The Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza is hosting its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony next Friday, November 4 at 3 p.m. on the west side of the Sparks Marina to celebrate the completion of the years-in-the-making project.
The mission of Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza is to preserve and honor the legacy of our fallen Nevadan service members since 1864.
Since 2014, the organizers of the Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza (NVMP) have been raising money to honor Nevada veterans and create a place to commemorate Nevada’s fallen heroes. It allows people to walk among the 896 names of American soldiers as well as a place for teachers and parents to explain the history and sacrifice they made to protect our freedoms.
In the last couple of years, the NVMP team and their construction partners were able to remove the grassy hill to build benches honoring military groups and POW as well as a meeting area. A large statue was built, flags are flying, veterans’ names are on the wall, a stage is built, and brick pavers are in place. “It’s quite a sight to see, and photos don’t do it justice; you have to see it in person,” says Sparks City Councilmember and NVMP Board Member Kristopher Dahir.
The NVMP is the brainchild of former Sparks mayor Ron Smith, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2020. Smith was the 25th mayor of Sparks, worked in the grocery industry for more than 40 years, and served two tours in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Navy.
“Ron had this vision to put something in the ground that represented the region and whole state, and there are 17 trees at the Plaza that represent all Nevada counties. If Ron ever talked about the Vietnam War, he would just start crying. And then being a pastor, I would have to take over,” Dahir smiles.
“And Ron would always ask me, ‘How can you be a pastor and not be emotional about this?’ He was just so passionate about honoring our veterans. When you put something in the ground like this, it makes a statement. I’m from Las Vegas but I have friends who are veterans all over the state, and I put a flag in the ground [at the Memorial Plaza] to signify that we will always support our veterans,” he explains.
The educational path that wraps around the memorial is named after Smith in loving memory of the NVMP nonprofit’s friend and co-founder. It is still in the process of being completed, and 16 educational kiosks will share Nevada’s history in an engaging and interactive way. Along the path people can revisit the Bill of Rights, Constitution, Declaration of Independence, find out about ships named after Nevada, and learn about the significance behind the Purple Heart. The path will also have kiosks that pay homage to the American Indians and their role in the wars, as well as the mental health effects caused by war.
Along with the November 4 grand opening, the NVMP team will be at the Plaza on Veterans Day (Friday, November 11) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. teaching people how to use the memorial. Sparks Florist donated carnations for people to take and place on the wall in remembrance of Nevada’s soldiers.
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