Pahrump DAV hosts veterans appreciation barbecue at Ian Deutch Park

Disabled American Veterans Chapter #15 turned Ian Deutch Memorial Park into a low-barrier meeting place for local veterans on Saturday, May 9, serving a free Veterans Appreciation BBQ under the shady pavilion at 1600 E. Honeysuckle St. in Pahrump. The event was designed for more than lunch. It gave veterans, families, supporters and other community members a place to gather, talk and see the chapter’s services in person.

That matters in Nye County, where DAV Chapter #15 says it serves veterans in Pahrump and across the county and aims to reach roughly 6,000 veterans in the area. The chapter also operates transportation from Pahrump to the VA Hospital in North Las Vegas, a practical service that can make the difference for veterans who do not drive, lack reliable transportation or struggle to navigate the system on their own. In-person events like the barbecue also put the chapter’s veteran service officers in front of people who may not otherwise walk into an office.

The barbecue ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and drew a busy buffet line, with burgers and hot dogs built to order and toppings laid out so guests could customize their meals before sitting down together. Raffle prizes added to the turnout and helped turn the afternoon into a social gathering as much as a meal. Veterans attended at no cost. Nonveterans could join for $10, and children 12 and under were admitted for $5.

The setting carried added local weight. The Town of Pahrump describes Ian Deutch Memorial Park as a 20-plus-acre park and the community’s main park for little league and soccer. The site is named for Nye County Sheriff’s Deputy Ian Michael Deutch, who was killed in the line of duty on April 26, 2010, at age 27 after responding to a shooting call in Pahrump. That memorial backdrop fit a gathering built around service, remembrance and visible support for those who served.

The DAV barbecue has been a longstanding Pahrump tradition for many years, with the exception of 2020 when the pandemic shut down nearly every public event. Earlier gatherings were held at the park in 2016, 2017, 2022 and 2024, underscoring how the chapter has used the annual barbecue to keep veterans connected and make its services harder to miss.