The Memorial Union’s South Patio went from hustle and bustle to calm and subdued as the MU’s carillon struck 5 o’clock Thursday evening (May 21).

It was time for Campus Recreation and Unions' annual Memorial Day Ceremony, paying tribute to the 135 Aggies who gave their lives in military service, from World War I to the Iraq War.

The flagpole rope and clips made a clatter in a brisk wind, but other than that, silence prevailed on the patio where 100 or so people had gathered for the ceremony. Other people would stop as they walked by, upon seeing the pageantry and hearing the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem.

The ROTC color guard marched forth with the U.S., UC Davis and Army flags. Another set of flags — 135 U.S. flags, one for each fallen Aggie — graced a corner of the Quad. The ceremony had not included such a display previously.

“We are here today to pay our respects to those dedicated, brave and selfless individuals who gave their lives in fighting for our country,” ASUCD President Mariah Watson said from a dais outside the building that opened 60 years ago in tribute to Aggies who died in World Wars I and II.

Since the memorial's dedication, we have lost more Aggies — in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq.

Re-emphasizing the 'Memorial' Union

Lora Jo Bossio, associate vice chancellor of Student Affairs, then took her turn at the podium to honor the Aggies she said "we cannot and should not forget."

Bossio had just come from a commencement where, she said, she was struck by seeing students receive their degrees on the same day we honor the Aggies whose "ultimate sacrifice has allowed us to continue to pursue our American dreams” — including education.

She also addressed the ongoing MU renovation, which includes elements to demonstrate the "Memorial" part of the Memorial Union. Plans call for:

• An interactive, digital display for the Golden Memory Book, which includes a page devoted to each fallen Aggie.
• Space (on the second floor) for the campus Veterans Center, "bringing services for veterans into the building that honors their fallen comrades."

"Our goal is to re-emphasize the meaning behind the Memorial Union and its importance as the historic heart of campus," Bossio said,

'Honor, dignity and pride'

Paul Ou-Yang, Army ROTC cadet and economics major, acknowledged the great sacrifice of U.S. military men and women. “Since the birth of our nation," he said, "we have lost nearly 1 million of the finest members of the United States military, nearly 1 million people who fought with honor, dignity, pride — and with the future of this nation always in their hearts and on their minds.”

And he spoke of his and his comrades' future in the Army: “I will be the first member of my family to serve in our military. As part of the Army ROTC program here at UC Davis, my peers and I are striving to prepare ourselves to learn how to best lead the sons and daughters of our country for the strongest military in the world, knowing, still, that loss of life is unpreventable.”

Like Watson and Bossio, Ou-Yang spoke reverently of UC Davis’ Golden Memory Book. 

“The Golden Memory Book is a living tribute to all Aggies who took their last breath in military service,” Ou-Yang said. “Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force: The Golden Memory Book is not merely a list of names, but the story of those before us.

“UC Davis embodies a rich history of service in the United States Armed Forces. It humbles me to follow in the footsteps of such greatness.”

Then came the reading of the names, by student veterans. And, for a moment on this blustery day, these 135 casualties of war were back on campus, part of the hustle and bustle, their names echoing across the Quad.

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