Gold Star Mother’s Day is observed on the last Sunday in September which will be Sunday, September 27, 2020 this year. Gold Star Mother’s Day is intended to recognize and honor those mothers who have lost a son or daughter in the service of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Each year there are events and meetings to publicly express love, sorrow and reverence toward Gold Star Mothers and their families. Flags are also mandated to be displayed on government buildings on this day. Army.mil says Gold Star Mother’s Day is intended “to recognize and honor those who have lost a son or daughter in the service of the U.S. Armed Forces”.
Why The Gold Star?
The Gold Star is a symbol of a loved one lost in combat.
According to an L.A. Times article, “During World War I, a practice developed across the country: Families displayed flags featuring a blue star, a sign that a family member was fighting in the war. Some flags would display more than one star.”
The exact origins of this tradition are not fully known, but at some point, gold star flags would go up to signify the family member had died on duty. The term “Gold Star Family” went into the national vocabulary thanks to the sacrifices of men and women serving in uniform.
Who Are The American Gold Star Mothers?
Based on the above, this might seem like an obvious question to some, but Gold Star families have had a non-profit organization working on their behalf since 1928 with the establishment of an organization called American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.
Their mission includes education, remembrance, inspiring “true allegiance to the United States of America”, and most importantly for many, offering “needful assistance to all Gold Star Mothers and, when possible, to their descendants.”
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Gold Star Mother’s Day
FacebookTwitterPrintMore Gold Star Mother’s Day is observed on the last Sunday in September which will be Sunday, September 27, 2020 this year. Gold Star Mother’s Day is intended to recognize and honor those mothers who have lost a son or daughter in the service of the U.S. Armed Forces. Each year there are events and meetings to publicly express love, sorrow and reverence toward Gold Star Mothers and their families. Flags are also mandated to be displayed on government buildings on this day. Army.mil says Gold Star Mother’s Day is intended “to recognize and honor those who have lost a son or daughter in the service of the U.S. Armed Forces”. Why The Gold Star? The Gold Star is a symbol of a loved one lost in combat. According to an L.A. Times article, “During World War I, a practice developed across the country: Families displayed flags featuring a blue star, a sign that a family member was fighting in the war. Some flags would display more than one star.” The exact origins of this tradition are not fully known, but at some point, gold star flags would go up to signify the family member had died on duty. The term “Gold Star Family” went into the national vocabulary thanks to the sacrifices of men and women serving in uniform.
Who Are The American Gold Star Mothers?
Based on the above, this might seem like an obvious question to some, but Gold Star families have had a non-profit organization working on their behalf since 1928 with the establishment of an organization called American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.
Their mission includes education, remembrance, inspiring “true allegiance to the United States of America”, and most importantly for many, offering “needful assistance to all Gold Star Mothers and, when possible, to their descendants.”
The Gold Star Mother’s non-profit organization holds an annual convention and have events centered around Gold Star Mother’s Day and Veterans Day. They also partner with Wreath’s Across America where each December they work together to coordinate wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as over 1,200 locations in the U.S. and abroad.