I know I am probably going to get flamed for this, but here it goes.  Here in Texas one can get a license plate declaring that you are a recipient of a Purple Heart.  Who cares?  Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing but respect for our fellow Americans that have served or are serving in the armed services.  My point is, why would you want to advertise this?  I would venture to say that the vast majority of recipients were awarded their hearts for something they did when faced with a situation.  True, some have have the intestinal fortitude and some don't.  The point is they were "presented" with a situation in which they acted.  I would hope that very few soldiers go into a situation thinking "hey I could get a Purple Heart out of this."  I respect and thank all current and former enlisted people for their service.  Am I supposed to have any more or less respect for someone that has a Purple Heart license plate?  

my father was a purple heart recipient and he called it an "enemy marksmanship medal".  seriously though, i think anyone wounded in service to his country deserves at least a medal.

I don't know...
I kinda like the idea.  I see several "Disabled Veteran"-type license plates here in Colorado every day.  I look at it as a kind of mobile reminder that freedom has a cost.

Just my opinion, though.

Edit: Bad grammar.  Bad, bad. [:)]

 You can get those plates here in Oklahoma too.  I believe that modesty is a virtue...it really torques my nuts when I see Desert Storm Veteran and Purple Heart plates.  I don't care if anyone knows that I served in Desert Storm, millions did, and if I am ever unfortunate enough to win the Purple Heart, I may take some quiet pride in the sacrifice but why do I need to tell everyone?  Just my two cents.

They have them here in Virginia too. As well as several other decoration plates, including the Medal of Honor....

Scott

I have to agree with yankee1911. When I'm out driving around Wyoming and Colorado, I see those plates as well as POW plates. The thought that comes to my mind is the price that these men have paid for my freedom. Not a bad thing to be reminded of from time to time.

The vets desevre em.

How bout a skull and crossbones plate for our vets who have exhibited superior marksmanship by shooting the enemy?  [X]

After all, aces get to paint enemy flags on their planes!

My grandfather vehmently denied ever having been wounded in combat. He served 34 years in the US Army (with 4 years out for Hudson High), spanning the end of WWII into the the 80's. He was in Korea during the very nasty TF Smith days. None of his photos showed anything except the generic "I was there" ribbons.

When I was getting out of active duty to go to college, he let me look through his decade old outprocessing paperwork because he was joking around about it. I saw his DD 214, and it noted under awards "PURPLE HEART MEDAL W/ 2 OLC."

I asked him about that. His answers were that he never wanted to worry my grandmother and he was ashamed that he got a medal and others never came home or were permanently disabled(ignoring his own bad back, knees and lack of hearing in one ear). I was humbled, and it made my two rows of "I was there" ribbons seem damned cheap. I don't think they make men like we had in that generation any more.

I guess the ostentatious display of awards has always seemed to be a little off since then.

Okay, I never said anything about these vets not deserving a medal or even a license plate for that matter.  In fact, I like the Vietnam Vet license plates.  

I haven't seen any Desert Storm plates here in Texas.  To me that is stupid.  There was no draft.  Hey, if you signed up and then got called to Desert Storm, then you were simply doing what you knew might would happen when you signed up.  Give me a break.  Do I respect and thank Desert Storm Vets? .. you bet..., but there is a big difference between that and being drafted for the Vietnam War.

I guess I am just failing to see what would compel someone to go out and get a Purple Heart license plate to proclaim to the world "hey look at me, I'm a Purple Heart recipient".  Hey,
your comrades know, your friends and family know, God knows.  

To me the ultimate license plate would be to have a name assigned on your plate of a fallen soldier and the war he died in.  He or she paid the ultimate price.

With a lot of sneaking around, and the help of my mom, I took my dad's insurance papers and registration, went to the insurance company and the registry, and made about a hundred phone calls. Without his knowing it, he ended up with Bronze Star license plates on his car. He got the Star in Normandy in WWII.

He is damn proud of the Star and plates, and I am DAMN proud of him.

Sublime, Have you ever served in the armed forces?  Many that do always have a mind set of being a Veteran.  You may be a civilian now, but your were a soldier once.  This is a way for them to show that this is what they have done for their Country (served I mean).  They say the only greater sacrifice is death.  I like each and every plate I see that bears the Purple Heart badge.  

