‘Extremely special’: Hundreds gather for Veterans Day parade in downtown Las Vegas

For 70-year-old Henderson resident Avie Havelka-Johnson, watching the Las Vegas Veterans Day Parade has become a tradition.

Dressed head to toe in an American flag-patterned bandana, shirt and jeans, she strolled along South 4th Street’s sidewalk just on the outskirts of the parade route, asking veterans to sign the black POW flag she carried. The annual celebration, she said, “hits close to home,” as the spouse of a Vietnam War veteran.

“This is so rare and nice to see,” said Havelka-Johnson, a former cocktail waitress turned magazine publisher. She spent the early 1990s writing for and about veterans in prisons across the country in a weekly publication called The Voice of Veterans, Incarcerated.

“I waive the flag any time I can, because veterans should be celebrated every day,” Havelka-Johnson added.

Havelka-Johnson was among the hundreds who turned out for the annual parade organized by the Veterans Action Group. The event, which started at the intersection of South 4th Street and East Garces Avenue, featured performances by color guard programs from schools across the valley, motorcades of military vehicles and trailer floats with people dressed as the founding fathers.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and Lt. Gov. Starvos Anthony led the procession, waving out the window of a classic red Pontiac at children who blew bubbles from the sidewalk. Shortly after, representatives, children and adults from the American Legion marched down the street, chanting, “Thank you, veterans.”

Local law enforcement and first responders, including the Nevada Highway Patrol and the North Las Vegas Fire Department, participated in the parade. The Bureau of Land Management Fire Department also showcased a truck with Smokey Bear on top.

Roger Tilford, 64, a retired Bakersfield, California, fire captain came out to cheer on his fiancée, 1st Sgt. Nichelle Webb, a Marine who teaches Junior ROTC students.

Webb served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Tilford said.

“This is extremely special, knowing her hard work and that the Marines celebrated 250 years yesterday,” Tilford said. “Everyone is hyped up. I’ve attended many parades, and at this one, the support for the military is overwhelming.”

Tilford paused to watch Webb and her students strut down the street. He pulled out his cellphone to record and shouted, “Yeah, Marines!”

“It just gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling,” Tilford added.

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.