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Words taken from the FaceBook Page of Gold Star Awareness...

What is the meaning of the Gold Star? More known is the Blue Star emblem it signifies that a loved on is currently serving the United States on Active Duty and is in ha
rm's way. The Gold Star takes it one step further and when the blue star is covered in Gold, their loved on has died.

Blue star family members, have lived with the daily with the fear that the worst could happen, only to have those fears come true. Which turns there Blue Star Gold...

Many states provide Gold Star license plates, many families hang the banners in their windows, or have magnets on their cars. they have pins, buttons, t-shirts and tattoos.

They are proud of the service their family member has made to our great country and more than anything else, want them to be remembered.

If you see a gold star emblem, know that this family is one that should be honored and revered. They have a hole in the world that their son, daughter, brother, sister, husband, wife, aunt, uncle, etc. used to fill. Show them some kindness. It may be the anniversary of their loved one's death, or their birthday, or the anniversary of the last time they saw them. It could be that they just heard a song on the radio, saw a shirt that their loved one would have liked.

The battles that our loved ones fought weren't necessarily in far off places. Some have died in training accidents, and some have lost to the battles in their own heads, but regardless of where and when they died, they served our country selflessly, knowingly putting themselves in harm's way.

The History of the 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 history of the Service Flag is as patriotic and touching as the symbolism each star represents to the families that display them.

The service flag (also known as "blue star banners" or "son in service flags") was designed and patented by World War I 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 its 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 to wear a gold gilt star on the traditional black mourning arm band.

This led to the tradition to cover the blue star with a gold star on the Service flag to indicate that the service member has died or been killed.

The color of the stars is also symbolic in that the blue star represents hope and pride and the gold star represents sacrifice to the cause of liberty and freedom.

During World War II, the practice of displaying the service flag became much more widespread. In 1942, the Blue Star Mothers of America was founded as a veteran service organization and was part of a movement to provide care packages to military members serving overseas and also provide assistance to families who encountered hardships as a result of their son or husband serving during the war.

Virtually every home and organization displayed banners to indicate the number of members of the family or organization serving in the Armed Forces, and again, covered those blue stars with a gold star to represent each member that died.

In 1960, Congress chartered the Blue Star Mothers of America as a veterans service organization and in 1966, the Department of Defense revised the specifications for the design, manufacture and display of the Service Flag.

The Department of Defense specifies that family members authorized to display the flag include the wife, husband, mother, father, stepfather, parent through adoption, foster parents who stand or stood in loco parentis, children, stepchildren, children through adoption, brothers, sisters, half brothers and half sisters of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States. The flag should be displayed in a window of the residence of person who are members of the immediate family.

The Service Flag may also be displayed by an organization to honor the members of that organization serving in the Armed Forces during a period of war or hostilities.