Veterans parade highlights Vegas’ patriotism

Las Vegas visitors might not think of Las Vegas as being overly patriotic, yet the valley organizes the “largest Veteran’s Day parade west of the Mississippi,” according to its organizers.

This year’s parade is expected to draw 30,000 to 40,000 visitors and an estimated 120 entrees to downtown, according to Billy Stojack. The 68-year-old Navy veteran has been an integral part of the event for 20 years, serving as one of the parade committee’s chairmen.

“America’s Got Talent” winner Michael Grimm will kick off the parade with the singing of the National Anthem at 10 under what the National Weather Service predicts will be sunny skies, with a high of 73 degrees for the day.

The parade, which will run along the city’s traditional parade route, Fourth Street, will showcase over 100 entries including a color guard, active and reserve components of all military branches, and veterans organizations followed by everyone else in the community, Stojack said.

About 18 ROTC platoons and eight bands will also march.

Bleachers are planned at Fourth and Ogden Avenue, and a television review stand will be set up at Fourth and Clark Avenue.

Veterans are sometimes underappreciated, Stojack said, which is why the parade makes not only him proud, but also members of the community who show up in great numbers to honor them. He wants to showcase the veterans “in the best light possible.”

“A parade does a great deal … to show people that, ‘hey, we’re an all-American community here,’” he added.

Visiting veterans from other states who might have not received a “welcome home” from war have told Stojack that they are overwhelmed by the amount of support they receive from local residents, he said. “They don’t realize that that exists in Las Vegas.”

Though veterans have experienced wars, they’re still good citizens who live among us, Stojack said. “Veterans are not just all shoot-em-up war movies, they exist in our community.”

Stojack served in the Vietnam War, moved into Las Vegas in the early 1970s, and is a retired 28-year Clark County firefighter. He said the community has done “so much for him,” and he just wants to do the same for other veterans.

“It does these guys so much good to go out there to see all the little kids waving American flags,” he said. “It certainly gives me the energy …to drive on and make it even better next year.”

Street closures are planned between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m., according to city officials

Fourth between Gass and Ogden avenues will be closed for the parade, and several side streets — Fourth south of Charleston Boulevard to Imperial Avenue, Third Avenue between Charleston and Garces Avenue and Gass, Hoover and Coolidge avenues between Casino Center Boulevard and Third — also will be closed as staging areas.

Fourth between Stewart Avenue and the underpass at U.S. Highway 95 will be the disbanding area.

The parade is sponsored by KDWN Radio, Humana, and Clark County Commissioners Steve Sisolak and Susan Brager, and supported by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 983.

For those not able to attend the parade, Cox Communications will live stream it over the Internet from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday on channels 96 and 1096. It will rebroadcast at 5 p.m. daily from Nov. 15 to Nov. 30.

For more information visit www.veteransparadelv.com.

Contact Ricardo Torres at rtorres@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0381. Find him on Twitter: @rickytwrites. Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find him on Twitter: @RickVelotta.