The Nevada State Veterans Memorial is getting a permanent new home. The City of Las Vegas will open the relocated memorial on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, with a 4:30 p.m. ceremony at the northwest end of the Thunderbird Family Sports Complex, 6105 N. Durango Drive, in the northwest valley.
Key Takeaways
- The opening ceremony is Wednesday, Nov. 11 (Veterans Day), at 4:30 p.m. at the Thunderbird Family Sports Complex, 6105 N. Durango Drive.
- The memorial’s 18 bronze statues, each 7.5 feet tall, were moved from outside the former Grant Sawyer state building.
- The program includes the Joint Armed Forces Color Guard and a flyover from Nellis Air Force Base.
- Last week the Las Vegas City Council voted to accept $3 million from the state for the memorial’s construction.
18 statues, one new home
The memorial centers on 18 bronze statues by sculptor Douwe Blumberg. The State of Nevada commissioned them in 2011 to honor American military service from the Revolutionary War to the present day. For years they stood outside the former Grant Sawyer state building; now they have been moved to the sports complex on Durango Drive.
The new site adds an open-air promenade, landscaping, an amphitheater and informational signage, according to the city. Rafael Construction built the project.
Who is behind it
The memorial is a partnership of the State of Nevada, the City of Las Vegas and the Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE, an independent nonprofit that supports city initiatives. On Nov. 4, the Las Vegas City Council voted to accept $3 million from the state toward construction.
The city says Mayor Shelley Berkley, Ward 4 Councilwoman Francis Allen-Palenske, state officials and local veterans will attend the ceremony. The colors will be presented by the Joint Armed Forces Color Guard, and Nellis Air Force Base will provide a flyover. The event will also stream live on city of Las Vegas TV and the city’s YouTube channel.
What it means for locals and visitors
For locals, the memorial now has a permanent, walkable home with room for ceremonies, right next to fields many northwest-valley families already visit. If you plan to attend Wednesday, arrive early: Veterans Day crowds and a flyover tend to draw a lot of people. Visitors in town for the holiday can catch the ceremony live on the city’s YouTube channel if they can’t make it out to Durango Drive.
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Sources
- City of Las Vegas: New Nevada State Veterans Memorial To Open With Veterans Day Ceremony
- FOX5 Vegas: City of Las Vegas to unveil new Nevada State Veterans Memorial
- FOX5 Vegas: Nevada State Veterans Memorial one step closer to opening after $3M state funding approval
- News 3 Las Vegas: Las Vegas welcoming state veterans memorial’s new home with military flyover
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