Las Vegas Veterans Day parade honors those who served — PHOTOS

More than 50 years ago, Navy veteran Sam Micco came home from Vietnam to a cold welcome.

In his mid-20s at the time, he said, many Americans disagreed with the war and, by extension, with the men who fought it.

Micco, now 80, was among hundreds who lined the route of the Las Vegas Veterans Day parade Wednesday morning. He grinned as floats and military trucks draped in red, white and blue rolled by.

“This is very emotional for me,” said Micco, who was attending the parade for the second time. “I come down here, and everyone shakes my hand. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

The event, organized by the nonprofit Veterans Action Group, began at 9:30 a.m. Bikers from several veterans motorcycle clubs, including the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, led the downtown procession, which started on Garces Avenue and traveled down 4th Street.

Many of the motorcycles flew flags honoring prisoners of war and those missing in action, while others gleamed with silver spinners.

Close behind the bikers, dozens of uniformed Army soldiers marched in sync. Some handed out miniature American flags to children watching behind the barricades.

Officials from the Metropolitan Police Department, the city of Las Vegas, and North Las Vegas were also represented. Sheriff Kevin McMahill waved at attendees as he walked in front of a police Cybertruck, while North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown sat at the back of a fire truck.

Lorenzo Stanley, who came out to watch, called it a great party.

Stanley, a Las Vegas native, wore a hat bearing the Navy seal. He said he served for 10 years.

“I’m here to salute my brothers and sisters,” Stanley said, holding his dog, Zoe, who sported an American flag tucked into her harness.

He bobbed his head to the beat as high school marching bands paraded down the street, trumpets blaring.

Longtime paradegoer and Air Force veteran Bob Ain said it’s important to show up for those who serve.

Ain, who wore a UNLV T-shirt, now teaches math as a lecturer at the university. He said he hoped to spot some Flying Rebels, or Air Force ROTC students, in the parade.

“This is Vegas,” Ain said. “We’re supposed to celebrate. It’s what we do.”

North Las Vegas resident Synthia Stoddard, 43, came to the parade to cheer on her son, a squad leader in Centennial High School’s Junior ROTC. She and her daughter, Lola, 13, said they were proud of his dedication to the program.

“He looks really great out there,” Stoddard said. “This is about American spirit and pride — people from so many walks of life coming together to celebrate one common theme.”

Contact Akiya Leggio at [email protected].