ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-seventh Legislature

First Regular Session

House: TI DP 7-0-0-0

☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note

HCM2006: Jimmie Preston; memorial bridge

Sponsor: Representative Peshlakai, LD 6

Caucus & COW

Overview

Urges the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names (ASBGHN) and the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) to take appropriate steps to name the truss bridge in Cameron, Arizona, near the United States Route 89 Cameron Roadway as the Jimmie Preston Memorial Bridge.

History

Jimmie Preston was born in Tuba City, Arizona in 1922, served as a "Navajo Code Talker" and paratrooper with the 5th Marine Division during World War II. The military code developed by the United States for transmitting messages had been deciphered by the Japanese, so the Navajo Marine Corps radio operators, who became known as the "Navajo Code Talkers", developed code using their native language to communicate military messages and created a dictionary and numerous words for military terms that did not exist in Navajo.

It is declared the public policy of this state that natural or artificial objects, places or things continue to be known by the names they now bear, as determined by ASBGHN, so that the historical record of the state may be protected and preserved (A.R.S. § 41-835).

BGN is a federal body created in 1890 and established in its present form by Public Law in 1947 to maintain uniform geographic name usage throughout the Federal Government.

The United States Route 89 Cameron Roadway bridge is located in Cameron, Arizona, next to the Cameron Old Bridge, a suspension bridge built in 1911. The Cameron Old Bridge was used as a part of United States Route 89 until the new bridge was constructed.

Provisions

1.   Urges ASBGHN and BGN to take appropriate steps to name the truss bridge in Cameron, Arizona, near the United States Route 89 Cameron Roadway as the Jimmie Preston Memorial Bridge and that the Arizona Department of Transportation approve, place and maintain appropriate signage to identify the Jimmie Preston Memorial Bridge.

2.   Urges the Arizona Secretary of State to transmit copies of this Memorial to the Chairpersons of ASBGHN and BGN, the Director of ADOT and the President of the Navajo Nation.

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6.                     HCM 2006

7.   Initials LM/KL    Page 0 Caucus & COW

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