Piestewa Fallen Heroes Ride honors Gold Star families across Navajo Nation
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Priscilla Piestewa, mother of the late Lori Piestewa, and Brandon Piestewa, Lori’s son, are greeted by participants of the annual Lori Piestewa Navajo Hopi Honor Run on June 5.
NAVAJO NATION
Engines echoed through canyons and across desert highways as riders with the Navajo Hopi Honor Riders carried out the 22nd Annual Piestewa Fallen Heroes bike run. Over four days, the riders visited Gold Star families across the Navajo Nation, honoring fallen Native American service members and offering continued support to their relatives.
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Members of the annual Lori Piestewa Navajo Hopi Honor Run ride toward Birdsprings Chapter House on June 5, continuing their journey to honor fallen Native service members.
Bobby Martin co-founded the ride in memory of his cousin’s sister, U.S. Army Spc. Lori Ann Piestewa, the first Native American woman killed in combat. Since it began in 2003, the ride has grown into an annual act of remembrance that unites veterans, families, and riders in a solemn tribute to Indigenous soldiers who gave their lives in service to the United States.
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
The identification tag and service medals of the late Army Sgt. Clifton J. Yazzie are displayed in tribute. Yazzie was killed in action on Jan. 20, 2006, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“This year’s mission was remembering their names, remember their memories, and speak their names,” Martin said. “Meaning don’t let them be forgotten. That’s pretty much what I think of on every ride, making sure riders let the families know they are not alone.”
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Members of the annual Lori Piestewa Navajo Hopi Honor Run pay their respects at the Piestewa family home near the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff on June 5.
Among the riders this year was Joseph Hudson, a former U.S. Army sergeant who served with Piestewa in the 507th Maintenance Company. Like her, Hudson was captured during the ambush at Nasiriyah, Iraq, on March 23, 2003. After completing a month-long cross-country journey that included the Run for the Wall, he joined the Honor Riders in Gallup.
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
A military veteran salutes during a tribute ceremony held at Birdsprings Chapter House in Birdsprings, Arizona, on June 5.
“It’s been a tough 22 years,” Hudson said. “You have to balance where you move forward and where you remember. And when you continue to surround yourself with people who still give a damn, you push forward a lot more.”
Hudson spoke about the difficulties younger veterans face when transitioning back to civilian life.
To read the full article, please see the June 12, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.
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