Commencement program from University of Nevada, Las Vegas Commencement Programs and Graduation Lists (UA-00115).

In his lifetime, Eleazar Martinez has climbed both literal and figurative mountains as an avid outdoorsman and social justice advocate for Latinx issues. Born in Sweetwater, Texas, Eleazar (Al for short) grew up connected to the land and his family. Al comes from a large family with strong ties in Texas and Mexico. His mother worked the fields and his father was a construction worker who instilled in their children the importance of a strong work ethic and the pursuit of an education. Al shares about growing up during a time when Spanish was banned from schools and children would get punished if they were caught using their home languages. His experiences developed his aspiration to serve his community and fight for people’s rights. After a short stint in the Navy, Al followed his instincts and sought out a college education and majored in sociology. His interest in social issues lead him to serve in a range of roles from psychiatric support, community education outreach, and counseling. At one point, Al even helped mediate tensions between gangs and law enforcement in order to prevent violence from erupting. Since arriving in Las Vegas in 1998, Al has been working alongside diverse communities to build solidarity. Today, he works as a supervisor for the Whitney Recreation Center and leader in Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO). As Al would describe himself, he is “a proud Mexican Latino American, a Tejano with a Chicano attitude”.

Oral history interview with Brandon Snook conducted by Barbara Tabach on March 14, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Colonel Brandon Snook describes his military career as a trauma surgeon and his job at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he has been stationed since 2004. He shares details about Sustained Medical and Readiness Trained (SMART), a program that brings physicians, nurses, and technicians from the around the world to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada (UMC) for intensive medical training. Snook also discusses the night of the October 1, 2017 mass shooting when he and others from Nellis were called in to UMC to treat the injured.