New NC License Plate to Honor National Guardsmen, National Motto
by Mark Grady
October 17, 2005
(AgapePress) - Thanks to efforts by two members of the North Carolina General Assembly, numerous supporters, and the Christian Action League of North Carolina, Inc. (CAL), drivers in the state will soon be seeing license plates that display "In God We Trust" on the tag as well as the familiar yellow ribbon saying, "Support Our Troops."Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of CAL, turned in the application and payment on October 12 agreeing to purchase the 300th "In God We Trust/Support Our Troops" license plate, securing the number necessary for the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles to begin producing the plate.
"I'm honored to be the one, on behalf of the Christian Action League, to make the official purchase of the 300th license plate, insuring we will soon see this message on North Carolina cars," Rev. Creech said. "Not only will this license plate display our national motto, 'In God We Trust,' but it will also mean financial support for families of North Carolina National Guard members who are serving to protect our freedom overseas."
The Christian Action League assisted in encouraging others to apply for the new license plates to make sure the requirement for 300 applications was met.
Bob Suber, who served as a full-time National Guard member until his retirement in 2004, now oversees the North Carolina National Guard Soldiers and Airmen Assistance Fund and says families of deployed members of the Guard will benefit from the new license plates.
"The fund started during the first Gulf War in 1991, when the state chaplain at that time, Col. Aubrey McLellan, saw a need for deployed soldiers and airmen," Suber said in a recent interview for the CAL website. "Their families were suffering, so he started this as a grassroots thing and it's now grown to where we're now a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization."
Col. McLellan, of High Point, NC, served for over 40 years in the National Guard. Prior to retiring at the end of the first Gulf War, he created what was then called the "Chaplain's Fund." This was the beginning of the fund the new license plates will now support.
According to Suber, virtually every dime raised for the North Carolina National Guard Soldiers and Airmen Assistance Fund goes to take care of the needs of families of soldiers and airmen serving in the Guard. Since Suber's salary does not come from the fund, the only administrative costs are minor, such as postage, he said. "Over 99 percent of the money goes to help these families," Suber said.
The cost of the new plates will be the same as any other specialty plates, $50.00. Of that amount, $20.00 will go directly to the guard assistance fund.
The force behind the new license plates came from a former NC legislator, Representative Connie Wilson (R-Mecklenburg), who introduced legislation to create the plate. While Wilson introduced the bill in the House, State Senator Scott Thomas (D-Carteret) also introduced a bill in the NC Senate that was ratified.
Thomas said he was glad to hear the 300th application and payment for the new specialty plate had been received. "I was very pleased to hear that good news," he said. "I was also pleased to hear it was my friend, Reverend Creech, who put in the order for the 300th plate that put us over the top."
Sen. Thomas said this new specialty license plate has an important contribution to the state. "I think this plate is important for three reasons. First, it will raise money for our National Guard troops and their families," Sen. Thomas said. "It will also show support for our military and it will also acknowledge our national motto, 'In God We Trust.'"
Sen. Thomas says he believes the plate is a very good way to support the troops by helping their families. "Many of the Guardsmen have been activated and deployed, and their families are suffering financial hardships," he said. "This special fund helps these families in these circumstances."
While the entire country hears news of references to God in a public forum being challenged, Senator Thomas says he believes the new plate is not a controversial issue. "'In God We Trust' is our national motto, passed and adopted by Congress many years ago," Sen. Thomas said. "I don't foresee any problems with it at all. Nobody is mandated to have this license plate. It's optional and they can choose to have it if they want to."
Suber agrees with Thomas on the issue of the plate surrounding any controversy. "I've talked to literally hundreds of people about this plate, and I have not heard one negative comment," Suber said.
Creech said he is encouraging all Christian Action League supporters to consider purchasing the new license plate. "This new specialty plate is a wonderful way to show encouragement and to give aid to the most important part of a National Guard member's life - his or her family," Creech said. "It's also a great way to show how important our Christian heritage is to our nation."
Mark Grady is a freelance writer, pilot instructor, and formerly "Eye in the Sky, Mark Grady" traffic watch reporter for WRAL TV 5 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Interested vehicle owners in North Carolina can order the new specialty license plate directly from the Internet.
