HARRISBURG – Legislation that would establish a specialty license plate for veterans who earned the Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) was unanimously approved by the Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday morning, according to Committee Chairman John Rafferty (R-44).
At the request of a Berks County veteran, Senator David G. Argall (R-29) introduced Senate Bill 1187 to allow individuals earning the CIB during their tour of duty to display their achievement on their Pennsylvania license plate.
“We owe these brave individuals who served and continue to serve on the frontlines defending our nation a huge debt of gratitude,” Argall said. “While this specialty license plate is a small token of our appreciation, it lets Pennsylvania’s servicemen and women know that we truly appreciate their courageous achievements.”
The CIB was approved in 1943 by the Secretary of War. It is awarded to a U.S. Army Infantry Soldier who served in a Combat Zone for more than 30 days or fought in a ground action with enemy soldiers.
“Senate Bill 1187 meets our continued mission of honoring our heroes,” Rafferty said. “I’m pleased to support Sen. Argall in moving this legislation forward.”
Joe Soga (Vietnam 1968-69) approached Sen. Argall about putting forward a proposal to establish the new license plate.
“It is a high honor to have earned the CIB while serving our country in Vietnam,” Soga said. “Those who have served under these conditions take pride in having earned the CIB. I would like to thank Sen. Argall for his efforts to honor my fellow veterans by introducing legislation to establish a CIB license plate.”