The re-Dedication of Liberty Cemetery for Veterans on West Belmont Avenue, in Fresno, California, Wednesday May 30, 2018, 6 p.m.
The cerimony began with the opening speech:
"Welcome to this very special Commemoration of Memorial Day. I begin by thanking each of you on behalf of the Friends of Liberty Cemetery for attending this event being held on the traditional Memorial Day because today is the 150th anniversary of the First official nation-wide Memorial Day, the 100th anniversary of the founding of Liberty Cemetery as a final resting place for the veterans who served in our nation's armed forces and their spouses, the 100th anniversary of the last year of the First World War, and the day on which James Savage chapter 1854 of E Clampus Vitus unveils to the public a granite monument commemorating the 100th anniversary of this cemetery. And in a sense we are re-dedicating this hallowed ground to the memory of all men and women who have served our nation in time of war and of peace, so it is appropriate that we borrow heavily from the program of dedication on Memorial Day of 1918. Most of what you hear today are the speeches delivered and the songs that were sung exactly 100 years ago as reported in Fresno's newspapers. Those that weren't are those delivered in 1917, 1919, 1920, or 1921, or written on the modeled of the speeches of the time by Dr. David Davenport." read the full text of speeches
Text of the program handoutA very short video news item that appeared on ABC30 that same night.
