On Friday, Sept. 24, 2010, 24 private jets landed at the Coeur d'Alene Airport, now recognizing U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Col. Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, USMC.

At the same time on Sept. 24, 2010, Interstate Concrete and ACI were constructing a new frontage road east of Boyington Field. The future equivalent of Government Way on the west side of U.S. 95, the road will extend for 1 mile in the city of Hayden and 11 miles within the county eventually linking Wyoming Avenue with Bruner Road, connecting Boyington Field with Silverwood.

Two thousand, five hundred miles away, at the exact same time on Sept. 24, 2010, another fallen Idaho WWII veteran and U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor recipient was laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery

1st Lt. Vernon J. Baker, U.S. Army, was one of only seven African-Americans to be awarded the Medal of Honor for service in WWII; 52 years late. Of those, he was the only one to receive the medal in person; the others were awarded the medal posthumously. Lt. Baker, from St. Maries, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic acts in April 1945 in Viareggio, Italy.

We support the veterans here in Hayden and throughout North Idaho in honoring Vernon Baker by naming the county's new gateway to Pappy Boyington Field, Vernon J. Baker Boulevard. Baker Boulevard is the continuation of an existing Hayden subdivision road. Do we have to maintain the existing street name for 11 miles through city and county? Not if the citizens of Hayden and the county don't want to. Names can change, i.e. Ramsey Road becomes Northwest Boulevard, Kathleen Avenue becomes Lundsford Lane.

What a privilege we have to honor our local WWII heros. Please let the Hayden City Council and Kootenai County Commissioners know we would love to see Vernon J. Baker so remembered and recognized.

ALAN J. GOLUB

Hayden