Reagan Library Memorial Day Event Features Gold Star Families, New America 250 Exhibit
(CLAIR | Simi Valley, CA) — Two families who paid the highest possible price for American freedom will stand before their community this Memorial Day and speak.
Jeff Evans, a Gold Star son, and Bob Allen, a Ventura County Gold Star father, will deliver remarks at the Reagan Presidential Library's annual Memorial Day commemoration on Monday, May 25 — one of the Conejo and Simi valleys' most meaningful public tributes to the nation's fallen. Commanding Officer Daniel Brown of Naval Base Ventura County will also address the crowd.
The outdoor ceremony begins at 9 a.m. with live music at the library's Gold Star Family Memorial Monument, followed by a flyover and formal programming at 10 a.m. Musical performances will be provided by the Royal High School Wind Ensemble and soloist Angelina Hayward. The Reagan Detachment Color Guard will present the colors, and Lieutenant Commander Rick Robledo will deliver the invocation. The ceremony is free to attend, though reservations are recommended.
Gold Star families are those who have lost an immediate family member in active military service. Their presence at the Reagan Library event puts a human face on what Memorial Day is about: not a long weekend, but a solemn remembrance.
Museum admission is required for those who want to tour the Reagan Museum or the new America 250 exhibition after the ceremony. However the timing creates a natural opportunity, as the library opens that landmark exhibition just three days before.
**New America 250 Exhibition Opens Days Earlier**
The Reagan Library debuts its "America 250" exhibition on May 22, three days before the Memorial Day ceremony. The exhibition runs through September 20, marking 250 years of American independence with artifacts many West Coast visitors have never seen in person.
The collection includes John Trumbull's "The Declaration of Independence" painting, a Gettysburg Civil War cannon used during the pivotal battle, and William J. Stone's engraving of the Declaration of Independence. Personal items tell individual stories within the broader historical narrative, including John Hancock's letter to Elbridge Gerry from the night of Paul Revere's ride and a detailed account of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
The exhibition's most striking artifacts connect visitors to President Lincoln's final moments. Blood-stained leather gloves, a handkerchief, and the original Ford's Theater orchestra ticket stub that Lincoln carried on the night of his assassination provide tangible links to American history's most consequential events.
Benedict Arnold's Oath of Allegiance to the United States offers another layer of complexity to the American story, demonstrating how the exhibition presents both celebrated and complicated figures from the nation's past. President Lincoln's "I Would Save the Union" letter provides insight into his thinking during the Civil War's darkest period.
The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Dr. Gary Milan, Todd Fisher, and Ed and Patty Coté provided loans and donations that made the exhibition possible. Reagan Foundation members receive discounted admission pricing for the special exhibition.
The exhibition's opening quote from President Reagan sets its tone: "I believe now, as I always have, that America's strength is in 'We the People.'" The displays pair founding fathers' stories with accounts of lesser-known Americans whose determination moved the country forward through each generation.
**Community Significance**
The Memorial Day ceremony and new exhibition create a weekend that connects local military families' experiences to the broader American story the Reagan Library preserves. The outdoor commemoration requires no admission fee, ensuring community access to the remembrance event.
For Simi Valley and Moorpark families, the combination offers both solemn reflection on military sacrifice and educational opportunity through the new historical exhibition. The Reagan Library's location makes it a natural gathering place for local residents marking Memorial Day weekend.
The ceremony's early start time allows families to attend and still have time for other Memorial Day activities. The library's programming continues building its role as a community institution that serves both tourists and local residents throughout the year.
An America 250 Concert is scheduled for June 27, extending the exhibition's programming into summer months. The Reagan Library's approach connects national historical themes to community events that bring neighbors together around shared civic experiences.
The Memorial Day commemoration takes place at 40 Presidential Drive in Simi Valley. More information about the America 250 exhibition is available at reaganfoundation.org/library-museum/special-exhibits/america-250.
