Memorial Day ‘not a day for celebration:’ DeKalb area veterans remember the fallen

DeKALB – For many Monday, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, a day off work and a chance to haul out the grill.

But it’s not a day of celebration, reminded area veterans and dignitaries at DeKalb’s annual Memorial Day ceremony.

The morning’s events included a dedication ceremony downtown at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Clock at First Street and Lincoln Highway. A parade followed, marching down Locust Street to Linden Place. At the Ellwood House, speakers reminded the crowd gathered that the cost for what might seem like a simple day off work is high.

DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes, a U.S. Army veteran whose great grandfather, grandfathers and son all served in combat areas, said Memorial Day holds “deep meaning” for him. He’s also lost family members to post-service turmoil, he said.

“It reminds us that the cost of war is not only paid in combat zones, it is paid in quiet struggles, in invisible wounds and in the lives of those we lose years later as these wounds of war continue to take their toll,” Barnes said. “Today is not a day of celebration. Today is a day of remembrance.”

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Members of the DeKalb American Legion Post 66 Honor Guard remove the flags Monday, May 26, 2025, following the Memorial Day ceremony at Ellwood House in DeKalb. (Mark Busch)

Veteran service organizations joined Monday’s observances, including local suicide prevention campaign Be the One. The initiative advocates for local veterans facing struggles, both internal and external. It also connects veterans to area resources, crisis hotlines and other tools to meet mental wellness needs.

During his keynote address, U.S. Army National Guard Col. Jose Jaques, a retired DeKalb police officer, listed numbers of American men and women who were killed in the line of duty dating back to the American Revolution.

“These are not statistics,” Jaques said. “These are lives, American lives, given in defense of liberty.”

“To all who have felt the profound heartache of losing a loved one at the altar of freedom, this Memorial Day weekend we remember them and we remember you.”

—  Manny Olade

Veterans joined young and old as a crowd of more than 100 scattered across the Ellwood House lawn to pay their respects. Each branch of the military was given its due to a rousing and patriotic duet performed by Terri Crain Goodman and Ron Lofton. The DeKalb High School choir performed.

During the parade, bands from DeKalb High School and Clinton Rosette and Huntley middle schools marched along. Dimensions Dance Academy, the DeKalb American Legion Post No. 66, first responders and local Cub Scout Pack 131 marched also, waving to residents lined up in the streets.

During the early morning’s proceedings downtown, emcee Michael Embrey, a U.S. Army veteran, said he hopes the day serves as a reminder for younger generations who may not have been touched by the toll of conflict: Military service means devoting oneself to a higher cause.

“We need to take more time and work with the young people to understand Memorial Day is a very important day to reflect,” Embrey said.

Reflection can also mean remembering those loves ones left behind, DeKalb Police David Byrd said.

“I’ll challenge you today, and I’m also going to challenge myself, to make sure to reach out to family members who have lost loved ones who have paid the ultimate sacrifice,” Byrd said. “Because I guarantee you, on a day like today, I know they feel an enormous sense of pride...but also think about the pain and suffering that they go through on the same day.”

As the ceremony concluded, Embrey and Mark Baldin performed a mournful taps, not for the first time this weekend. The Legion visited 11 cemeteries Sunday to pay respects to the fallen, Embrey said.

It was another way to say thank you to the memories of those who didn’t make it home.

That’s why Memorial Day is a chance to take “a sacred pause,” Legion Cmdr. Manny Olade, a U.S. Marine veteran, said.

Displayed resolute in front of the Legion’s Honor Guard was a solitary pair of military boots and a combat helmet.

“To all who have felt the profound heartache of losing a loved one at the altar of freedom,” Olade said, “this Memorial Day weekend we remember them and we remember you.”