Nellis flyover to help dedicate new veterans memorial in Las Vegas

The grand-opening event for the new $10 million veterans memorial in northwest Las Vegas is set for Wednesday afternoon, which is Veterans Day.

The event will start at 4:30 p.m. at the Thunderbird Family Sports Complex, 6105 N. Durango Drive. It is scheduled to “include a flyover, courtesy of Nellis Air Force Base,” the city of Las Vegas said in a release.

The city did not specify what type of aircraft will be involved in the flyover. The event will include the presentation of the colors by the Joint Armed Forces Color Guard.

Eighteen bronze statues representing military members from different conflicts throughout American history will be the centerpieces of the Nevada State Veterans Memorial. Construction on the memorial started earlier this year.

The project is a partnership between the city and Nevada. Officials tapped the Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE to raise the funds. The nonprofit, established in 2017 by former Mayor Carolyn Goodman, is used to raise funds from the private sector for city projects and programs.

The memorial will include an open-air promenade, an amphitheater and educational materials that will honor more than 200,000 veterans in the state, the nonprofit said.

Councilwoman Francis Allen-Palenske noted that the statues already existed at a memorial at the former Grant Sawyer Building. They were stored by the state until arriving at their new home, which is in her ward.

Along with the memorial, the project includes an open-air promenade and an amphitheater.

Contact Mark Davis at [email protected].