Several Veterans Day activities are planned around the region, which include parades, an observance and lunches and dinners for those who served in the military.
Veterans Day is for those veterans currently serving or who have served in the U.S. military. Memorial Day is reserved for veterans who were killed in battle or who have died since their military days. Flags are not lowered on Veterans Day.
Rebecca Clark, the Virginia City Veterans Day parade director, said by Monday a large number of entries had been received. “The number of entries I have are head-to-head with our Fourth of July parade,” she said.
The annual Veterans Day Parade in Virginia City begins at 11 a.m. Saturday on C Street. Veterans and their organizations from Carson City to Fallon revel in the intimacy of the Comstock’s main street as hundreds of people line the street to express their support.
Clark said the parade doesn’t have a parade marshal like their Memorial Day event, but the color guard from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8071 in Virginia City will lead the parade.
According to Clark, the Junior ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) from Douglas and Incline high schools will participate.
The annual Veterans Day Parade in Reno is on Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m. downtown. This year’s theme is “Service.” The parade follows Virginia Street between Sixth and Liberty streets. Chaplain Do Jin Kim will lead the ceremonies with a prayer, and Cassie Harris will perform the National Anthem. The opening ceremonies conclude with an official City of Reno Proclamation read by Jana Morales. The actual parade begins at about 11:30 a.m. after the opening ceremony.
In Sparks, the Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza is having an observance on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Individuals or groups are encouraged to take a moment and honor our fallen who are listed on the wall or to just take a moment out of their day to show value for those who sacrifice for our daily freedoms.
Sparks Florist has donated flowers for those who come by and want to place a flower to show honor. The NVMP team will be present to give a tour of the memorial and have a handout available for a self-guided, meaningful and educational experience.
“It is our responsibility to acknowledge the sacrifice and accomplishments of those who gave a part of their youth, or the entirety of their lives, for these great States,” said Sparks Council member Kristopher Dahir, president of the Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza Project. “We must teach the next generation about the values we carry and leave a legacy of those things we cherish the most.”
The plaza allows the public to walk among the names of the 896 fallen Nevadan veterans, provides a place for teachers and parents to explain the history and sacrifice of service members and is a destination for veteran organizations to hold meetings.
