At last week’s Memorial Day Ceremony at UC Davis, tributes to the 136 Gold Star Aggies who have died in military service were all around: in the 136 flags placed on the lawn outside the Memorial Union, in the ceremonial reading of their names and even in the singer chosen to perform the National Anthem.

The singer who opened this year’s event was 12-year-old Athena Tolentino, first cousin once removed to Capt. Sean Endecott Elliott ’09, a Marine Corps pilot who died in 2017 when the plane he was flying came apart above Mississippi. 

“He’s my little baby cousin,” said Athena’s mom, Crystal Tolentino. “He was always really funny, caring — just a really nice person.”

Crystal Tolentino recalled spending Picnic Day with her cousin, and held back tears as she said thoughts of his death brought on “a great sadness.”

Athena, who was 3 when Elliott died, said she has fond memories of her elder relative’s two dogs, including a Doberman pinscher named Nibbler.

Elliott’s parents were also in attendance at the event, as was the mother of another Gold Star Aggie: Roberta Taylor, whose son, Lt. Col. Mark D. Taylor ’86, was killed by an enemy attack in Iraq in 2004.

Elliott and Taylor were the two most recent names added to the Gold Star Aggies Wall. 

Taylor was an Army surgeon — this year’s keynote speaker, Rachel Russo, was also a surgeon — in the Air Force and now at UC Davis Health. She spoke about the military sacrifices of people who faced discrimination at home, like Masami Sakamoto, who was killed in France while served in the Army during World War II despite his family being held in a Japanese American internment camp; and Robert A. Matthews, a UC Davis faculty member who served as a Tuskegee Airman after initially being rejected by military recruiters.

“What matters is your actions, what you contribute and your integrity,” Russo said. “Even when — or especially when — others fail to recognize it.”

The event was held outside the Memorial Union, and Pablo Reguerín, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, spoke about the significance of the building, which was dedicated in the wake of World War II.

“The Memorial Union itself stands as a lasting reminder that these individuals are not forgotten,” he said. “Their names are memorialized through the Gold Star Aggies Wall and the Golden Memory Book, which preserves their stories, service and legacy for future generations. Today, through both reflection and remembrance, we affirm our commitment to honoring their sacrifice and the ideals for which they serve.”

Brandon White, one of the students who took turns reading names of Gold Star Aggies, said he took his time doing so. He served in the Air Force honor guard before enrolling at UC Davis, where he is now a junior studying math.

“I was trying to slow down and make sure each name was appreciated,” White said.