Memorial Day 2018: From somber observances to weekend of fun

The greater Tri-Valley is among the best places to spend this Memorial Day weekend.

Danville, San Ramon, Livermore and Pleasanton have a plethora of events to mark the holiday, including the festive yet somber observance Monday that will honor the reason for the special day — remembering the fallen soldiers who served and sacrificed for our country.

On Monday, Danville will host the Viet Nam Veterans of Diablo Valley to honor fallen veterans with a ceremony starting at 10:30 a.m. at the All Wars Memorial in Oak Hill Park.

The 27th annual event expects to see 2,000-3,000 people attend and will include live music, entertainment, a community barbecue and a ceremony with guest speakers and tributes to past and present service members.

All service members will be honored, but this year specific attention will be given to the 23 Contra Costa County service members who have lost their lives in combat since Sept. 11, 2001, organizers said.

“The Memorial Day event is an opportunity for the public to come out and show their respects for the men and women who sacrificed their lives while protecting this nation’s freedoms,” Danville Vice Mayor Robert Storer said.

Featured speakers at the event include Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich and Gary Villalba of Viet Nam Veterans of the Diablo Valley and former county veterans service officer. The event will be emceed by Richard Lambert.

Immediately following the ceremony, participants will be “visited” by the late President Theodore Roosevelt for a special meeting, sponsored by the the All Wars Memorial Foundation.

In honor of the event, the All Wars Memorial Foundation Board of Directors has released 637 pavers to beginning on Memorial Day. The pavers may be purchased by residents wishing to honor the life of a beloved veteran who has passed away, with a commemorative plaque to be displayed at Oak Hill Park.

Pavers may be purchased from the All Wars Memorial Foundation for $250 prior to the end of May and will increase to $300 beginning June 1.

“The pavers recognize those who have fought in battle, those individuals who have protected our nation and those patriots who have supported the cause of those serving our country,” a statement by All Wars Memorial Foundation said.

American flags will line Stone Valley Road, serving as a guide to this special commemoration.

Pleasanton will observe Memorial Day with an outdoor ceremony starting at 10:30 a.m. Monday next to the Senior Center on Sunol Boulevard.

The Pleasanton Community Concert Band, under the direction of Bob Williams, will play a variety of patriotic music.

At 11 a.m., the ceremony will begin with members of Pleasanton Post 237 of the American Legion and Post 6298 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars posting the colors as they pay tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives in service to the country.

Prior to Monday’s ceremony, Pleasanton Scouts will place flags and medallions on the graves of the more than 500 veterans who are buried at Pioneer Cemetery and the adjoining Catholic cemetery on Sunol Boulevard. Scouts also will help place American flags along the walkways at the Senior Center and put up shade canopies and chairs.

Also on Memorial Day, observances will be held at 11 a.m. on the hangar deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, one of the most decorated ships of the U.S. Navy that is berthed at 707 W. Hornet Ave., Pier 3, in Alameda.

The 30-minute ceremony will be followed by a wreath-toss off the ship’s fantail.

The Hornet will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day. General admission applies; free for veterans and museum members. For more information, sign on to www.uss-hornet.org or call 510-521-8448.

Memorial Day, once known as Decoration Day, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I, the U.S. found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars.

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date first selected. But in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend. The change went into effect in 1971. The same law also made Memorial Day a federal holiday.

While many observe the holiday by visiting cemeteries or memorials — or with civic observances as scheduled on Monday — the three-day weekend also gives many the time to take camping trips or throw parties and barbecues, perhaps because it unofficially marks the beginning of summer.

This Sunday, the Spring Antique & Collectibles Faire returns to downtown Pleasanton from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will be up to 400 dealers selling antiques and collectibles with vendors required to offer only items at least 20 years old. The show is expected to fill Main Street, which will be closed for the event.

Also Sunday, the Swingin’ Blue Stars of the USS Hornet will return to the Firehouse Arts Center at 2 p.m. with their salute to veterans of all ages with songs from the 1940s and ’50s.

In classic Andrews Sisters style, these singers will entertain with a variety show featuring live music and a lot of swing. Tickets are on sale from $17-$27.

In San Ramon, the city will host its annual Art and Wind Festival, a free event to be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Sunday and Memorial Day in San Ramon Central Park, 12501 Alcosta Blvd. The festival has become one of the Tri-Valley’s most popular and colorful events on the Memorial Day weekend.

Memorial Day weekend activities at the Livermore Municipal Airport will include a return of World War II B-17 and B-24 bombers from Sunday through Tuesday. Also on display will be a WWII P-51C Mustang, a dual-control fighter aircraft.

These aircraft will be on display and available for viewing for a fee ranging from $5-$17 from noon to 5 p.m. all three days.

Then next Saturday (June 2), the Pleasanton Military Families organization will hold its eighth annual Hometown Pancake Breakfast and Troop Pack-out from 7:30-11 a.m. at Delucchi Community Park alongside Farmers’ Market on Angela Street in downtown Pleasanton.