Gold Star families to get Maryland license plates

Effort was headed by family of fallen south county soldier

By E.B. FURGURSON III, Staff Writer

Published 12/19/07

It is small consolation compared with the sacrifice, but a comforting gesture nonetheless.

Mark Odell - For The Capital Govenor Martin O'Malley unveils a license plate to honor Gold Star families who have lost someone in war. From left, Gary and Kelly Swanson, parents of Staff Sgt. Christopher Swanson, who was killed in July 2006, were instrumental in this Gold Star effort.

Gov. Martin O'Malley yesterday unveiled a special license plate honoring Maryland servicemen who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and the families who mourn them.

Families of military men and women who serve in the nation's wars are given a blue star banner to designate they have a loved one in harm's way. If that loved one is killed, they become Gold Star families.

Maryland license plates abound for all sorts of military designations, Disabled Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Purple Heart winners. But until yesterday, there were no...

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License Plates - 2008-01-01 01:30:06

Andrew K.'s comment is close to vitriol. There is nothing wrong with honoring those who served our country unquestioningly, and died in the process. License plates are just another way to remember those of our finest, volunteers all, who died in Iraq.

What we really need to do is ask about how the Iraq war justification was based on selective intelligence and outright lies about WMDs, while meanwhile the administration let Bin Laden escape in Afghanistan so it could pursue it's pipe dream in Iraq. Iraq is a 'nation' (hardly so) that was put together by the British in the 1920's with total disregard for the fact that the three main groups have hated each other for over a thousand years. Saddam, mad as he was, was all that kept it together. The neo-cons, and an inexperienced President with no foreign policy experience and a 'C' grade average despite Daddy's $$$ got us into this mess. Forget about Iraq. Now it is not only Iraq, but nuclear armed Pakistan, as well as Afghanistan that are suffering more and more bombings. And to think that perhaps 10,000 of those 150,000 troops now in Iraq could have knocked off Bin Laden wwhen he was trapped in the Tora Bora Mountains, but for Iraq, make Iraq an even worse foreign policy blunder then Vietnam.

Why do we have to keep learning over and over related lessons?

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Stephen Kay - Severna Park, MD - Karma: Bad

Not about the plate - 2007-12-21 13:21:26

These families have been honored in more ways than just a license plate. This is just one step in a line of things that have been, will and should be done to honor the families who pay the ultimate sacrifice. Remember that this plate was sparked by one of those families, and even if you can't understand for yourself, it means a lot to them. Maybe when you see a car with one of these plates on it, you'll drive a little nicer or perhaps even stop to thank those that are in it.

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Angela Poore - Columbia, SC - Karma: Bad

Honor the Families - 2007-12-20 11:12:27

I think this is long overdue. The families of those who make the ultimate sacrifice should also never be forgotten.

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Angelia F. - Rose Haven, MD - Karma: Bad

License Plates - 2007-12-19 15:43:32

On a license plate? That seems pretty tacky. I would hope that there was a more respectable way to honor these people than a vanity plate. But I guess this is all the Governor's office could come up with. Another job well done, guys!

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Andrew K. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad