Advance the Colors!

Gettysburg 135th Anniversary Auto Plate to Benefit Monument Preservation

by Harry A. Readshaw, 36th Legislative District, PA

As you may know, I have been fighting for over a year to ensure that the 111 monuments at Gettysburg that memorialize the bravery and sacrifice of the sons of Pennsylvania in that pivotal battle do not fall victim to neglect, vandalism, the weather and the footsteps and touch of millions of visitors.

One year ago, the efforts to restore and preserve the monuments to Pennsylvanians and the men of all the other states, North and South, who fought there, were sporadic at best. Federal funding for their preservation was and remains woefully inadequate. And, while some organizations and individuals have had success in targeting particular monuments, overall, it has been a losing battle -- until now!

Following unanimous approval in April of a resolution in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in support of our efforts, I am launching the "Pennsylvania Gettysburg Monuments Project."

Our goal is to raise approximately $4.5 million to ensure the restoration of these "Icons of Freedom" and endow them with a trust fund to provide proper maintenance for generations to come.

I have been in contact with the governors and legislators of many other states and they are watching to gauge our success. This project could very well be the start of a movement that will ensure that every monument, marker, cannon and historic structure on the battlefield is preserved far into the future, to remind those who follow us about the brave men who "did not die in vain."

To help us toward that goal, we are printing a commemorative motor vehicle plate for the 135th Anniversary of the pivotal battle. All proceeds will be turned over to the National Park Service and specifically designated for the Pennsylvania monuments.

The commemorative plate costs $20 plus $4 to cover shipping and handling. The plate utilizes a silhouette of the state and the color scheme is the same as Pennsylvania's motor vehicle plate, gold lettering on a blue background.

Between the top screw holes is the word "Gettysburg." Most prominent on the plate is the phrase "GB 1863" between the initials and the date is a stylized silhouette of the Pennsylvania Memorial on the battlefield. "PA monuments" is in smaller letters at the bottom.

Checks should be made out to "Pennsylvania Gettysburg Monuments Project" and sent to my Harrisburg Office. The address is: 113 South Office Building, House Box 202020, Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020.

Plates will be sold on a "first come, first served" basis and additional plates will be made if the order exceeds the first run. Delivery is scheduled for mid to late June.

We also plan to sell these plates at the 135th anniversary reenactment at Gettysburg.

If you have any questions or desire more information about this project, please contact my Harrisburg office, 113 South Office Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120.