Gold Star Mother’s Day
“Gold Star mothers and families know the immeasurable cost of fighting for the ideals we believe in, and they know the pride that comes with exemplary service to America.”
~ President Barack Obama ~ September 23, 2011 ~ Presidential Proclamation
A Gold Star Mother knows the ultimate sacrifice – it is those mothers that have lost a child to service in the United States Military.
Grace Darling Seibold was an ocean away from her son when he served on the front lines for WWI. While she waited for news from her son as to his whereabouts and safety, she volunteered her time at the local VA hospital. After learning of her son’s death overseas, she devoted her time to helping wartime survivors and uniting the mothers of other deceased soldiers. Through Seibold, the American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. was born.
While it was a mother who formed the organization, it was a father with two boys on the front lines who created the Service Flag. Army Captain Robert L. Queissner displayed a flag with a blue star that was flown during times of military conflict to represent a child serving in the armed forces. Should a service member be lost during a conflict, families would stitch gold over the star.
This tradition took hold on June 23, 1936 when a joint congressional resolution declared that Gold Star Mother’s Day would be observed annually on the last Sunday of September. In 2011, President Obama amended the title to be “Gold Star Mother’s and Family Day.”
While there is no set way to observe Gold Star Mother’s and Family Day, the official hashtag is #GoldStarMothersDay.
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