For a Fallen Soldier, a Very High Honor

For a Fallen Soldier, a Very High Honor

The holiday weekend in Phoenix is forecast to be a cool one, relatively speaking, so it could be a high-traffic day for a city mountain's first official Memorial Day as Piestewa, rather than Squaw, Peak. The federally recognized name change is a memorial to Army Pfc. Lori Piestewa, the first Native American woman to die in combat while serving in the U.S. military.

Before the switch became official, the prospect stirred up a fight involving a number of thorny issues: the history of the government's treatment of Native Americans , the question of offensive language, and what it means to honor a single soldier above -- 2,608 feet above -- others. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names received thousands of e-mail messages on the matter, reflecting both sadness about the war and conflict over the right way to remember one woman's sacrifice amid a death toll that keeps climbing. Below, a sampling of the memorial sentiment, taken verbatim from those e-mails.

In favor of the name change:

Everyone likes to be first, except in a situation like this. The death of Lori Piestewa was a first for our nation and for Native Americans. Naming the peak after her would do much to show that everyone sacrifices for this conflict. Someday there will be a memorial to the thousands who are giving their lives in Iraq and while using Lori's name may indicate that it is only in her honor, everyone who has ever tasted of combat, everyone that has ever lost a friend will know that it is not.

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The former name was so offensive to so many and now has been replaced with a name of honor. To un-do this would be a travesty and insult to so many. As a Vietnam veteran, I can say from the heart that this young lady was of high character and served with dedication, honor and loyalty to her unit

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I ask you to vote for Piestewa Peak as a tribute to all Women who believed they did the right thing in answering their country's call to serve in the military. Lori Piestewa made the ultimate sacrifice, to not only lose her life but, left her two children Motherless.

In opposition to the name change:

Lori Piestewa was indeed a hero, (I am retired military) but had absolutely no ties to Phoenix and had never even seen the mountain, let alone hiked it . . . Should a name change be made, it should represent ALL the Arizona military who gave their lives in preserving our freedom.

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We did not rename Sky Harbor after Barry Goldwater as many wished, and we should not rename Squaw Peak after Ms Piestawa as many would wish. Both individuals contributed greatly to this country and should be remembered fondly, but there is not enough landscape to devote to all of those who deserve our respectful memories.

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When heroes are given monuments -- and I feel strongly we should honor them -- they are not given whole mountains. Instead we usually provide a memorial monument in a park or city property, or we name a street after them. Here in Phoenix, a 20th century societal hero, Martin Luther King, had a small residential street renamed in his honor. When you make the comparison of the street and the mountain and their namesakes, it just does not compute logically.