USO Lounge at Las Vegas Airport
by Chuck N. Baker
by Chuck N. Baker
Entertainer Wayne Newton and numerous politicians, U.S. troops and guests attended a “wall breaking” at McCarran Airport that officially began construction work on the rooms designated as a USO area. For many years soldiers passing through the airport have had to sleep on floors and upright chairs while waiting for their flights to depart. It took the work of Sen. Harry Reid, D-NV, and others to obtain funding to begin work on what will be a USO lounge. SInce the lounge is inside the airport, a traditional ground breaking was not possible, but instead sledge hammers were used to break into a plaster wall. Reid said “Having this lounge at McCarran will ensure our nation’s most honored members no longer have to sleep on terminal benches and chairs. Building this center is the least we can do to repay them for all that they do to protect our freedom.”