One of my recent entries, about nostalgia, mentioned gold stars that were placed in the windows of families that had lost someone during World War II. I got to thinking about that and thought the subject was worth another visit.
During the last presidential campaign, the phrase “Gold Star family” gained some notoriety. Khizr and Ghazala Khan lost a son (Capt. Human Khan) to a suicide bomb in Iraq in 2004. At the Democratic National Convention, Khizr Khan challenged candidate Trump’s policies, saying, “You have sacrificed nothing and no one.” Naturally, Trump lashed out at the Khans and the controversy was on. Trump was criticized for attacking a “Gold Star family.” The Veterans of Foreign Wars was among the many who came to the Khans defense. VFW President Brian Duffy said, “Election or not, the VFW will not tolerate anyone berating a Gold Star family member for exercising his or her right of speech or expression.”
If you’re part of the younger generation, you may or may not be aware of the Gold Stars. You don’t see them displayed in windows very often… those families that have them usually display them somewhere inside their houses. Here’s some of the “background” of why we should all have more appreciation for those stars.
During World War I it became a popular practice for families to display flags featuring a blue star — a sign that a family member was fighting in the war. Some flags displayed more than one star — each star representing a family member that was serving. Soon after those blue stars began appearing, another tradition was born. When a soldier died, the blue star was replaced (or covered by) a gold one.
In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson approved a recommendation by the Women’s Committee of National Defenses to wear a black armband with a gold star — an update to one of the traditional signs of mourning, the wearing of the black armband. Wilson is given credit for coining the term “Gold Star Mother.” In 1928, 25 mothers met in Washington, D.C., to establish a national organization called American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. — that organization still exists today.
This led to the creation of the Service Flag. It was designed and patented by World War I Captain Robert L. Queissner of the 5th Ohio Infantry. The flag was designed to be displayed in the front window of peoples’ homes, to indicate the number of family members serving the war effort as members of the Armed Services.
Over time, two types of service flags were created. One flag or banner had a white background, red border and a blue star. The other had a white background, blue border and a gold star.
During World War II, the star flags were common sights across the country, often or usually displayed in windows because families took great pride that a member, or members, of their family was serving in the war.
The attitude (and the practice) changed during the Vietnam War. During that unpopular war, many Americans associated soldiers with government policies. The “pride” families had in family members serving in World War II was missing and many saw little value in displaying a blue or gold star flag. The American public was disillusioned with the military during and after Vietnam. Restoring the military’s reputation has been a slow process — the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 helped some, but regaining respect has been a slow process for the military.
Between WWII and today, the practice of displaying service flags or gold stars is not as prominent as it once was, but the symbols are just as significant as they were more than 100 years ago….
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