Posted on 12/13/2010 8:49:14 PM PST by Saoirise
Six years ago, on Dec. 14, Camp Pendleton Marine Cpl. Mike Anderson Jr. lost his life during house-to-house combat in the city of Fallujah, a seminal battle in the Iraq war.
Last week, his father became the first person in California to be issued a "Gold Star" license plate in recognition of his family's loss.
For the senior Anderson, the presentation Thursday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger capped a five-year-long effort to get California to join 45 other states that have made the plates available to families of troops killed in action.
"It's an acknowledgment of the sacrifice of families left behind when our children volunteer to go abroad and fight this global war on terrorism," Anderson said Monday. "Not all of them come home, and this is something that will remind Californians that freedom is not free."
Established shortly after World War I, the Gold Star symbolizes that a family has had an immediate family member killed in combat.
California's law, adopted in 2008, says troops must be killed in the line of duty "during wartime or military operations"; it includes terrorist attacks.
The Gold Star plate features a star on a blue background surrounded by a wreath of white stars. The words "Gold Star Family" are imprinted in gold and the plate's right corner has an image of a folded American flag, such as those presented to next of kin at military funerals. In the two years since the legislation was passed, Anderson has helped raise $300,000 in private donations required by the law to cover the cost of setting up the program. The state Department of Veterans Affairs served as the collection point for the donations.
The state's broke, and we didn't want it to face any fiscal impact, so the families were tasked with the fundraising efforts,"
(Excerpt) Read more at nctimes.com ...
Prayers up for you Mr Anderson as you have a very sad anniversary tomorrow. Mike Jr. was a member of 3/5 Kilo Co.
I remember walking to an from school in the early 40's in Kansas City, MO and passing several houses with a Gold Star banner hung in a window.
Toward the end of the war in 1945....there were many more.
Never Forget - Never!
Prayers that I never need such a license plate ~ but I’m glad that they are available.
Marine Ping!
Prayers up.
Mike Jr. is my Business Partners nephew. It was a bad day at the office when we got the news. Mike Sr. sent us videos he got from Jr. during his tour, including some footage from Fallujah.
Book mark...
Semper Fi.
God bless his soul, his sacrifice, and his family.
He was one of our Marines.
Prayers for the family.
I'm going to show this thread to Tom in the morning. He's not a Freeper, but he could be.
I hope he knows that his son's ultimate sacrifice has not gone unappreciated by those of us that value our freedom...
...for freedom is never free
Thank you Mike Jr. and Bless you...
Pray for 3/5. They have really been taking a lot of casualties during the past two months. I can only imagine what kind of beating they must be laying on the Taliban cockroaches.
I’ve had a few conversations with Mike Sr. at some of our local Support Our Troops rallies.
Mike Sr made a trip to Iraq with Move America Forward a few years ago.
Yes, they have Lancey. Our prayers are with our warriors and their families.
And may the Lord bless the Anderson family and comfort them in their times of grief. You never stop mourning the loss of a child. Cpl. Mike Anderson Jr. was in his actions, deeds and death, Semper Fi.
“’Darkhorse’ Marines Fighting it out in Afghanistan ~ PRAY”
Ping
It’s nice to see the Gold Star California license plate issued. They are effective reminders of the ultimate price of freedom.
Prayers for the family and friends and the 3/5.
BTTT
Prayers for this great warrior and his family.
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