Pahrump honors Memorial Day with two local ceremonies.

For the average American, Memorial Day is a time of fun and celebration, but for those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and their families, this day is one of deep solemnity.

Here in Pahrump, Memorial Day was marked with two local ceremonies that shined the light on the true meaning of this national observance, which is to reflect upon the sacrifices of those who have given their all in the name of freedom and without whom, all of the holiday festivities Americans enjoy would not be possible.

VFW Memorial Day Ceremony

Starting off Memorial Day was the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #10054, where a crowd of residents gathered for a 10 a.m. ceremony and the dedication of a new plaque to grace the post’s pavilions.

Welcoming everyone to the morning ceremony was post commander Marty Aguiar, who will be officially retiring within the next couple of weeks.

“It is a profound, somber honor to stand before you as we assemble for Memorial Day. We gather not merely as a community in observance of a holiday, but as a nation mourning those we’ve lost,” Aguiar stated as he opened the ceremony. “As veterans and members of the VFW, we are acutely aware that today is not the unofficial start of summer. It isn’t a day for sales or celebrations. It is a day of sacred remembrance. We are here to pay tribute to the men and women who gave their last, full measure of devotion to this nation. We are here to honor their memory.

“I am a proud member of the VFW, an organization founded on the promise that the sacrifice of our fallen will never, ever be forgotten,” Aguiar continued. “I have seen the weight of this day in the eyes of a mother holding a flag, I have felt the silence of this day in the empty chairs at our post tables. But there is a growing distance, I fear, between the civilian experience of this day and it is a true, heavy reality. In the rush and instant gratification of our modern life, the cost of freedom has become a cliché for some. Just a phrase on a banner or a hash tag on social media. But for those of us who have served and for the families who live with the Gold Star in their window, that cost is not an abstract concept.”

Aguiar encouraged everyone to take some time each Memorial Day to visit a veterans’ cemetery or to simply think about those who have lost their lives in defense of freedom.

He then turned everyone’s attention to the changing of the flags, with the assistance of the Cub Scouts. There are now three flag poles proudly displaying banners above the post and the project was the work of many, whom Aguiar wished to highlight. He offered thanks to Mike Bergan, Wayne White, Born & Raised Electric, H & S Concrete and 3D Construction for their assistance in the demolition of the old poles and installation of the new ones, along with Jeannie Wright for painting the eagles that have been placed and the Nye County Commission for a $10,000 allocation to assist with the cost of the project.

A special dedication was included, too, with Aguiar telling the audience, “This pavilion today is being dedicated in the name of Francis L. Wilcox, who built these pavilions. He passed away on March 2, 2025.”

Frank Maurizio of Pahrump Freedom Radio, and a disabled veteran, also presented a commemorative marker of his own, remarking, “Last year, we started a program called Honoring Vets… I’d like to donate this to the VFW Post #10054,” as he proffered a wooden plaque honoring the VFW.

“It’s gorgeous! I love it,” Aguiar enthused.

DAV Memorial Day Ceremony

Later in the evening on Memorial Day, the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter #15 held a ceremony at the Pahrump Veterans’ Memorial, inside the Chief Tecopa Cemetery. Welcoming the crowd was DAV Assistant Chaplain Baron Samuel, with former commissioner and Air Force veteran Frank Carbone acting as master of ceremonies. Following the opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance and national anthem, the first guest speaker of the day was introduced.

Dwanah “Dee” Tajalle is an 81-year-old woman who served in the Women’s Army Corp, military corrections and the Army Police Corps, just one of 100 women chosen for that position. She spoke about her experience, beginning as a clerk in a stockade in Georgia and despite pushback at the start, moving on to training as military police (MP). It wasn’t an easy time to be a woman in the military, particularly one seeking to be an MP. But she persevered and remained with the MP Corps until 1986.

The second guest speaker for the ceremony was DAV Chapter #15 Staff Judge Advocate Eddie Williams.

“Memorial Day is a time when our nation pauses to honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to the United States of America. We stand together as citizens, family, friends and veterans to remember those who never came home,” Williams said during his remarks. “We remember the soldiers who crossed distant battlefields. We remember the sailors who never returned from the sea. We remember the airmen who flew into the danger, knowing the risks. We remember the Marines and Coast Guardsmen who answered the call without hesitation. And above all, we remember the sacrifice.

“Memorial Day is not about politics. It is not about division,” Williams added. “It’s about gratitude, about recognizing the freedom we enjoy every single day, that was paid for by ordinary Americans who chose courage over comfort and duty over self. Many of those we honor today were very young. Some were barely out of high school. They had dreams, families, plans for the future and hopes for ordinary lives. Yet, when their country called, they answered.”

The DAV Memorial Day Ceremony included an ID/Dog Tag and wreath ceremony, as well as the POW/MIA table display and a reading of a poem by local veteran Stephan M. Pitman titled, “This is the Quiet Time.” Closing out the ceremony was a rendition of “Taps”.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com