Draper Republican Rep. LaVar Christensen is sponsoring a resolution encouraging Congress to rename Hill Air Force Base after the former president.

Christensen argues Utah's largest military installation and the beloved Republican president are intrinsically linked in bringing about the end of the Cold War with "peace through strength."

Congress named Hill Air Force Base after an Air Corps pilot, Maj. Ployer Peter Hill, who died in an experimental airplane crash in Ohio.

In a nod to more than 60 years of history, HJR13 encourages federal lawmakers to link the two names.

"Congress has given us names and they don't always have a local connection. And we have no tribute to Ronald Reagan," said Christensen.

Christensen wrote and researched the resolution himself. For example, when Reagan was elected in 1980, Christensen found Hill had the busiest single runway in the country, with more than 145,000 takeoffs and landings. "There's just a natural connection between the legacy of Ronald Reagan and the legacy of Hill Air Force Base," he said.

Clearfield Interim City Manager Kay Chandler likes the proposal. "I'm a very devout Republican. Reagan would be fine with me," he said. Chandler figures Utahns and Air Force personnel still would use the shorthand "Hill."

Christensen has hired prominent Republican strategist Eddie Mahe and organized an exploratory committee, and he is expected to challenge three-term Democratic Congressman Jim Matheson for his seat representing Utah's 2nd Congressional District. He insists his resolution is not a ploy to capture residual Reagan love for his campaign.

"This has been in the works for many months," Christensen said Monday.