Veterans Day parade etpected to draw thousands

For the 23rd straight year, a Las Vegas nonprofit will host the “largest Veterans Day parade west of the Mississippi” downtown on Sunday.

This year’s parade, organized by the Veterans Action Group, is expected to draw a crowd of more than 30,000 with an estimated 102 entries, said Jerry Adams, the parade’s chairman.

The parade will set off at 10 a.m. on Sunday from the intersection of Fourth Street and Gass Avenue and head northeast along Fourth under what the National Weather Service predicts will be sunny skies and crisp temperatures.

The parade includes a color guard, active and reserve components of all military branches, marching bands, the 300th Army Band, Girl Scouts,

Boy Scouts, members of ROTC programs, a Wells Fargo stagecoach, horses and commercial entries, Adams said.

There will also be 10,000 American flags given out for people to wave during the parade.

Road closures downtown will begin at 7 a.m. with Fourth Street closing between Coolidge and Ogden avenues. Portions of Ogden east and west of Fourth and cross streets extending a half block in either direction from the parade route will also be closed.

If you can’t attend in person, Cox Communications, Las Vegas, will broadcast the parade live Sunday on channels 14 and 1014 and will air rebroadcasts Nov. 18 at 10:30 p.m., Nov. 19 at 11 p.m., Nov. 21 at 10:30 Cross streets will be closed half a block east and west of the route. p.m., Nov. 24 at 3 p.m., Nov. 25 at 10:30 p.m., Nov. 26 at 11 p.m., Nov. 28 at 10:30 p.m. and Dec. 1 at 3 p.m.

Adams, a 68-year-old Air Force veteran, said it’s important to celebrate Veterans Day and teach younger generations about respect for our nation’s heroes, because some service

members, especially from the Vietnam War, were not always welcomed home the way they deserved.

“I couldn’t get a job. Sometimes a girl wouldn’t go out with me. I was told to put my civilian clothes on in the airport before I flew home,” he said. “We do this for the veterans because we don’t want that to ever happen again.”

Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @brianarerick on Twitter.