Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery: A Final Resting Place For Heroes
Established in 1990, the 79-acre Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery is approximately 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas in the community of Boulder City, Nevada. The nearest Veterans Memorial Cemetery to Boulder City is the Riverside National Cemetery in California, approximately 245 miles west.
Among the Nevadans of note interred at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery is former Governor Mike O’Callaghan and his wife, Carolyn. O’Callaghan reportedly lied about his age to join the Marine Corps when he was 16, serving from 1946 to 1948. He then joined the Air Force in 1950 and later was transferred to the Army in 1952, losing part of his left leg during the Korean War.
O’Callaghan served as Governor of Nevada from 1971 to 1979. After he left office, O’Callaghan became the executive editor of the Las Vegas Sun newspaper and also publisher of the Boulder City News and Henderson Home News. The bridge spanning the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona next to Boulder Dam bears O’Callaghan’s name, as well as that of Army veteran Pat Tillman, who died in combat in Afghanistan.
Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery contains graves of veterans from the Second World War and the Korean War among other later wars. The cemetery contains about 36,000 graves.
Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery contains the graves of the following people, who fought for the United States of America and who gave their lives in the War in Afghanistan and/or Operation Enduring Freedom:
05 May 2006 , Sergeant John C. Griffith, aged 33
09 May 2011 , Sergeant Ken K. Hermogino, aged 30
31 August 2011 , Specialist Dennis James Jr., aged 21
15 January 2012 , Corporal Jon Luke Bateman, aged 22
Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery contains the graves of the following people, who fought for the United States of America and who gave their lives in the War in Iraq and/or Operation Iraqi Freedom:
30 October 2004 , Private 1st Class John Lukac, aged 19
7 January 2005 , Specialist Daniel F. Guastaferro, aged 27
15 June 2005 , Corporal Jesse Jaime, aged 22
27 August 2005 , Corporal Joseph Larry Martinez, aged 21
23 April 2006 , Corporal Shawn Thomas Lasswell Jr., aged 21
25 April 2006 , Specialist Raymond Lamar Henry, aged 21
9 August 2006 , Specialist Ignacio Ramirez, aged 22
3 May 2007 , Staff Sergeant Coby G. Schwab, aged 25
30 August 2007 , Specialist Travis M. Virgadamo, aged 19
16 September 2007 , Staff Sergeant Michael Lopez Townes, aged 29
On December 17, 2022, the Southern Nevada State Veterans Cemetery, in Boulder City, Nevada will remember and honor our veterans by laying Remembrance Wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes. Please consider helping them honor and remember as many fallen heroes as possible by sponsoring a wreath, or volunteering. Their goal is to place 35,000 wreaths.
Donate to Wreaths Across America here, and donate specifically to Southern Nevada Veterans Cemetery here.
