Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015 | 2:07 p.m.
Standing in front of a 7-foot aluminum statue of a Revolutionary War soldier backed by an American flag, Gov. Brian Sandoval broke ground today to commemorate the Las Vegas Veterans Memorial.
The project, at the western gardens of the Grant Sawyer Building, will host 18 statues in an outdoor amphitheater to commemorate United States soldiers.
The Veterans Day groundbreaking came six months before the memorial’s planned completion and six years after the idea first emerged. Sandoval spoke in front of more than 500 students, veterans and politicians, asking them to “never forget” the sacrifice of the troops.
“It will be a place for students to learn about our history,” he said. “It’s a location to remember the human cost of war. It will be a solemn place where family members can come to grieve and pray for solace.”
After a nationwide search, Las Vegas was chosen as the site for the $2.2 million memorial, which has been financed by local philanthropists and businesses.
Douwe Blumberg, the Las Vegas-born sculptor chosen to design the project, said the memorial will have the statutes standing in front of a series of raked, granite walls marked with historical quotes. “Today marks the beginning of the home stretch,” he said.
In his speech, Sandoval quoted from his correspondence with 92-year-old Charles Sehe, a sailor from Nevada who served at Pearl Harbor, who told the governor that the nation’s thoughts needed to be with the present-day veterans just as much as veterans from past conflicts.
“This memorial will forever commemorate those who laid down their lives for our freedom,” Sandoval added.
The audience included dozens of motorcycles ridden by members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a volunteer group that provides an honor guard at the funerals of veterans. Wearing a Vietnam baseball cap and sporting a leather vest with POW-MIA and other patches, Bob Donaghy gripped a 5-foot flag pole as he and other guard riders welcomed people to the event.
“Every veteran has their own story and we are here to support them,” he said.
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