Nevada Veterans Museum

By Chuck N. Baker
     (July 4, 2024) I am proposing that the State of Nevada fund and build a Veterans & Military Museum someplace in Nevada. Toward this end I am proposing that in next year’s Legislature the State consider funding initial seed money to begin soliciting grants and donations. A State-sponsored structure could be located in any city deemed acceptable.
However it may be possible that instead of a State-sponsored museum, a city could fund and build such a museum without State funds. Because of its unique status as a veterans-friendly city, Boulder City might consider such a project that would draw tourists and tourism dollars.
While I am not particularly Special to Boulder City, it is a Veterans Friendly City: It has long been recognized as a Veterans Friendly City. It is home to the veterans home, the veterans cemetery, veterans park and several veterans organizations. In addition, there is historic precedent about our involvement in military activities as noted below. Henderson would also be a strong location to house a Veterans/Military museum.
     Boulder City & Henderson Designated as WWII Heritage Cities:
     The National Park Service designated Boulder City and Henderson as American World War II Heritage Cities. (AWWIIHC). The program recognizes the contributions of communities and commemorates the stories of those who shaped the U.S. home front during World War II and still impact our country today. Boulder City and Henderson were selected for their proximity to Hoover Dam, availability of hydroelectric power and water, and magnesium production. Only one American World War II Heritage City can be designated in each state or territory, but Boulder City and Henderson applied for the designation together in a unique collaboration.
     Boulder City and the City of Henderson both saw an increase in military activity during World War II. According to the AWWIIHC website:
“A U.S. Army post was established in Boulder City in 1941 to protect the dam from enemy sabotage. The post was staffed by a battalion of military police that, at its peak, included 27 officers and more than 700 enlisted men. Hoover Dam also provided cheap hydroelectric power and an abundant water supply that attracted industrial development and transformed the surrounding desert into a center of wartime defense manufacturing.”
     “Boulder City believes in preserving and honoring our unique heritage from our humble beginnings in 1931,” said Taylour Tedder, City Manager. “We are proud of this designation for our community as 11-percent of our residents are veterans, we are the home of the Southern Nevada Home for Veterans and more than 35,000 veterans and their spouses are laid to rest in the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City.”
     During the war, magnesium was a vital component in the production of aircraft, munitions and other parts of America’s airborne arsenal. Basic Magnesium Inc. (BMI) in Henderson produced more than 166 million pounds of magnesium and employed 14,000 workers in the Henderson and Boulder City area.
In addition to Boulder City and Henderson’s joint designation, 10 other communities were selected. The NPS World War II Heritage Cities program was established by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019. It recognizes the contributions to the World War II home front war effort, including defense manufacturing, food production, volunteer participation and civil defense preparedness.
     Learn more about the American World War II Heritage Cities Program at the following link.
The National Park Service announces the newly designated 2023 American World War II Heritage Cities
World War II permeated every aspect of American life and resulted in a large migration of people within the United States. Individuals and families relocated to industrial centers for good paying war jobs and out of a sense of patriotic duty. Many industrial centers became “boom towns,” growing at phenomenal rates. Workers from around the nation had to intermingle with each other and overcome differences in order to meet war demands, forever changing the cultural landscape of the United States.
In order to recognize the historic importance of the United States’ involvement in World War II, the Secretary of the Interior may designate up to one city (jurisdiction) from each state and territory as an American World War II Heritage City.
     But in the end, the point is to establish a veterans museum within the State of Nevada — Boulder City, Henderson, Elko, Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City, any acceptable location in the Silver State.

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(Chuck N. Baker is a Vietnam War combat veteran and a Purple Heart recipient. He is a founding member and two-term chairman of the Las Vegas Historic Preservation Commission, and a current member of the Boulder City Historic Preservation Commission.)