By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-874676.mp3
Albany, NY – VietNam-era veterans sporting "Vietnam veteran" license plates on their cars have been taking heat from some fellow servicemen, as we hear in this report from Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas.
The Empire State has no specific requirement restricting the specialized plates to those who actually served in VietNam. But VietNam-era veterans sporting "Vietnam veteran" license plates on their cars have been taking heat from some fellow servicemen, who say the plates should only be given to soldiers who were "in country" - Ned Foote, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America New York State council, tracks the controversy's roots back to the early 1990s: The Vietnam plate originated in 1993 by way of a directive by under then-Governor Mario Cuomo. DMV officials stress that documentation is required to obtain the special plates. Ned Foote says its time to move beyond the squabble over "who served where" - Foote says Americans should be more concerned about the soldiers returning from Afghnaistan and Iraq with physical and mental health problems.