On Wednesday, Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley and Ward 4 Councilwoman Francis Allen-Palenske will join state officials and local veterans to break ground on the new Nevada State Veterans Memorial at Thunderbird Family Sports Complex at 11 a.m. The project is a partnership between the State of Nevada, the City of Las Vegas, and the Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE, according to the City of Las Vegas.
The memorial will house 18 bronze statues, each 7.5 feet tall, created by sculptor Douwe Blumberg and originally commissioned in 2011 for the now-closed Grant Sawyer state building. These figures honor American military service from the Revolutionary War to today, and Nevada veterans attending the ceremony will be available for interviews, as reported by the City of Las Vegas.
The City of Las Vegas is building a $7.69 million site to display sculptures honoring Nevada’s veterans. The project will include an open-air promenade, landscaping, an amphitheater, and educational signs. As stated in the announcement, "This project will establish a permanent home for these magnificent sculptures that will honor Nevada’s 200,000-plus veterans in a dedicated place of healing, inspiration and education." Rafael Construction will carry out the work, and the city will manage the project.
