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DOT promotes Blue Star markers on new Web site

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Blue Star Memorial Web site

From the NC Department of Transportation

Published: May 21, 2009

The N.C. Department of Transportation, in collaboration with The Garden Club of North Carolina Inc., is providing a new Web site to promote and identify the state's Blue Star Memorial Markers.

The Blue Star Memorial Web site has links to the history of the program, pictures of the various Blue Star Memorial Markers and more.

"The department is proud to be an interactive partner with The Garden Club of North Carolina Inc. to promote the Blue Star Memorial Highway Program," said NCDOT Chief Operating Officer and Army National Guard Brigadier General Jim Trogdon. "On this upcoming Memorial Day holiday, our Web site honors the service men and women of our country with the pictures of the various Blue Star Memorial Markers across the state."

The markers honor the men and women who have and are currently serving the country in one of the branches of the armed forces. The program is named for the star in the service flag used during World Word II. The service flags were hung in the windows of homes and businesses during the war to recognize men and women in the armed services.

In North Carolina, local garden clubs work with the NCDOT to site and erect the Blue Star Memorial Markers. The cost of the marker is paid by the local garden club. On the interstate system, markers are within the state's recreation or rest areas.

Interstates 26, 40 and 85 are designated as Blue Star Memorial Highways throughout North Carolina. Other Blue Star Memorial Highways within North Carolina include all of U.S. Highway 301 and portions of U.S. Highways 64, 17, 158, 74 and 24.

In addition to the highways listed above, all of U.S. Highway 70, in North Carolina is designated as The Blue Star Memorial and American Ex-Prisoners of War Highway. These designations pay tribute to the many North Carolinians killed in World War II and to all North Carolina's ex-prisoners of war. U.S. 70 is marked with a green highway sign.