Time to honor Nevada veterans with a place of their own

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has said he is dedicated to transforming the Silver State into a leader for providing services to United States military veterans.

"I am determined to make Nevada the most veteran and military friendly state in the nation," Sandoval said during his State of the State Speech before the Nevada Legislature on Tuesday, Jan. 17. "It’s time to stop talking and get this done in tribute to our nation’s heroes."

Carson City Mayor Bob Crowell, himself a U.S. Navy veteran and former captain, has repeatedly described the Nevada state capital as a veteran-friendly community.

He is a consistent voice on the Carson City Veterans Community Council (CCVCC) and he wants to see his community make good on its commitment to veterans.

I agree with both the governor and the mayor. Nevada has made significant strides toward improving access and delivery of services to military veterans.

However, it can do better. We can do more.

Symbolic of the state's commitment to its veteran service men and women, I'd like to see the establishment of a Nevada State Veteran's Museum right here in Carson City.

I first learned of the idea from a good friend mine, Vietnam veteran and former U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Frank Reynolds, who has been an ardent advocate for establishing a state historical museum dedicated exclusively to Nevada veterans.

Reynolds told me that Nevada is one of only a few states left in the union that does not have a veterans museum.

For a state that endeavors to become the nation's leader in veterans services, this isn't acceptable.

How can we say in one breath that we support our veterans, but in the next say that a museum honoring their contributions to Nevada is not a priority?

I have covered veterans and veteran issues in Northern Nevada for the better part of a year now, and I tell you with a heavy heart that our state's population of World War II, Korea and Vietnam era veterans is steadily thinning.

As these men and women pass on, we lose some history with them. We lose their first-person experiences. We lose their unique perspectives. We lose ambassadors to time periods now relegated to the annals of history. And we lose significant pieces of our heritage.

Before we lose too many more, let's finally give them a place fitting enough in which to hang their hats, helmets, uniforms and equipment.

Let's give Nevada veterans a place to leave their service legacies, their field memoirs, their photographs, and their stories for future generations to learn about and to honor.

If we intend to make Nevada the most veteran-friendly state in the union, then we should want our children to understand why.

The answers can all be found in one place: A Nevada State Veterans Museum.

When a military veteran passes on and leaves his or her regalia behind without any family heirs, a veterans museum would be the right place to give those belongings a home, instead of ending up in a box full of garage sale items, or on the shelf of a thrift store or pawn shop.

Giving a home to veteran artifacts ensures that the memory of veterans will not fade with time, but rather be preserved for all time.

A Nevada State Veterans Museum would also be a safe place for veterans, where they can reminisce and once again feel the energy of unit comaraderie without the outside pressures that come with amalgamating into civilian life.

It would be a place that can bridge any gaps of misunderstanding between veterans and civilians, because a museum is foremost an education center.

The museum would be a venue where a veteran can feel a renewed sense of purpose, place and pride in the civilian community.

But most important of all, a Nevada State Veterans Museum would be a place for the rich and deep history of Silver State military veterans to finally call home.

As the son of a U.S. Air Force veteran, the grand-son of a U.S. Army World War I veteran, and great-great grandson to four American Civil War veterans, I know a thing or two about military history and its importance to the continued growth of our nation.

Nevada's military heritage goes back to the earliest days of western exploration when John C. Fremont led his expedition across the Great Basin into California.

That's more than 170 years of history in uniform which deserves a place of its own to call home.

The timing for a Nevada State Veterans Museum couldn't be better or more critical. At the Governor's State of the State Speech nine days ago, a 97 year-old World War II veteran was Sandoval's guest of honor.

There are few veterans like her left in Nevada. Their ranks are shrinking from age, from illness or disease, from suicide, even from indifference.

The next regular session of the biennial Nevada Legislature begins Feb. 6, 2017. Won't you please join me in contacting your assembly(wo)man and senator, asking them to introduce or sponsor a bill that establishes a Nevada State Veterans Museum?

The time is right. The time is now.

Let's do it for veterans and their families, for our state and its heritage. Before the next generation of veterans passes on completely, let's not miss a chance to show them how proud we are of their service.