What is a Gold Star Family Member?

“A wife, husband, mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, parent through adoption, foster parents who stand or stood in loco parentis, children, stepchildren, children through adoption, brothers, sisters, half brothers, half-sisters, aunts, uncles, grandchildren and grandparents of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States that sacrificed their lives for our way of life and the American flag under which they served.”

A Gold Star family is the title that is reserved for families of military members who have died in the line of duty. It is meant to honor the service member’s ultimate sacrifice while acknowledging their family’s loss, grief, and continued healing.

The organization dates back to WWI when military families displayed service flags featuring a blue star for every immediate family member serving in the Armed Forces. Individual military family members who lost a loved one also started to be referred to as “Gold Star Wives,” “Gold Star Mothers,” and so on.

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