State memorial opens in northwest valley

The Nevada State Veterans Memorial opened to the public on Wednesday at the Thunderbird Sports Complex in the northwest Las Vegas Valley. The new facility provides a dedicated space for residents to honor military service members. It marks the end of a long wait for a permanent home for the collection of sculptures.

The memorial includes 18 statues. These pieces represent service members from the Revolutionary War through the global war on terror. The sculptures also include a specific Vietnam War statue. The site is located in a part of the valley that many service members call home. It sits about halfway between Creech Air Force Base and Nellis Air Force Base.

Vincent Palmieri is a double Purple Heart veteran. He served in the Vietnam War. For Palmieri, the new memorial offers a sense of acceptance he said he did not feel upon his return from the war. He described the space as a welcome home.

“Standing in front of this Vietnam statue brings back a lot of memories,” Palmieri said. “Some are good, some I don’t want to remember. But I feel that my brothers and sisters, we can come here.”

The statues previously resided at the Grant Sawyer Building. That area was redeveloped for affordable housing, leaving the sculptures without a permanent location. When Palmieri first saw the statues in their new setting, he said he was moved to tears.

“I came in the gate and my body just like kind of froze,” Palmieri said. “And as I got in closer, he came up to me, and my eyes were filling with tears because if you saw this at the Grant Sawyer Building and you see this here today, it’s like day and night.”

Las Vegas Mayor and local politicians attended the opening ceremony. The Metro police sheriff also spoke at the event. They discussed the importance of honoring those who served. The mayor described the site as the most beautiful Veterans Memorial she has ever seen.

Ward 4 Councilwoman Francis Allen-Palenske noted that the project took years to complete. She stated that it is the largest veterans memorial in size and scope west of the Mississippi. Allen-Palenske lobbied the governor for this specific location. She explained that the site is well situated for the many active duty military and retirees living in the northwest part of the Valley.

“It’s greatly situated, about halfway distance between Creech Air Force Base and Nellis Air Force Base,” Allen-Palenske said. “So we have a lot of active duty military living in the Northwest part of the Valley, and a lot of retirees by virtue of being centrally located. So there’s a lot of veterans here.”

The project cost a total of $7.7 million. The state funded almost half of that amount. Donors covered the remaining costs. The city of Las Vegas is still raising money. People interested in contributing can contact the Mayor’s Fund. The memorial also includes an amphitheater that will host events for years to come.

Allen-Palenske said the turnout for the ceremony was greater than expected. “We had 350 RSVPs, so we rented 350 chairs, and it felt like 600 or 700 people with standing room only,” she said. The city is working on an audio component so visitors can listen to the history behind each sculpture. The memorial’s website is complete, and the city is working with CCSD and UNLV on curriculum and field trips.