A service flag or service banner is a
banner
A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, ...
that family members of those serving in the
United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
can display. The flag or banner is officially defined as a white field with a red border, with a blue star for each family member serving in the Armed Forces of the United States during any period of war or hostilities. A gold star (with a blue edge) represents a family member who died during military operations, including those who died during World War I, World War II, or any subsequent period of armed hostilities in which the United States was engaged before July 1, 1958, and those who lost or lose their lives after June 30, 1958:
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while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
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while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
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while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict in which the United States is not a belligerent party against an opposing armed force;
or those who lost or lose their lives after March 28, 1973, as a result of:
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an international terrorist attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly to the United States, recognized as such an attack by the Secretary of Defense; or
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military operations while serving outside the United States (including the commonwealths, territories, and possessions of the United States) as part of a peacekeeping force.
Background
Based on the star symbols used on the service flag, the term "Blue Star" has come into use in the United States as a reference to having a family member in active military service, while the term "Gold Star" has come to refer to the loss of a family member in military service. For example, the mother of a person who died in service is referred to as a "Gold Star mother", and the wife of an active service member is referred to as a "Blue Star wife". Charitable support organizations have been established for
Gold Star mothers
A service flag or service banner is a banner that family members of those serving in the United States Armed Forces can display. The flag or banner is officially defined as a white field with a red border, with a blue star for each family member s ...
,
Gold Star wives,
Blue Star mothers, and
Blue Star wives. The last Sunday in September is observed as Gold Star Mother's Day, Gold Star family members are entitled to wear a
Gold Star Lapel Button
A Gold Star Lapel Button in the United States is an official decoration authorized by an Act of Congress that is issued to the direct next of kin family members of service members who died in World War I and World War II and subsequent armed ho ...
, and all 50
U.S. states and
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
offer some form of a
specialty license plate for motor vehicles owned by Gold Star family members.
The use of the terms has sometimes been restricted to refer to service during specific armed conflicts. For example, the service banner originally applied only to World War I, and it was later expanded to include service in World War II, then the Korean War, then other specific conflicts, and then "any period of war or hostilities". In some current uses of the "star" terminology, there is no longer any distinction made about the place or time or degree of hostility involved in the military service.
For Gold Stars, the
Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philippin ...
also makes a distinction about the manner and place of death, but some other organizations do not. The Gold Star term is also sometimes interpreted to apply to those
missing in action and those who did not die during active service but died later as a result of an in-service injury.
[
A lesser-known practice of using a silver star to indicate a service member that has been disabled is sometimes also followed, although this practice is not recognized in federal law.
]
History
The banner was designed in 1917 by U.S. Army Captain Robert L. Queisser of the Fifth Ohio Infantry, in honor of his two sons who were serving in World War I.[ It was quickly adopted by the public and by government officials. On September 24, 1917, an Ohio congressman read into the '']Congressional Record
The ''Congressional Record'' is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Publishing Office and issued when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record Inde ...
'':
The mayor of Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Governor of Ohio
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
have adopted this service flag. The world should know of those who give so much for liberty. The dearest thing in all the world to a father and mother—their children.
The United Service Flag Company in Cleveland, Ohio ran an advertisement in the October 1917 issue of ''National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
Magazine'' for service flags and pins, reading:
THE AUTHORIZED SERVICE FLAG
SHOULD BE FLOWN FROM EVERY HOME
Do as Col. Roosevelt does at Oyster Bay - fly the "Badge of Honor" from your home, telling all the world that some one from your family is serving the country in army, navy, marines, or other service. This is the original flag so crudely imitated. Approved by War Secretary Baker
A baker is a tradesperson who bakes and sometimes sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery.
History
Ancient history
Since grains ha ...
. Bill in Congress to make it official emblem. Fast-color, strong, wool bunting, 36 x 24 inches; red border, white field; one large blue star for every man in service; sewed throughout, not printed. Sent postpaid for $2 - 1 to 5 stars. (Larger sizes for clubs, churches, business houses, etc., made to order.) SERVICE FLAG PINS to wear in lapel or waist, 14k. gold plate and enamel, 1 to 3 stars, pin or screw back, high-grade quality, 50 cents; sterling silver; $1; solid gold, $2.
The United Service Flag Co., 1255 Schofield Bldg., Cleveland, O.
Usage
These flags were first used in World War I, with subsequent standardization and codification by the end of World War II. They were not popular during the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, but have come back into use since the first Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
/ Operation Desert Storm
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
.[ ] In modern usage, an organization may fly a service flag if one of its members is serving active duty.
