*This is the Service Star flag my Grandmother hand sewn and displayed when my father served during WWII. Posted on 05/29/2017 2:54:13 PM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com
*This is the Service Star flag my Grandmother hand sewn and displayed when my father served during WWII.
The request by the "Blue Star Family' is: "If you see a banner in a window, magnet on a car or a pin on a lapel, please give pause for a thought and prayer for our families.
HISTORY In January of 1942, following the outbreak of World War II, a newspaper in Flint, Michigan advertised a meeting for mothers of servicemen, led by Captain George H. Maines. Hundreds of mothers attended this meeting.
The Blue Star Mothers’ original goals were ”to bring our sons home, to ensure they received the benefits they deserved, help service member’s families, help each other and to be there if something happened.”
Today, Blue Star Mothers support each other, send Freedom Boxes and letters of encouragement to our troops; help our wounded service people, volunteer in VA hospitals, and work with veterans. We show our children and America's sons and daughters that we appreciate them and their service to our Country. Blue Star Service Flag
The Service flag is an official banner authorized by the Department of Defense for display by families who have members serving in the Armed Forces during any period of war or hostilities the United States may be engaged in for the duration of such hostilities.
The Service flag, also called the Blue Star Flag, was designed and patented by WWI Army Captain Robert L. Queissner of the 5th Ohio Infantry who had two sons serving on the front line. The flag quickly became the unofficial symbol of a child in service. President Wilson became part of this history when in 1918 he approved a suggestion made by the Women's Committee of the Council of National Defenses that mothers who had lost a child serving in the war wear a gold gilt star on the traditional black mourning arm band. This led to the tradition of covering the blue star with a gold star on the Service flag to indicate that the service member has died.
During WWII the practice of displaying the Service flag became much more widespread. Most flags were hand made by mothers across the nation. One of the most famous flags was that of the five Sullivan brothers who all perished on the U.S.S. Juneau.
The Department of Defense specifies that family members authorized to display the flag include the wife, husband, mother, father, stepmother or father, parent through adoption, foster parents who stand or stood locoparentis, children, stepchildren, children through adoption, brothers, sisters and half brothers or sisters of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States. The flag should be displayed in a window of the residence of persons authorized.
The Service flag may also be displayed by an organization to honor the members of that organization serving during a period of war or hostilities.
If the U.S. flag is also displayed with the Service flag, the U.S. flag should be of equal or greater proportions and should take the place of honor above the Service flag.
Each blue star on the flag represents a service member in active duty. A gold star is displayed if a service member is killed in action or dies in service. If several stars are displayed by one family the gold star takes the honor of being placed at the top. The gold star should be slightly smaller than the blue star to create a blue border surrounding the gold star.
In WWII, this is the 'Shield and New Testament' that soldiers wore in their shirt pocket over their heart. The 'Shied' metal cover was to serve as protection from bullets.
Quick access of the New Testament served as protection for their souls.
"Nothing can stop the Army Air Corp"
Nice post. Thank you.
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Trump has been caught up in a whirlwind of activity for weeks now. I would be quite tired. He seems to be going strong.
Today he has taken time to meet with some families visiting the graves of their loved ones.
You know, we don’t pause enough to remember, think of the sacrifices made, and lives surrendered on behalf of our nation. This was all done for you and I folks, our families, communities, and nation.
At this moment thinking of Trump’s actions today, I want to salute and thank all our Veterans here on Free Republic.
I appreciate your service to our nation folks.
Thank you very much.
I would never presume to speak for all the vets on FR, only myself. It was my great honor to serve the nation in uniform for over 20 years and will always feel as though I received more than I gave.
One a related note, I saw a remarkable young man interviewed on Fox & Friends this morning (he was also profiled on the CBS Evening News about six months ago). At the age of 19, Rishi Sharma has made it his life mission to meet and interview World War II vets. He began before he could drive, peddling his bike to retirement homes to speak with those who served during the Second World War. So far, he has interviewed over 400 vets and tries to record an interview each day. The interviews are detailed and he presents a copy of the finished conversation to the veteran’s family.
Rishi Sharma has a web site and a Go Fund Me page to support his project. Seems like a very worthwhile cause.
http://www.heroesofthesecondworldwar.org/
I wouldn't be surprised if the millions who pass by these signs don't even notice them.
"The History of the Blue Star Memorial Highway"
http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-history-of-blue-star-memorial.html
The idea for a designated roadway began when the New Jersey Council of Garden Clubs started a Blue Star Memorial Program in 1944. The group planted 8,000 dogwood trees along a 5½-mile stretch of U.S. 22 as a living tribute to the New Jersey veterans of WWII. The roadway was then designated as “Blue Star Drive."
The National Council of State Garden Clubs (now the National Garden Clubs, Inc.) liked the idea and in 1945 began the Blue Star Highway Program. The blue star was used because it was displayed on service flags to denote someone who was fighting in a war. These service banners were originally designed in 1917 to honor those serving in WWI, and were used again in WWII. The flags are still in active use today and can only be made by specific government license according to Department of Defense code.
The Blue Star Memorial Highway signs still look the same with a copper-colored background and the National Council of State Garden Clubs logo mounted on top. The blue star is prevalent on the sign, with the wording in gold leaf letters stating that this sign is “A tribute to the Armed Forces that have defended the United States of America.” The plaque also designates what garden club sponsored it in cooperation with the state highway department of transportation.
The Blue Star Memorial Highway covers over 70,000 miles in the U.S. and can be found in 39 states including Alaska and Hawaii. Many signs still stand where they were dedicated almost 70 years ago.
The program expanded beyond highways to include Blue Star By-Way markers in 1981. These markers are used at civic and historical grounds, parks and gardens.
Then in 1996, a third marker was added – the Blue Star Memorial Marker. This plaque is identical to the original Blue Star Memorial Highway marker but does not have the word “highway” on it. This allows for the sign to be posted at national and veteran’s cemeteries, VA medical centers and hospitals, and other civic sites.
All three signs may be ordered from the National Garden Club’s website. For current rules, visit Guidelines for Blue Star Memorial Markers.
So the next time you pass a Blue Star sign, remember our men and women of the Armed Forces of America.
Thanks for your comments, and mentioning the project to interview our vets.
Sounds like a very worthwhile cause.
If you’re a fortunate parent, you’ll only be a blue star parent. Silver means that your child was injured, and the ultimate is the gold star, which means that your loved one has been killed. I sported a blue star flag on my vehicle when my son was in the Marines, and thankfully, he returned to us safe and sound.
Thanks for posting.
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