GOLD STAR MOTHERS
Since2008, 2009, the Friends have hosted a luncheon for Vietnam Gold Star mothers who are still in the area. Many families of those killed in Vietnam have either died, moved away or are getting frail. There are a few mothers still in the Ann Arbor who can meet the Friends at Weber\'s Restarant for lunch in September or October. Friends pay for their lunch and present them with a small gift. They are so appreciative of our efforts to get them together and to remember them and the sacrifice of their sons. All Vietnam Gold Star Mothers are invited to attend. We would love to meet more mothers.
The name Gold Star Mothers was derived from the custom of military families who put a service flag near their front window. The flag featured a star for each family member serving their country. Living members were denoted in blue, but gold stars honored family members who were killed while in duty. It may be seen on a service flag or in the form of a pin, which is worn by Gold Star mothers. The pin is not limited to mothers and it is awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense.
American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., was incorpirated in 1929, obtaining a federal charter from the U. S. Congress. It began with 25 mothers living in the Washington, D.C., area and soon expanded to include affiliated groups throughout the nation. On June 23, 1936, a joint congressional resolution designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother\'s Day, a holiday that has been observed each year by a presidential proclamation.
September 27, 2015, was Gold Star Mother\'s Day. It is a day for people to recognize and honor those who have lost a son or daughter while serving the United States Armed Forces. American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., is an organization of mothers whose sons or daughters served and died while serving their nation in times of war or conflict. It organizes major events that take place on or around Gold Star Mother\'s Day each year (www.goldstarmoms.com).
There is legislation in Congress to build a Gold Star National Monument. House Bill HR 4197 introduced on December 3, 2009, authorized the Gold Star Mother\'s National Monument foundation to establish a monument in the Washington. D. C., area. This would be for all mothers who know the grief of losing a child in the service of our country, to promote a bond of kinship, and to engage in support for servicemen, the veterans community and others who memorialized our nation\'s defenders.