Women Veterans of New Mexico

Two of the three women on the second panel died on the same day, March 23, 2003, in two different wars. Tamara Long Archuleta of Los Lunas, the first woman to earn pilot's wings through the University of New Mexico's ROTC program, was co-piloting an HH-60G Pave Hawk sent for two injured Afghan children when it crashed near Ghazni. Lori Piestewa, Hopi, was killed when her convoy was ambushed near Nasiriyah in Iraq, the first Native American woman known to die in combat in U.S. service. Christel Chávez of Albuquerque died in a training crash in Puerto Rico.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Women Veterans of New Mexico New Mexico has a proud history of military service. We are a state of culturally diverse citizens who are willing to defend our freedom and rights. Over 15,000 women in New Mexico have volunteered to serve in our military. These women have taken up arms throughout our history, and New Mexico honors them for their considerable contributions and sacrifice. Official Scenic Historic Marker These three women, who lost their lives in military service, are representative of the region. 1st Lt. Tamara Archuleta United States Air Force Los Lunas, New Mexico Died 23 March 2003 Specialist Lori Piestewa United States Army Tuba City, Arizona Died 23 March 2003 Captain Christel Chávez United States Air Force Albuquerque, New Mexico Died 7 August 2002

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Petroglyph National Monument — 17 mi
  Some 24,000 images pecked into the dark basalt of Albuquerque's West Mesa, protected in 1990 and then crossed by a city boulevard.

More markers nearby

• Bernalillo — 1.9 mi
• Spanish Entrada Site — 3.4 mi
• Las Placitas — 3.4 mi
• Bernalillo — 4.2 mi