On the death of a prisoner of war to whom was issued a special number plate under subdivision o of subsection 2 of section 39-04-18, the director shall comply with this section. If the deceased prisoner of war was survived by a spouse, the director shall transfer the number plate to that spouse’s name, and the spouse may retain the number plate as an active plate. If the surviving spouse remarries, then within thirty days of that remarriage, the surviving spouse shall surrender the plate to the director. On receipt of a surrendered plate, on the death of the surviving spouse, or if the deceased prisoner of war had no surviving spouse, the director shall retire the number used on the number plate. On retirement of a number plate and at the request of the survivors of the deceased prisoner of war, the director shall issue to the survivors one commemorative plaque resembling the number plate that had been issued to the prisoner of war.