![]() Gold Star Mothers is a stand-alone, chartered organization with chapters across the nation. In light of these facts, the Gold Star Spouses have grown and partnered with other organizations over the years to benefit families of fallen service members.įor example, American Airlines and the Gary Sinise Foundation provide Gold Star families with free flights to Orlando and Disney World on their annual “Snowball Express.” These trips forge the bonds of friendship between Gold Star Families. While our nation formally recognizes Gold Star families on April 5 and over Memorial Day weekend, the grief and loss carried by these families is never ending and 365 days a year. In 2009, President Barack Obama amended the holiday to extend the recognition to all family members of a deceased service member. The concept dates back to World War I, but the first official observation was in 1936, when President Franklin Roosevelt declared that Gold Star Mother’s Day would be observed the last Sunday of every September. ![]() However, if a service member dies in the line of duty they often have not just spouses but children also so the title frequently extends to “Gold Star Families.” ![]() Of course, nobody wants to be a member of a Gold Star family. ![]() Whether they died in combat or during training or accidentally, the idea behind Gold Star is to honor the service and sacrifice of both service members and their spouses and acknowledge the courage of those left behind to bear the burden and provide a way for them to channel their grief into something positive. The Gold Star Spouse Day is a valiant attempt to honor and comfort the spouses of military members who have died while on active duty.
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