Many things in this life come naturally and almost seem to be second nature. Showing honor to others is not one of them. It only takes a day of people watching to conclude that seeing a person value another above themselves is rare, and to observe someone slow down to sacrifice their time to show honor is almost extinct. For this reason, the Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza was built. There are men and women from across our great state of Nevada whose lives were taken as they served our country and preserved our freedom. These valiant servicemen and women must be remembered and honored. The only way this will transpire is when one generation passes their stories and their principles to the next generation by teaching their kids and grandkids how to honor and what to value. If there ever was a time in my life when our culture needed reminding of words like honor, gratefulness, respect, and duty, it is today. The eras represented at the memorial and the stories told at our (soon to come) Ron E. Smith Educational Path present not just a memory of warriors but moms, dads, children, brothers, sisters, neighbors and friends. All people who knew that their sacrifice was more significant than their own lives. Their gift of freedom to each of us must be capsulated in time and given the proper respect.

 The memorial’s grand opening is on Friday, November 4, at 3 p.m. All are welcome and encouraged to participate in the ribbon cutting, sealing the time capsule, and sharing proclamations. This hallowed ground is located at the Sparks Marina near the west side parking lot. This site will be open daily for families, groups, and individuals to visit and take a moment to express their gratitude and bring others to teach them how to honor. 

You are also invited to join us on Veteran’s Day, Friday, November 11, for A Day of Remembrance. We will have our volunteer staff at the memorial from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. They will have a handout for you and your family to show you how to use the memorial. We are thankful to Sparks Florists as they have joined the cause by generously donating a flower for each family to place at the memorial wall. Veteran’s day is a day set aside to recognize the service of all America’s veterans. Would you join us as we create a moment in your day to pause and show honor to those men and women whose lives were cut short and sacrificed for their duty to our country? 

There is no cost to visit the Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza, however donations are always accepted. Though the City of Sparks and its officials believe in the purpose of the memorial, there has not been public funds spent to build this memorial. The NVMP is a nonprofit organization and leases the land from the city. For more information about the memorial, please visit NVMP.US.