Voice of the Veteran & Bella Vita Restaurant
Hosted Nevada National Guard Returning from Deployment
By Bob Maxwell
Voice of the Veteran and the Bella Vita Restaurant hosted a Welcome Back Home from Deployment Celebration for Nevada’s Army National Guard. This event was held at the Bella Vita restaurant in Henderson and is the first “Welcome Back from Deployment” celebration Voice of the Veteran and veteran leaders conducted to honor our returning heroes in the Nevada National Guard.
Voice of the Veteran Chairman Peter Palivos and the Nevada National Guard leadership met and discussed how Voice of the Veteran and other veteran organizations could honor and thank our state’s National Guard Soldiers with a welcome home celebration.
All 100 members of the Nevada National Guard Tank Division, who deployed and returned this year, were invited. Approximately 60 soldiers, officers, veteran leaders and their partners attended.
Chairman Palivos stated “This is was a much needed and overdue event for our great soldiers from Nevada, who have sacrificed so much to keep America safe. We owe our nation’s strength and all of our freedoms to our Veterans, Active Duty, and National Guard Heroes. We are all united in supporting our heroes”.
The event included lunch and entertainment by Neil Diamond endorsed tribute artist Jay White who is the father of a retired Marine Veteran. Speakers at the event included Major General Ondra L. Berry, Congresswoman Shelly Berkley, and Henderson Mayor Debra March, all of whom were greatly received and applauded by the attendees.
Major General Ondra L. Berry gave a speech that captivated and energized everyone in attendance including the restaurant staff. When he finished his speech, he received a thunderous standing ovation.
Chairman Palivos presented Major General Berry with a Las Vegas Raiders jersey autographed by Raiders Quarterback Derek Carr as a thank you for his outstanding leadership.
Autographed footballs by the Raiders Team were presented to Staff Sargent Adam Preston and Specialist Jorge Garcia for their outstanding work as soldiers of the National Guard. There was also a drawing for an autographed Raiders helmet signed by Max Crosby.
Also participating in the event were veteran leaders Dick Moyer, Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Las Vegas, Dan Peterson, Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Henderson, Len Yelenik, Commander of the State of Nevada Military Order of the Purple Heart, Andre’ Haynes, Commander of the Armed Forces Chamber of Commerce, Paul Masto, retired Secret Service Agent and husband of U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, the Las Vegas Raiders, and Bella Vita’s owners Sergio and Alexandra Montegrande.
