Plates honor fallen soldiers

Gov. Jim Gibbons on Monday will present the state's first Gold Star license plates to the parents of two soldiers killed in action in Iraq.

Roger Varela, a Fernley resident and the founder of the Gold Star Families of Northern Nevada, will receive plate 0001, according to Department of Motor Vehicles Spokesman Tom Jacobs. Varela's son Ray was killed near Baghdad on May 19, 2007, when his vehicle was hit by a bomb.

Sally Wiley, a Gardnerville resident, will receive license plate 0002, Jacobs said. Wiley's son Sean Diamond was killed Feb. 15 near As Salam, Iraq. His vehicle was also struck by an explosive device.

The governor will present Varela and Wiley with the plates at 10 a.m. at the DMV office, 555 Wright Way.

The Gold Star plate, available statewide Monday, was authorized by the State Legislature last session and signed into law by Gibbons in May. They are available to the spouse, parent, stepparent, grandparent, child, stepchild, dependent, sibling, half-sibling or stepsibling of a servicemember killed in the line of duty.

"The memory of those who fought and died for our safety and liberty must be remembered by all freedom-loving Nevadans," Gibbons said in a news release. "I hope family members who display these license plates do so with honor and pride."

The Gold Star license plate does not raise funds for any organization, Jacobs said. The cost for a set is $1, which is the cost to produce the plate. The plate is coded "FV" which stands for "Fallen Veteran."

In order to apply for a plate, the family members must have with them a copy of Department of Defense "Report of Casualty" form DD1300.

If the applicant is not listed on form DD1300 as a family member then proof must be submitted to the DMV in the form of a birth certificate, adoption papers, marriage certificate, or the like. If the applicant cannot provide sufficient proof they can request a written decision from the Nevada Office of Veteran Affairs and present the written decision in lieu of the proof of being a family member.

Gold Star license plates are not available as personalized license plates.

Further details and the application form are available on the DMV's Website, www.dmvnv.com, under the section entitled Military and Veterans License Plates.