GOLD STAR MOTHER’S AND FAMILY DAY
Sunday, September 29th, 2024

GOLD STAR MOTHER’S AND FAMILY DAY
For generations, military Families have entrusted their loved ones to serve our Nation's Military with honor and distinction. Since the founding of our Nation, Families waited anxiously for a call or letter from across the country or an ocean away. Today, Families continue to put the needs of the Nation and the Military before self so future generations might know a more just and peaceful world. On Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day, we pay tribute to the Families who have loved them, supported them, and always remembered them.

On the last Sunday in September, Gold Star Mother’s and Family Day honors the mothers, fathers, and families of fallen military service members. Also known as National Gold Star Mother’s Day, the day serves as a reminder of the losses suffered by military families. 
Since World War I, the observance has provided a way to recognize and honor those who have lost a son or daughter who served our country in the United States Armed Forces. 

A Gold Star symbolizes a family member who died in the line of duty while serving the United States Armed Forces.

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.

HOW TO OBSERVE GOLD STAR MOTHER’S DAY
Organizations around the country honor Gold Star families through ceremonies, luncheons, and teas. They give back to their communities by remembering fallen service members. Service organizations provide opportunities to remember the fallen and their families. Their ceremonies take place at military memorial sights and veteran cemeteries. On the local, state, and national levels, representatives speak of the importance of remembering our fallen sons and daughters while continuing to care for their families.   

Attend a ceremony or organize an event in your community. Remember the fallen in your family, share their stories and offer support to members of the gold star family. Use #GoldStarMothersDay to post on social media.

GOLD STAR MOTHER’S AND FAMILY DAY HISTORY
On June 23, 1936, a joint congressional resolution designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother’s Day and proclaimed annually by each president.  In 2011, President Barack Obama amended the day to “Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day.”

The history of National Gold Star Mother’s Day and their families begins with a young country thrown in the midst of a great war. Army Captain Robert L. Queissner, whose two sons were serving on the front line during World War I, created what is now called the Service Flag. Families displayed the flag with a blue star to represent a child serving in the military during times of war or hostilities. When a service member died, families stitched a gold star over the blue star.

The American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. was incorporated in 1929 and obtained a federal charter from the United States Congress.  It began in the Washington DC area and soon expanded to include affiliated groups throughout the United States. 

An ocean often divided families from their deceased sons, as was the case of the founder of the American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. organization, Grace Darling Seibold. While waiting for confirmation of her son’s death, she visited the VA hospital almost daily and made herself useful in the process. Afterward, she continued to visit the hospital and formed the organization that unites gold star mothers still today.
Membership in any one organization is not required for Gold Star Mothers to access benefits. Please visit military.com for more information.

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