The Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names voted Nov. 18 to name a mountain in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve "Veterans Mountain."

Lanny Brent, 68, a veteran and retired civil service worker, submitted the original proposal earlier this year to name the mountain.

Brant served in the U.S. Air Force from 1958 to 1963 as a personnel specialist and worked for the federal civil service with the Army and Navy for most of his career. He described himself as a "pencil-pusher" and said he wanted the mountain named to show recognition for other veterans, particularly those who served in Vietnam.

"I was in Vietnam as a civilian in '67," Brant said, "They wouldn't even let us out of Saigon, as a matter of fact, but we still saw and heard what was going on. And I saw, in the hospital, how the casualties were treated and so forth.

"These guys really, really suffered. I think any kind of recognition anyone can give for a veteran, they deserve it." 

Phil Hanson, former state representative and board member, spoke against the proposal, saying the money spent on the renaming – rewriting maps, for example – could be better spent to meet veteran's needs in other ways.

"I feel very torn on this. I obviously want to do everything we can do for those individuals who have served our country … but on the other hand I'm not sure that this is the best thing to do under the circumstances," Hanson said.

Hanson ultimately abstained from the vote, along with vice chairman Dale Steele and board member Alyce Sadongei. All other board members voted to rename the mountain.

GladysAnne Wells, director of Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records and a member of the board, praised the efforts by Brant and others to name the mountain. 

"I've served on this board now for nearly 12 years and I don't think I've ever (this) level of bipartisan support for a proposal," Wells said.

Sen. Linda Gray, a Republican who represents Phoenix, asked the board to support the proposal.

"My father served as a paratrooper in World War II and was at the Battle of the Bulge, my husband is a Marine and served in Vietnam and my son served six years in the Navy. So I'm very supportive of all veterans, and I think that this is an opportunity to further honor all veterans, especially with the contention of naming a mountain after one particular veteran," said Gray, apparently referring to Piestewa Peak. "This gives us an opportunity to further honor our veterans."

Phoenix Mountains Preserve is in north-central Phoenix near Paradise Valley and includes Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak.