The community is invited to help us celebrate and honor all our veterans, and to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier [1921-2021] by attending one of the listed events below, and to visit the “Honoring the Dead of WWI: A Photographic Exhibition Commemorating the Centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Yolo County Dead of WWI” housed at Gallery 625, inside the Yolo County administration building at 625 Court Street, Woodland, CA 95695.
These events are dedicated to all our veterans. Members of the public are encouraged to come and show their support of our servicemen and women, both current and past.
October 7th, Friday (Courthouse Plaza, 725 Court Street, Woodland, CA 95695) 5:45-6:05 pm
Ceremony to Honor All Our Veterans-The Friends of the Yolo County Archives will welcome all attendees to the ceremony, including descendants of Yolo boys who served during WWI, four of whom did not return. This will be followed by a five-minute speech on Selecting the Unknown Soldier by Mel Russell after which all branches of the armed forces will be recognized. The program will end with Yolo Post 77, American Legion Post performing the “Missing Man Ceremony” and the playing of taps.
October 7th, Friday (Gallery 625, Erwin Meier Building, 625 Court Street, Woodland, CA 95695) 5:30-8:00 pm
Opening of the Exhibit “Honoring the Dead of WWI: A Photographic Exhibition Commemorating the Centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Yolo County Dead”-The Friends of the Yolo County Archives will be hosting an Opening Reception for the exhibit “Honoring the Dead of World War I” in Gallery 625, courtesy of Yolo Arts. Originally scheduled for 2021 for the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown, this exhibit deals with the core consequences of war; that is death and the loss of loved ones. It looks at how the United States dealt with servicemen who died thousands of miles away from home during the First World War and uses the experiences of five Yolo County servicemen to examine the impact on families waiting for the return of their loved ones. It also touches briefly on the segregation experienced by African Americans in the Army.
With the Army deciding to leave as many bodies in Europe as possible, suddenly, shockingly, over 30,000 families found themselves without a body to grieve over. The need for a national place to mourn, especially felt by mothers, led to the idea of returning and honoring an unidentified body to represent all those lost and missing, an unidentified soldier representing “… no section, creed or race…” and who typified the “soul of America and the supreme sacrifice of her heroic dead.” The exhibit follows the story of how America selected this soldier and returned him home to be buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Finally, the selection of the WWII, Korean, and Vietnam Conflicts Unknowns is illustrated and the fact that with DNA testing there will be no more “Unknowns” but there will always be “Missing in Action.” Currently with over 80,000 families waiting to hear the final fate of their loved ones, the Tomb with all its rituals retains its power as an American symbol reflecting “Service, Sacrifice, Mourning and Memory”.
Julie Dachtler, Senior Deputy Clerk of the Board will play WWI tunes on the piano throughout the evening.
October 8th, Saturday (Gallery 625, Erwin Meier Building, 625 Court Street, Woodland, CA 95695)
Exhibit Tours– Mel Russell will lead four guided tours of the exhibit “Honoring the Dead of WWI: A Photographic Exhibition Commemorating the Centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Yolo County Dead of WWI.” The tours will be on the hour from 10:00 am through to 1pm and will last approximately 40 minutes. No reservations are required. The tours start at the back entrance to the building located at the north-west end of the building. The Gallery will be open from 10:00 until 2pm for public viewing. Lemonade and cookies will be available.
October 8th, Saturday (The Old County Courthouse—725 Court Street, Woodland, CA 95695)
Stroll Through Woodland’s WWI History-A self-guided walking tour of Woodland Buildings Surviving from WWI-Starting at the Old Courthouse, the hub of the county’s war effort, this self-guided walking tour will use a brochure with maps and pictures to illustrate some of the important buildings that survive from the WWI era, including homes that servicemen lived in before going off to fight in the “war to end all wars”.
October 10th, Monday-November 29th, Tuesday, (Gallery 625, Erwin Meier Building, 625 Court Street, Woodland, CA 95695)
“Honoring the Dead of WWI: A Photographic Exhibition Commemorating the Centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Yolo County Dead”-Originally scheduled for 2021 for the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown, this exhibit deals with the core consequences of war; that is death and the loss of loved ones. It looks at how the United States dealt with servicemen who died thousands of miles away from home during the First World War and uses the experiences of five Yolo County servicemen to examine the impact on families waiting for the return of their loved ones. It also touches briefly on the segregation experienced by African Americans in the Army.
With the Army deciding to leave as many bodies in Europe as possible, suddenly, shockingly, over 30,000 families found themselves without a body to grieve over. The need for a national place to mourn, especially felt by mothers, led to the idea of returning and honoring an unidentified body to represent all those lost and missing, an unidentified soldier representing “… no section, creed or race…” and who typified the “soul of America and the supreme sacrifice of her heroic dead.”. The exhibit follows the story of how America selected this soldier and returned him home to be buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Finally, the selection of the WWII, Korean, and Vietnam Conflicts Unknowns is illustrated and the fact that with DNA testing there will be no more “Unknowns” but there will always be “Missing in Action.” Currently with over 80,000 families waiting to hear the final fate of their loved ones, the Tomb with all its rituals retains its power as an American symbol reflecting “Service, Sacrifice, Mourning and Memory”.
November 11th, Friday (Gallery 625, Erwin Meier Building, 625 Court Street, Woodland, CA 95695) Gallery 625 is open to the public-in honor veteran’s day from 10:00 am until 2 pm. Docents will be on hand to answer any questions.
These events are facilitated by the Yolo County “Lest We Forget” project, the Yolo County Archives, the Yolo County Library, the Friends of the Yolo County Archives, and Yolo County Staff. Yolo Post 77, American Legion is facilitating the Ceremony to Honor All Veterans, and Lyons Real Estate the Stroll Through Woodland’s WWI History Brochure. The use of Gallery 625 is facilitated by Yolo Arts.
All locations are accessible for persons with disabilities.
For more information about the Yolo County Library or Archives visitwww.yolocountylibrary.org or connect with the Library and Archives on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/yolocountylibrary.org.
All questions regarding any event please contact Mel Russell at: yolocountyWW1@gmail.com