Piestewa memorial honors all fallen military

Posted by Shine Salt | Mar 26, 2015 | People |

From left to right, Former POW’s Shoshana Johnson, Joseph Hudson and Edgar Hernandez received blankets from Lori Piestewa’s family and thanked the people for their support. (Special to the Times – Shine Salt)

PHOENIX

A table set for five was placed in front of the fallen soldier’s family – the Gold Star family. The table would be kept empty throughout the night in remembrance of the fallen soldiers representing each service: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.

At the 12th annual Lori Piestewa Memorial for Our Fallen Heroes and Families reception dinner on Sunday, a display of Arizonan soldiers was set to the side. Pictures of these fallen heroes with their names, ages and a brief description of their passing: Roadside bomb, ambush or combat in Afghanistan or Iraq.

An American flag sticky note was left next to a photo of 19-year-old Marine Lance Cpl. Kevin P. Joyce from Ganado, stating “I really miss you and you are always in my heart.”

Another sticky note for Marine Staff Sgt. Jonathan D. Davis, 34, from Kayenta read, “Although I first met you on your final ride home from Flagstaff airport to Kayenta, I am honored to have you in my heart.”

When a young child tells his or her mother he or she is enlisting in the military, a mother can disagree, but they cannot choose what their children want to do. Lori Deysie-Gonzales’ son enlisted at age 17, but they made a deal: he would not sign for infantry.

Army Pfc. Ara T. Deysie signed for the 101st Airborne and two months later, he was killed in action in Afghanistan when a rocket-propelled grenade hit.
Ara’s mother remembers vividly the last time her son came home before being deployed. He was standing between the kitchen and dining room when he told her, “Mom if it’s going to be a big fight, I’ll be buried in Arlington.”