Las Vegas statuary to honor America’s gamut of military sacrifice
Sculptor Douwe Blumberg of the Las Vegas Veterans Memorial speaks to the National Executive Committee during Fall Meetings at National Headquarters in Indianapolis on Monday, October 12, 2015. Photo by Lucas Carter.

Las Vegas statuary to honor America’s gamut of military sacrifice

The history of American military service – from the Revolution to Afghanistan – is portrayed in 18 larger-than-life statues positioned on two acres in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Veterans Memorial: A National Tribute is set to be dedicated Friday and opens to the public Saturday, May 28. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The American Legion National Executive Committee passed a resolution in October 2015 commending the project, which conveys the common bond of military service across the generations.

The figures – nearly 8 feet in height each – gaze to the center of the plaza on the grounds of the Grant Sawyer State Building in Las Vegas. At the center is a vignette of post-911 generation troops rescuing one of their own from a battlefield in the global war on terrorism. Positioned within the statuary is a family, including a veteran in a service cap, representing those at home who wait for their loved ones to return from war.

The sculptor, Douwe Blumberg of Kentucky, was featured in the January 2016 issue of The American Legion Magazine.

See more at www.lasvegasveteransmemorial.org.