Banners honoring veterans line Pahrump’s Calvada Boulevard

Special to the Pahrump Valley Times A view down Calvada Blvd. where a total of 11 banners featuring 21 Nye County veterans have been hung. The banners program was created by the American Veterans Foundation of Pahrump and are funded by Nye County.

Special to the Pahrump Valley Times Nye County employees and members of the American Veterans Foundation of Pahrump were out on March 27 to hang the first round of banners in the Nye County Veterans Banner Program.

Robin Hebrock/Pahrump Valley Times Two of the 21 veterans honored by Nye County are shown in this photo, taken Thursday, March 29. The application period is still open for other veterans wishing to be recognized in the Veterans Banner Program.

Robin Hebrock/Pahrump Valley Times The veterans banners have been placed on the light poles that divide Calvada Blvd., where daily traffic will ensure they are seen by many locals and visitors.

As many Nye County residents will attest, the communities that make up the county are very supportive of their current and former military service men and women.

Now that support has been visually demonstrated in the Pahrump Valley through utilization of the Nye County Veterans Banner Program and organizers are preparing for a ceremony to mark the milestone.

“The program was created in a partnership between the county and area veterans to honor Nye County’s past and present veterans for their service to our country and in turn, to encourage a new generation to provide service to their country,” a news release from Nye County detailed. “The banner acts as a symbol of our gratitude that pays tribute to the commitment and courage displayed by individuals that have served in the armed forces.”

The Veterans Banner Program was the brainchild of the American Veterans Foundation of Pahrump, which took the idea to the Veterans Finance Committee in mid-2017.

Together, the two groups worked to organize the program and secure the funding to bring it to fruition.

Through the committee, the two groups went to the Nye County Commission in October 2017 to ask for an allotment from the county’s Veterans Services Fund and by unanimous vote, the commissioners granted the request.

The county approved funding for 40 double-sided banners at an estimated cost of $200 each. Applications for those to be featured on the banners began to slowly roll in and now the entire community can see the results of the effort for themselves.

On Tuesday, March 27, the Nye County Veterans Banner Program was put into action, with the first round of banners featuring the names and faces of local veterans and active duty military hung along Calvada Boulevard.

Banners for a total of 21 veterans and current military members have been placed on the light poles that march down the center of the road heading west from Highway 160 to the Calvada Eye and this is where the community will gather on Monday, April 2 to celebrate.

“It’s finally here!” Dr. Tom Waters, a Pahrump veteran and chairman of the Veterans Finance Committee, announced with enthusiasm.

“We’re ready to have the media debut at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, April 2, at the grassy area by the bridge adjacent to the Nye County Commissioners’ Chambers at the Calvada Eye.”

Waters said he was extremely excited to see this project experiencing such success and he was looking forward to the ceremony to commemorate the occasion. The entire community is invited to attend on Monday at the commissioners’ chambers, located at 2100 E. Walt Williams Drive.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes