Northern Nevada military news briefs

Elks honor Flag Day

The Fallon Elks Club 2239 will have its Flag Day ceremony on June 14 at 3 p.m. The annual event will be conducted at the City Hall Courtyard.

Ghost Army exhibit

An exhibit produced by the World War II Museum in New Orleans is displayed at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno through July 23.

Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II depicts the secret campaign waged against Hitler’s army and reveals “Not All is Fair in Love and War.” Active military members, their families and veterans receive free admission because of the E. L. Wiegand Foundation’s support.

The Ghost Army or the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops activated as a unit on Jan. 20, 1944, to deceive the Germans by simulating two divisions that normally consisted of 30,000 men. Additionally, the 23rd HQ used inflatable fake tanks, vehicles and radios along with sound effects and radio traffic to confuse the enemy.

American Legion golf tournament

Fallon’s local Sons of the American Legion Squadron 16 and American Legion Auxiliary is planning for its third annual golf tournament.

The tournament is seeking contributions of raffle prizes by the local community. A raffle donation by your business will be free publicity to all of the patron’s participating and attending the golf tournament. A 501c(3) letter can be given for your records.

For questions about the tournament or how to sponsor, reach out to Paul “Pip” Valentin at paul.valentin470@gmail.com or 407-319-6908 and leave a message.

Nevada Guard to host Flag Day, Army birthday

The Nevada National Guard is set to host its 25th annual Flag Day Ceremony and the U.S. Army’s 248th Birthday celebration at 10 a.m. on June 14 at the Veterans Memorial on the Capitol Grounds, 101 N. Carson St.

The event is free and open to the public and will include a historical flag presentation by the Nevada Air Guard. This year’s ceremony will feature a speech by Gov. Joseph Lombardo and the Army birthday address will be delivered by Col. Brett Compston. The U.S. Flag flown at Fort Ruby in the 1860s will be on display and Army birthday cake will be served to all attendees.

The U.S. Army is two years older than the U.S. Flag. A resolution of the Continental Congress authorized 10 companies of riflemen on June 14, 1775, to establish the U.S. Army. Two years later, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act and adopted the stars-and-stripes design as our nation’s flag. In 1949, President Harry Truman signed an act of Congress designating June 14 at National Flag Day.

Veterans of the Month

A June ceremony is planned to honor the recipients of the Veteran of the Month.

The Northern Nevada ceremony will be held on June 30 at 10 a.m. in the Old Assembly Chambers in Carson City. The recipients are:

U.S. Army veteran James Hanson is the July 2023 Veteran of the Month recipient. The Vietnam War veteran is involved in numerous volunteer projects. His volunteer work touches veterans involved with Nevada’s Honor Flight Program, Reno’s VA Medical Center, and the Northern Nevada State Veterans Home.

U.S. Army veteran William Grey is the August 2023 Veteran of the Month. He is an active supporter of the Gary Meckler Holiday Gift Basket Program, Reno Elks Lodge 597, Reno’s VA, Homeless Veterans Stand-Down, Washoe County Amateur Radio Emergency Services, and more. Grey doesn’t shy away from stepping up to the plate to make sure that whatever is needed gets done.

That attitude even extends to his volunteer work for the local Public Broadcasting Station KNPB. He serves as a camera operator in the studio during telethons that raise funds for good causes.

Velazquez to sit on panels

Jose (Gabe) Velazquez, superintendent of the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, was selected by the National Cemetery Administration to serve on the Compliance Review Program and Standards and Measures Working Group.

The purpose of the CRP is to assess grant-funded cemeteries to ensure compliance with the National Cemetery Administration’s operational standards and measures. The CRP also monitors the status of corrective actions and provides reports to senior leadership on compliance levels as well as the status of corrective actions.

The working group will support efforts to review the SAMs used to assess the performance of state and tribal Veterans cemeteries. Members will update the 2022 SAMs making recommendations for additions, revisions or deletions to the current 95 standards and measures. They will also review and make recommendations regarding the critical, high, and medium priority level designations for each standard and measure.

The rollout for the revised SAMs is set for Aug. 31. The revised SAMs will be used to assess state and tribal cemeteries in the fiscal year 2024.

Military articles and news briefs are compiled by the Nevada News Group and Nevada Appeal. Questions may be directed to Steve Ranson @SNMGmilitaryeditor or 775-427-0960.