Portion of highway to be named for soldier

Jackson, who died 42 years ago, was born on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation. He died 42 years ago. On Friday, his name will go up on State Route 447 east of Reno between Wadsworth and Nixon.

"This guy was one hell of a soldier; he was one of our own," said James Inman, commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9211, who championed the cause to put up Jackson's name on the highway.

The Pyramid Lake Tribal Council has declared the route Arthur Jackson Highway. Last week, the state Transportation Board, at Inman's prodding, followed suit.

In May, Gov. Kenny Guinn issued a proclamation honoring Jackson for his battlefield heroics as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division: the Distinguished Service Cross, five Purple Hearts, seven Bronze Stars, the Silver Star, the Soldier's Medal and the European Croix de Guerra.

After the war, Jackson returned to the Reno area and worked for Harolds Club and as a handyman. In June 1957, at age 33, he fell while building a shed for his Paiute mother at her Sparks home and died.

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