By BOBBIE GREEN
The Progress
It was a day of patriotic celebration in Mesquite on Saturday, Nov. 5. The community came together to honor its veterans with an early morning flag ceremony and then the traditional parade down Mesquite Blvd.
Virgin Valley residents began the day of honoring veterans with an annual flag ceremony on Saturday morning, Nov. 5. The ceremony was held at Veterans Memorial Park in Mesquite and was organized by the U.S. Army Vietnam Veterans organization and Mesquite Mayor Al Litman.
An opening flag ceremony was presented by the Veterans Detail. The Veterans Honor Guard presented arms and the rifle squad fired a salute.
The Glory Girls: Cindy Good, Doris Points, and Diane McClure, sang the Star-Spangled Banner, and a few other songs for the crowd in attendance.
Bugler Carolyn Waley played “Taps” at the ceremony. Waley has come out from Las Vegas each year for the past 20 years to participate at this ceremony.
Litman introduced 95-year-old Irv Wilford, a World War II Navy veteran who was at Tokyo Bay for the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. Wilford came to the ceremony decked out in his bright red, white and blue American Flag coat.
Litman reminded the audience of the purpose for the celebration. “Our veterans defend the freedom in America,” he said.
Litman thanked those in attendance for braving the cold morning to be there. He pointed out that he has been organizing this event for the past sixteen years after taking it over from his predecessor, Cecile Donahoe.
The annual Veterans Day Parade began at 10 AM on Willow Street. The parade made its way down Mesquite Boulevard to Arrowhead and disbursed at the parking lot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Grand Marshall this year was Raymond Wynne, a 95-year-old U.S. Navy WWII Veteran who lives in Mesquite. At 18-years-old, Wynne was wounded at the Red Beach battle for Okinawa in 1945, recognized as one of the hardest-fought battles of the war in the Pacific.
Sadly, Wynne became ill a few days before the parade and was not able to participate. The Grand Marshall car was driven in the parade by last year’s Grand Marshall Brian Cornett.
There were 34 entries in the parade. One automobile bore a sign stating “In Memory of the Parade Founder Louis A Nieves Sr.” Nieves’ children and grandchildren were in the car.
A crowd favorite was the Bonanza High School JROTC. The 110 strong Bengal Battalion, marched in step, with a loud impressive cadence, along with their instructors and advisors.
Maribel Cisneros was at the parade to see her sons who were part of the Bonanza High School JROTC. Cisneros said she loves watching the Veterans Day Parade.
Kathy Heiter and Bill Daisy had front row seats. They said that they come every year to watch the parade.
A bright spot between all the dark military colors were the Mesquite Toes and Mesquite Show Girls in all their feathers, hats and sparkles.
There was no lack of candy throwers in the parade. Kids both small and large scrambled to scoop up as much as possible.
Rick Southern and Alan Graves led off the parade on their motorcycles just ahead of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association.
Bringing up the rear was the Littlefield and the Mesquite Fire Departments showing their vintage fire truck as well as current equipment.
“ I was nervous this year,” said Robert Nehilla, Parade Chairperson of the Parade Committee. “I gave a sign of relief when I saw all the entry’s lined up.”
Nehilla acknowledged that the parade is put on by the Veterans Center with a huge measure of assistance from the local Elks Lodge.
“My thanks to the Elks!” said Nehilla. “And also to all our veterans for their service and to the parade attendee’s for their support of our veterans.”
