Blue- and Gold-Star Flags Represent Service, Sacrifice

By JIM PURCELL

Every now and again, you might see a service banner in the window of a home. It will be white with a bold red border, and in the center of the white field will be blue stars or gold stars, or some combination of them. One might even see a silver star in that white field, now and again.

Blue Star Banners note how many family members currently serve

   It is a tradition that spans a century in the United States that such banners are displayed to represent family members who are serving in the military (blue), have paid the ultimate price for that service (gold), or were disabled due to their military service (silver). If a family member died during a military operation, the gold star would be accompanied by a blue wedge on the bottom of the banner, within the white field.

   Service flags became a tradition in 1917, when U.S. Army Captain Robert L. Queisser created a service flag in honor of his two sons who were serving in World War I. This practice was quickly adopted locally and, after being endorsed by an Ohio congressional representative, it was endorsed by the United States Congress. 

Gold Stars connote fallen family members

   Though these are only flags showing family members’ service, there are official rules about the display of these by the U.S. Armed Forces. Though the Silver Star Banner can be found, it is not officially recognized by the Armed Forces.

   Blue stars should only be displayed for family members who are currently serving in one of the uniformed services. Gold stars can be displayed for any family member who died in any military operation from World War I or II, or any subsequent period of armed hostilities the U.S. took part in.

Gold Star family eligibility includes criteria for those who have died in the service. This criteria stipulates that the fallen service member have died while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States. It further includes that the service member must have fallen in an action against a foreign force. This also includes when U.S. service members are killed while serving with allied forces in conflict with an enemy of the United States.

As time went on, the qualifying criteria for fallen service members’ families was expanded. Today, Gold Star families are also those who have lost their service member during an international terrorist attack, recognized by the secretary of defense, and in military operations as part of a peacekeeping force.

There is a national organization for Gold Star Mothers, which can be found online at: https://www.goldstarmoms.com/.