Parade organizer expects turnout of about 32,000

About 30,000 spectators along with 2,000 participants are expected to be at the Veterans Day parade in downtown Las Vegas on Sunday, the event's organizer said.

"This is the biggest Veterans Day parade west of the Mississippi," said organizer Leonard Wenson, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1753.

"This is honoring all branches of service. We want to thank all present and past veterans for their service," said Wenson, who served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970.

The parade of about 100 entries including the 300th Army Band out of the Los Angeles area will start at 10 a.m. Sunday at Gass Avenue and proceed north on Fourth Street to Ogden Avenue.

The grand marshal is Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, who will be joined by a group of co-grand marshals, Wounded Warriors from military medical centers in San Antonio and San Diego.

Wenson said the city of Las Vegas and Clark County provided some funding for the $50,000 parade while other funds were raised through the USO show last month at the Gold Coast. The funding covers costs including those for barricades, security and temporary restroom facilities.

The weather forecast for Veterans Day calls for a slight chance of rain showers with a high temperature of 74 degrees and a low of 53.

Veterans Day events around the Las Vegas Valley will kick off with a ceremony 10 a.m. today at Henderson's Veterans Memorial Wall, 240 Water Street.

The ceremony will pay tribute to 15 Henderson residents whose names will be added to the some 1,500 inscribed on the wall.

Two local soldiers who were killed in action -- Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Coby G. Schwab and Army Reserve 1st Sgt. Carlos N. Saenz -- will be memorialized at the ceremony. Saenz was killed May 5, 2006 in Iraq and Schwab was killed May 3 of this year in Iraq.

The Fourth Annual Las Vegas Intertribal Powwow, which began Friday, will run through Sunday at the Silver Bowl Sports Complex near Sam Boyd Stadium. The event, expected to draw 5,000, will honor veterans with the presentation of the Warrior's Medal of Valor from the Native American Nations at 2 p.m. today.

Today and Sunday, the America the Beautiful Veterans Day Food and Music Festival will be held at the Clark County Amphitheater from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Part of the proceeds generated will go to a local charity, Veterans Helping Veterans.

Active duty military personnel and veterans of the armed forces, police, fire and rescue units will be admitted free with proper identification. Parking is free and regular adult admission is $8; seniors $5; and children ages 2 through 12 are $3.

The public also is invited to the annual Veterans Day ceremony at the Southern Nevada Veterans memorial Cemetery in Boulder City beginning 1:30 p.m. Sunday. This year's event is sponsored by Catholic War Veterans Post 1947 and Auxiliary. Guest speakers include Gov. Jim Gibbons, Boulder City Mayor Roger Tobler and members of Nevada's congressional delegation.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., will dedicate a monument, "Lest They Be Forgotten," to honor veterans of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

The Boulder City Veterans Pilot Group will perform a fly-over in "missing man" formation after the ceremony.

At 11 a.m. Sunday at the Life Care Center of America, 6151 Vegas Drive, Berkley will present World War II veteran Samuel Sokoloff with a collection of service awards including the Purple Heart and Prisoner of War medals.

Sokoloff fought with the 7th Armored Division at the Battle of the Bulge and was captured by German forces. He was shot in the leg by his captors and walked 100 miles to a prison camp.

On Monday, the Iron Nation Motorcycle Club will ride to the governor's mansion to present Gibbons with a check for the Nevada Patriot Fund. The fund was established to provide assistance to families of fallen U.S. military personnel from Nevada.

On Sunday, veterans, military personnel and their families will be granted free admission to Lake Mead National Recreation Area and fee areas operated by the Bureau of Land Management, including Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.