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
Banner applications still being accepted
While there may already be a series of veterans banners lining Calvada Blvd., there are still several spots left to fill in order to complete the first phase of the Veterans Banner Program.
A total of 40 double-sided banners have been purchased for the initiative and as of yet, only 11 have been hung.
More than a dozens additional faces will be added in the coming weeks and Nye County veterans and active duty military still have time to submit their applications for a chance at being featured on a banner as well.
Nye County will be accepting applications until Tuesday, April 17 at 5 p.m. Applications can be obtained at the Nye County Administration Office, 2100 E. Walt Williams Dr. in Pahrump or 101 Radar Road in Tonopah.
Completed applications should be hand-delivered to the aforementioned addresses or emailed to nyeadmin@co.nye.nv.us.
For more information on the Nye County Veterans Program or the application process call 775-751-7075.