Manufacture of these flags is only allowed by specific government license in the territories under U.S. jurisdiction. The same section of the United States Code
In the law of the United States, the Code of Laws of the United States of America (variously abbreviated to Code of Laws of the United States, United States Code, U.S. Code, U.S.C., or USC) is the official compilation and codification of the ...
that limits manufacture of the banner also mentions lapel pin
A lapel pin, also known as an enamel pin, is a small pin worn on clothing, often on the lapel of a jacket, attached to a bag, or displayed on a piece of fabric. Lapel pins can be ornamental or can indicate the wearer's affiliation with an organiza ...
s. There is no legal specification of the banner's size, but according to the DoD code, the flag size ratio must be 10:19, the same as the Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States, United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rect ...
. When displayed with the national flag, the latter should take the place of honor. If the flags displayed differ in size, the national flag should be larger.
Blue and gold are the only colors specified for use, but silver stars are increasingly in use to represent those discharged from service because of wounds or being invalided home. The Silver Star Families of America
The Silver Star Families of America (SSFOA) is a 501(c) tax exempt organization dedicated to honoring and supporting wounded, ill and injured veterans of all branches of the armed forces of the United States of America. The organization was founde ...
is an organization attempting to encourage the U.S. Congress to make the Silver Star Service Banner official for those wounded or injured in a war zone. Forty-nine states, Guam, Saipan, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Chickasaw Nation and over 2,700 cities and counties have issued proclamations in support of the Silver Star Banner and of Silver Star Service Banner Day on May 1 of every year.
On April 21, 2010, the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
passed House Resolution 855, a stand-alone resolution recognizing the Silver Star Service Banner and making May 1 Silver Star Service Banner Day. One state, Missouri, took steps to make such recognition a state law.
In World War II, the Brazilian ''Clube Militar'' (Military Club) and the ''Casino da Urca'' adopted the concepts of the U.S. service banner by giving posters to the family members of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force
The Brazilian Expeditionary Force ( pt, Força Expedicionária Brasileira, FEB), nicknamed Cobras Fumantes (literally "the Smoking Snakes"), was a military division of the Brazilian Army and Air Force that fought with Allied forces in the Me ...
. On these posters the phrase ''Daqui saiu um Expedicionário'' was written, which means "From here came an Expeditionary". Although the design differs from the U.S. banners, the mothers of the Brazilian soldiers also received a pin prominently featuring a blue star similar to U.S. pins.
Individuals entitled to display
The individuals entitled to display the service flag are officially defined in which reads:
A service flag approved by the Secretary of Defense may be displayed in a window of the place of residence of individuals who are members of the immediate family of an individual serving in the Armed Forces of the United States during any period of war or hostilities in which the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged.Title 36 of the United States Code
The United States Code is the official compilation of the Federal laws of a general and permanent nature that are currently in force. Title 36 cover, "Patriotic and National Observances, Ceremonies, and Organizations."
Parts
Subtitle I: Patrio ...
The U.S. Code also discusses the wearing of lapel pins.
Gold Star Mother's Day
On the last Sunday in September, Gold Star Mother's Day is observed in the U.S. in honor of Gold Star mothers, as established in Title 36 § 111 of the United States Code. This was originally declared by Senate Joint Resolution 115 of June 23, 1936.[
In 2009, ]Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
proclaimed the observance as Gold Star Mother's and Families' Day. Since 2011 it has been proclaimed as Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day.
Gold Star license plates
All fifty U.S. states and Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
offer some form of a specialty license plate for motor vehicles owned by members of Gold Star families.
See also
* American Gold Star Mothers
* Blue Star Mothers Club
Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc. (BSMA), is a private nonprofit organization in the United States that provides support for mothers who have sons or daughters in active service in the U.S. Armed Forces. It was originally formed during World Wa ...
* Gold Star Families for Peace
* Gold Star Lapel Button
A Gold Star Lapel Button in the United States is an official decoration authorized by an Act of Congress that is issued to the direct next of kin family members of service members who died in World War I and World War II and subsequent armed ho ...
* Gold Star Wives of America
The Gold Star Wives of America (Gold Star Spouses) (GSW) is a private nonprofit organization formed before the end of World War II to provide support for the spouses and children of those who lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces of ...
* Service lapel button (disambiguation) Service lapel button may refer to:
* Honorable Service Lapel Button, awarded to U.S. military service members who were discharged under honorable conditions during World War II
* Gold Star Lapel Button, issued to the direct next of kin family membe ...
* Yellow ribbon
The yellow ribbon is used for various purposes. It may be worn on a person, placed on a vehicle, around a tree, or for a neck tie.
History and etymology
Early Puritan history
The song/poem ''"She wore a yellow ribbon"'' has appeared in variou ...
References
External links and further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Service Flag
Military flags of the United States
Symbolism
Types of flags