RENO, NV - The Nevada Gold Star License plates are issued to family members who have lost a loved one killed in the line of duty. Several military families urged law makers to approve the plate, it was signed by Governor Gibbons in May.

Its was an emotional day for Roger Varela. He was issued Nevada's first Gold Star License plate in honor of his son Ray who was killed near Baghdad in May of 2007.

“I was overwhelmed I was just overwhelmed. I didn't think I would get, I thought like everyone else, you just get you know whatever they issue you at the time,” said Varela.

Varela helped spear head the effort to get these license plates approved and distributed throughout the state. The plate is available to immediate families and grandparents of service members killed in the line of duty while on active duty with the armed forces of the United States.

Sally Wiley received license plate 0002. Her son Sean was killed last February in Iraq. She says if her son were alive today, he might have sat in the back of the room quietly during DMV ceremonies. As far as people driving behind her on the roadway who see the new Gold Star Plate?

“More about those who are serving, who are coming back and going over and especially after Ft. Hood, it just shows you how fragile life is but how competent this great military is and I would just like them to go, oh she's a Gold Star family how sad, Oh boy we've got great soldiers,” said Wiley.

The Gold Star License Plate does not raise funds for any organization. Instead, the one-dollar charge is the cost to produce the plate.