When they die, their surviving spouses are not allowed to renew the special plates. Leticia Schmidt had to replace the Purple Heart recognitions with the standard-issue plates.
But a bill introduced last month in the Ohio House would change the rules and allow Schmidt to keep her husband’s plates.
Rep. Gerald Stebelton, R-Lancaster, is the co-sponsor of H.B. 177, which would allow veterans’ surviving spouses to keep or obtain certain military plates from the BMV until they either remarry or die.
“It’s unfair for someone to have to return one of these specialized license plates they shared with their husband or wife after the award recipient passes, particularly while they are mourning the loss of their spouse,” Stebelton said.
Rep. Anne Gonzales, R-Westerville, the other sponsor, said she helped craft the legislation after she was contacted by a distraught constituent, who was crushed when she had to give up military plates that belonged to her husband.
“As you can imagine, it was very emotional for her,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales said military plates have a sentimental value to some surviving spouses, and she thinks it is too much to ask them to relinquish the mementos.
“It’s almost as if they are going through a second loss,” Gonzales said. “They already lost someone special, and then they are losing a little bit more now.”
In 2010, Ohio issued 6,879 Purple Heart, 1,690 Bronze Star, 72 Silver Star and two Congressional Medal of Honor license plates, said Lindsey Bohrer, Ohio Department of Public Safety spokeswoman.
Leticia Schmidt said her husband’s Purple Heart plates were a big source of pride for him for 20 years, up until his death in 2005. Leland Schmidt was injured by shrapnel in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, and he remained a patriotic man into old age. He saluted the flag outside of his home everyday.
“He loved this country,” Leticia Schmidt said. “I still buy the Purple Heart stamps from the Post Office.”
After his death, Leticia Schmidt said the license plates were a pleasant reminder of Leland Schmidt and she liked when people asked about them.
Leticia Schmidt said she displays the Purple Heart plates in her car’s rear window, but it is not the same. Few people see them, and no one asks about them.
She hopes the law changes so she can change her plates.
“People would see the Purple Hearts on the car, and come up to me and congratulate me,” she said. “Nobody notices them now.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-0749 or cfrolik@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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