Parents who have lost a son or daughter in active military duty can now receive special identification cards
Any mother or father who lost a child serving on active military duty can now receive a special Gold Star Parent Identification Card from the Burlington County Clerk’s Office, according to County Clerk Tim Tyler.
“The Burlington County community is fortunate to be home to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and so many military personnel and veterans who have dedicated their lives to serving and protecting our great country,” Tyler said in a statement. “I am so pleased to begin offering Gold Star Parent identification cards; it’s one small way my office can recognize and honor the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.”
A new state law enacted in January allows county clerks to issue the card, which provides access to discounts or other courtesies extended to military families, including free or reduced admission to New Jersey beaches, state parks and forests, and the New Jersey State Museum.
The identification cards display the title “Gold Star Parent,” the branch of armed forces in which their son or daughter served, and other personal identifying information as provided by the applicant. A “Gold Star Parent” means a biological parent, legal guardian or other legal custodian of a member of the armed forces who died while on active duty for the United States.
To apply for the card, Burlington County residents will simply need to bring the service member’s report of casualty form, DD 1300, to the Clerk’s Office in Mount Holly. The cards are offered by the Clerk’s Office free of charge.
The County Clerk’s office in Mount Holly is located at 50 Rancocas Road and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, residents can call the Burlington County Clerk’s Office at (609) 265–5122.
