Keynote speaker speaks on the importance of Memorial Day as a holiday of healing that transcends divisions
By MATTHEW MCELDOWNEY — city@theaggie.org
On Memorial Day, May 25, 2025, the Davis Cemetery held a ceremony in remembrance of soldiers who had fallen in active duty. Veteran speakers called for the Davis community to honor their memory by acknowledging the sacrifices these soldiers made for what the United States stands for.
Supervisor Sheila Allen from the Yolo County Board of Trustees offered her condolences to those observing Memorial Day with loved ones in mind.
“Knowing that when we lose one soldier or one nurse or one person serving our country that it leaves a hole not only your heart, but also at your table and at your Thanksgiving time, [I want you to] know that this Memorial Day I am thinking of you, and I remember you,” Allen said.
In her speech, Allen emphasized the importance of saving time and space for these fallen soldiers in order to ensure that not only their lives are remembered, but that their cause is not to be forgotten as well.
Jessica Smithers, the district superintendent of the Davis Cemetery, described the significance of hosting this time of remembrance.
“I think a lot of people tie Memorial Day with backyard barbeques, and I think that […] the purpose of Memorial Day is really to honor those that were lost, […] and having it at the cemetery is really important, because we have almost a thousand veterans interred [buried] here,” Smithers said.
The cemetery district hosted one of their staff members as the keynote speaker for this significant ceremony, according to Smithers.
Artemis Riley, a cemetery groundskeeper and a U.S. Army Veteran who served in the Ordnance Corps, delivered a speech on the cause that U.S. soldiers have set out to protect.
“Their courage and commitment about something bigger than themselves — they fought for a country where every voice could be heard, where freedom and justice flourish,” Riley said. “We owe it to them and to each other to remember that spirit, to find common ground, to respect the freedoms they secured, even when times are tough.”
Riley called back to the origins of the holiday as Decoration Day, where in the aftermath of the Civil War, Union and Confederate soldiers were laid to rest alongside one another at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia as an act of national healing.
“We see tension in our politics, distrust in our institutions and uncertainty about our national identity,“ Riley said. “And yet, just like in the aftermath of the Civil War, we are called to remember what binds us is far greater than what divides us.”
Bridging the divide in the U.S. is all the more important as these tensions still feel palpable today, according to Riley. While the country is not reeling from the same tragedy as it had in the wake of the Civil War, Riley emphasized the pressing importance of reconciling the divisiveness that had once split the country.
“We’re not just honoring the past, we’re reminding ourselves of our duty in the present to learn from history, to find unity where it seems scarce and to never forget the price that has been paid, not just once, but again and again for our freedom,” Riley said.
To close their speech, Riley called upon the Davis community to remember and reflect, but also reunite.
“Let us live with gratitude, respect and unity,” Riley said. “Let us support our veterans and their families, not just today but everyday. And, let us remember that true freedom requires all of us to work together, to listen, to understand and to care.”
Written By: Matthew Mceldowney — city@theaggie.org
