Every year on the last Sunday of September, the United States recognizes Gold Star Mothers and Gold Star Families. Though not in battle themselves, their sacrifices were great.

The Gold Star Family

During World War I, every household who had an immediate family member serving in the Armed Forces displayed a banner with a blue star. The number of blue stars on the banner indicated how many members of the family were serving. Unfortunately, many of those blue stars were replaced with gold ones. When a member of the Armed Forces died in battle, the blue star on the banner that represented them became a gold star. The family that held this banner then became a “Gold Star Family.” Originally, the mother of a fallen soldier was recognized as a “Gold Star Mother,” but over time, the mother, along with other members of the family such as the father, spouse, and children were also recognized.

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History of the Gold Star Family

In 1918, the Women's Committee of National Defenses approached then President Woodrow Wilson regarding the attire mothers who were mourning wore. Instead of the traditional mourning attire, mothers who lost their children during combat would wear a black armband with a gold star. President Wilson approved this request, and in the letter to the Women’s Committee, he coined the term “Gold Star Mother.” The year 1936 was the first year that the United States gave recognition to Gold Star Mothers - the mothers of the active-duty service members who lost their lives during battle. In 2011, then President Barack Obama made an amendment to President Wilson’s congressional resolution, honoring not only Gold Star Mothers but also Gold Star Families on the last Sunday of each September. In July of 2020, the Senate took honoring the Gold Star Families a step further by dedicating the entire week leading up to the last Sunday of September to Gold Star Families.

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The best way to support a Gold Star Family is to honor and remember their fallen hero.

The United States Military, which includes the
Armed Forces and the National Guard, consists of various branches all birthed
at different times throughout U.S. history. The Armed Forces consists of the
following six military branches:

● Army - June 14, 1775

● Navy - October 13, 1775

● Marine Corps - November 10, 1775

● Coast Guard - August 4, 1790

● Air Force - September 18, 1947,
and

● Space Force - December 20, 2019

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The mission and purpose of each branch of the
military is specified in various sections of Title 10 and 14 in the U.S. Code.

On June 14, 1775 the Army was created to:

(1) preserve the
peace and security, and providing for the defense, of the United States, the
Commonwealths and possessions, and any areas occupied by the United States

(2) support the
national policies

(3) implement the
national objectives

(4) overcome any
nations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of
the United States.[1]

On October 13, 1775 the Navy was “organized, trained, and
equipped primarily for prompt and sustained combat incident to operations at
sea.”[2]

On November 10, 1775 the Marine Corps was “organized, trained,
and equipped to provide fleet marine forces of combined arms, together with
supporting air components, for service with the fleet in the seizure or defense
of advanced naval bases and for the conduct of such land operations as may be
essential to the prosecution of a naval campaign,” all while operating within
the Department of the Navy.[3]

On August 4, 1790 the Coast Guard was designed to “enforce or assist in the enforcement
of all applicable Federal laws on, under, and over the high seas and waters
subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.”[4]

On September 18, 1947 the Air Force was created to:

(1) preserve the
peace and security, and provide for the defense, of the United States, the
Commonwealths and possessions, and any areas occupied by the United States

(2) support the
national policies

(3) implement the
national objectives

(4) overcome any
nations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of
the United States.[5]

On December 20, 2019 the Space Force was “organized, trained,
and equipped to:

(1)
provide freedom of operation for the United States in, from, and to space

(2) conduct space
operations

(3)
protect the interests of the United States in space.”[6]

These branches of the military, which include
the United States Armed Forces and the National Guard, help to ensure the
continued safety of Americans both in the United States and overseas.

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