Hundreds of people lined Fourth Street in downtown Las Vegas on Wednesday morning for the annual Veterans Day parade organized by the nonprofit Veterans Action Group. The procession began at 9:30 a.m. on Garces Avenue and traveled down Fourth Street, led by bikers from several veterans motorcycle clubs including the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association. Many motorcycles flew flags honoring prisoners of war and those missing in action.
Behind the bikers, dozens of uniformed Army soldiers marched in step, some handing out miniature American flags to children behind barricades. High school marching bands performed, and officials from the Metropolitan Police Department, the city of Las Vegas, and North Las Vegas participated. Sheriff Kevin McMahill walked in front of a police Cybertruck, while North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown rode on a fire truck.
For Navy veteran Sam Micco, 80, the warm reception stood in stark contrast to his return from Vietnam more than 50 years ago. "This is very emotional for me," said Micco, attending for the second time. "I come down here, and everyone shakes my hand. It doesn't get any better than that." Fellow veteran Lorenzo Stanley, a Las Vegas native who served 10 years in the Navy, attended with his dog Zoe to "salute my brothers and sisters."
Air Force veteran Bob Ain, who now teaches math at UNLV, said showing up matters. "This is Vegas," Ain said. "We're supposed to celebrate. It's what we do." North Las Vegas resident Synthia Stoddard, 43, came to support her son, a squad leader in Centennial High School's Junior ROTC. "This is about American spirit and pride — people from so many walks of life coming together to celebrate one common theme," she said.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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