Nevada Guard set to mark Army birthday, Flag Day on Friday

Everyone is welcome to join the Nevada National Guard onFriday at 10:30 a.m. as it marks both the 245th birthday of U.S. Army andFlag Day with a special guest speaker and the cutting of an Army birthday cake on a Facebook Live broadcast at www.facebook.com/NevadaNationalGuard

Because of the coronavirus and social distancing measures, this event is not open to the public and it will be broadcast. Note that June 14 is officiallyFlay Day and the Army birthday and the Nevada Guard encourages everyone to mark the special day once again on Sunday in a personal manner.  

Retired Army 1st Lt. Andy LePeilbet, a Distinguished Service Crossrecipient, is set to be the guest speaker. The Distinguished Service Crossis the second-highest military award possible behind only the Medal ofHonor. 
LePeilbet also has two Silver Star awards, a Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal and the Army Commendation Medal. His second Silver Star was awarded in January, 50 years after his heroic actions in Vietnam in 1969.Gov. Steve Sisolak presented LePeilbet the award at the Nevada Department ofVeterans Services' Veteran of the Month January ceremony.  LePeilbet, 73, a native of Placerville, Calif., received his second SilverStar for taking out a machine-gun emplacement during a firefight in the PieiTrip Valley. He then survived a napalm drop near his fighting position.
After LePeilbet's speech, Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry and the youngest Soldier or Airmen in the audience will cut the Army birthday cake to mark 245 years since the establishment of the U.S. Army.The Nevada Guard is set to resume its public Flag Day and Army birthday ceremony at the Capitol in 2021 if social distancing measures are eased in the upcoming year.