Edited to say many Veterans, especially Combat Veterans just have a different mind set than ones who never served.  This is not meant to be a flame, please don't take it that way.

These men, and many more like them, deserve much more than a special plate on their car. I work in Texas and the majority of these plates I see are on the cars of WWII and Korea age vets. I don't give a damn what war, or conflict, or police action, or international "meals on wheels" action that you were involved in, if you showed up and gave it your all the people of this country owe you a debt of gratitude.

i kinda like the plates.  

I also like the plates too!!! but just wish they{regular plates} we're not so goddamn expensive.[}:D]

Did seeing that plate give you a moment's pause in your hectic day to reflect for even just a few seconds that there are MANY people living among us who laid their life on the line for your freedom, and many still who didn't come back alive?

Did you become more consciously aware, even for just a fleeting moment, that freedom is not free?

Did it take you out of your "here-and-now" mentality and allow you to think for just a second that you are so incredibly blessed to be living in a nation filled with people like that, rather than living in Paraguay, China, Sudan or France?

If so, then it did all that it was intended to do.

i like them. it makes me think of the sacrifices that were made for my freedom.  i am not a vet. when i see those plates it makes me think about what that person may have gone through to defend this country.  i say shame on you for criticising (sp?) their choice of displaying their own pride of service.

I still like those plates,but have a question,does a recipient's children and grand children get in any college for free,just for being a child or GC. As told to my son in freshman civics class today by his teacher.[:O]

...never get a ticket again.
A SMALL reward, but earned.

In Oregon, you can get "Vietnam Veteran" plates. They cost extra, and the money goes to the Veterans "Retirement Home" to help support it. 100% service connected combat veterans are also entitled to 1 set of free "Disabled Veteran" license plates for life.
I have the Vietnam Veteran plates on my pick-up, and the disabled plates on my Corvette.....
I don't know if the"Purple Heart" plates are issued by the state to those that received it, or if the money generated by the sale of the plate goes to support veterans. Most states have plates like our "Vietnam Veteran" plate where the extra money goes to support veterans. Perhaps you may want to look into it.....

Well, I can see the vast majority of you can't read or chose not to read all my comments.  I  never once said I didn't respect and thank these folks.

Let's take this angle.  Where were these license plates 20, 30, 50 years ago?  That's right, they didn't exist.  Did people not know about the sacrifices people made back then?  Of course they knew.  Could it be that today's culture/society is more about me, me, me vs. country?  

Should PH recipients be proud?  Hell yeah.  Would I have a problem displaying a bumper sticker saluting PH recipients on my car?  No.  

Well well ..nice to know what every body thinks about guys who actually were in combat and actually got wounded daring to have Purple Heart plates
Why bother to give out the medals in the first place or wear them on your uniform...
I got two of them...one in an ambush another for going out after one of my wounded grunts..
A couple of my bros got three and four...only after serving more than three years in combat..one of my bros..George served 5  combat tours in VietNam
was wounded six times...mostly while flying in to rescue wounded or pinned down grunts..George lost an ear, has facial paralysis and some serious scars and damage...another friend Timmy had his leg blown off ...I know lots of amputees ...guess they should take their plates off to eh?
I gotta tell him about how he is just bragging having his purple heart plates
maybe he should take off his silver star from his DAV jacket too...
I love listening to all you non-combat non-hackers spout their "what I would do or woulda done if........"
I can assure you I will be buying my next plates...and they will be Purple Heart plates...
The State of Florida, God Bless Her, used to give Purple Heart plates, to PH winners...
We got wounded many times not because we "failed to keep our asses down" those who keep their asses down when its time to get up or get someone whose been wounded...I dont have much respect for...
We got wounded because thats what happens sometimes to those who actually fight..
But then what would you know about that anyway....

I am humbled each time I see a veterans Purple Heart plate. I think of our soldiers and the  sacrifices they made/make even though many volunteered to serve. I think of them every time I go by an American Flag or hear the Star Spangled Banner being played also.  God Bless you all.


If states can sell  "For the children type plates " which only a turd would put on their car, why not Purple Hearts Plates?

It doesn't impress me that people love their children and care about their welfare. It certainly is not so unique a trait that it should be honored by stamping some parental, "I support children" bla blah dufuss saying into a tag.  

Arkansas has Purple Heart plates as well and if I'm not mistaken the state gives them to Purple Heart recpients for free...a way of saying, "Thank You."