The surviving spouses of deceased Purple Heart recipients in Arkansas will be eligible to apply to use the specialty license plates noting the military award, thanks to a new state law.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday signed into law House Bill 1012 by Rep. Jack Ladyman, R-Jonesboro. The bill, now Act 167 of 2019, expands who may apply for specialty plates honoring recipients of the Purple Heart, given to military members wounded in action.
Under current law, only Purple Heart recipients may apply for the tags, which may be renewed by a family member after the recipient dies.
Under Act 167, surviving spouses of Purple Heart recipients may apply for the plates at the outset, including widows like Sharri Briley, whose husband, Donovan Briley, was killed during the Battle of Mogadishu, which was portrayed in the movie Black Hawk Down.
Mark Diggs, the immediate past president of the Arkansas chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, praised the law, saying that, in a sense, it was a national security issue.
"If we don't honor them, why should people keep volunteering and putting their lives on the line if we aren't going to honor them or their family?" Diggs said.
The spouse of a Purple Heart recipient can obtain the specialty license plate by presenting proof of the deceased spouse's Purple Heart and by paying the fee for the tags.
The Purple Heart Medal is awarded in the name of the president to "members of the armed forces of the U.S. who are wounded by an instrument of war at the hands of the enemy and posthumously to the next of kin in the name of those who are killed in action or die of wounds received in action," according to the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
There are about 3,300 Purple Heart license plates in Arkansas, according to the Department of Finance and Administration.
Ladyman recalled that his father received a Purple Heart for his service in World War II; he said that the medal was extremely meaningful to him and his family.
Standing beside Briley, Ladyman said the small change his bill will make was important to families of soldiers killed overseas.
"They gave the ultimate sacrifice for their family, and we need to honor them for that," Ladyman said.
A Section on 03/12/2019