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SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2003

Ed. Note: Indianz.Com can be reached at indianz@indianz.com -- your e-mails will be sent to the Piestewa family. Letters to the Piestewa family can also be mailed, care of, to the Tuba City Unified School District, P.O. Box 67, Tuba City, AZ 86045.

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Soldiers and Friends
Please accept my condolences with Lori's passing. I wrote a poem about both Lori and her friend Jessica and I hope it conveys my respect for Lori, your family, and her friendship.

Sincerely, Jennifer Whent

Soldiers and Friends
One dead, one alive, both forever free,
Two women who've served us overseas.
Both are beloved, both soldiers true,
Both with hearts red, white, and blue.

Lori was Hopi, born last of four,
Mascot, softball star, and much, much, more.
Catholic, Commander of ROTC,
Daughter, sister, single mother, and free.

She left her children and those she held dear.
She righted her shoulders, she swallowed her fear.
She marched to her fate, her head held high.
She fought like a soldier and hence she died.

What more, than her life, can a soldier give?
She died as a soldier as she chose to live.
With strength, and dignity, and bravery too.
She gave her all for red, white, and blue.

Jessica and Lori had become fast friends,
Fated to come to different ends.
Their origins were similar, of humble means.
This strengthened their ties, their bond was keen.

Jessica, was nineteen, a beauty bright,
For a chance to teach she was willing to fight.
And fight she did to the bitter end,
Her courage laid bare, her friends to defend.

To die with them was not fated that day,
In her foe's keep she was swept away.
Her body was broken, bloodied, and torn,
But her courageous heart was American born.

Her strength to remain upon this earth,
Was miraculous, stupendous, a second birth.
Our hearts soared high, upon her return.
From her fierce tenacity we all could learn.

Never Forgotten
I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family of Lori. I had been praying for her daily, hoping that she would be found alive. I watched the news coverage closely for any information on her fate. My daughter woke me up yesterday to tell me that Lori had been confirmed dead. Needless to say I was very saddened. I immediately said a prayer for Lori's spirit and her family. I will continue to pray for her children, parents, and other family members. Lori will not be forgotten, to all Native Americans she is our HERO.

To her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Piestewa, I would like to say my heart goes out to you, I have shed tears for you and her children. My thoughts and prayers are with you and I will continue to pray for you in the future.

In the Spirit World
May the creator place a comforting hand upon your shoulders and give you the strength and courage you need at this time.

I send my deepest sympathy and condolences to Lori's family, she was a very brave lady. She is in the Spirit world now and will be happy and at peace but she will always be close to her family, a bond of love can never ever be broken whether we are in this world or the next.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Lori and her family and all the families of the American and British troops.

Christine Hewitt,
Burnley, England

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