-521/PY-10)
Title: Bugle, Boy Scouts of America, USS Isabel (SP-521, PY-10)
Accession #: NHHC 1985-129-A
Circa: 1929
Size: 17 x 4"
Medium: Brass
Location: Headquarters Artifact Collection, Naval History and Heritage Command
One brass bugle from the Boy Scouts of America. There is a resin coated mouthpiece (possibly not original) and an 11.7cm diameter bell. There are two small rings on each interior side of tubing. There is a stamped logo on the bell // KING / MADE BY / THE H.N. WHITE CO. / CLEV'D, O / LICENSED / OFFICIAL BUGLE / [Boy Scouts of America logo] / BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA //
This bugle was used by Maxwell Shofstahl while on the USS Isabel (SP-521/PY-10) from 1929-1938. In 1938, he reported as a bugler aboard the USS Reina Mercedes (IX-25), a Spanish warship captured by the American fleet during the Battle of Santiago de Cuba in 1898. By this time the Reina Mercedes was serving as the station ship at Annapolis, MD. She became the temporary living quarters for midshipmen serving punishment.
Bugles are an essential part of Navy life, sounding the warning call for nearly every action the men on board take part in. The bugle call today is still used on ships and bases alike. There are over 100 different types of calls for different actions.
