GOLD STAR MOTHER'S DAY

Grace Darling Seibold's son entered service when the United States entered World War I in 1917.  His Mother began to do community service by visiting returning servicemen in hospitals.  When correspondence ended from her son, she still continued visiting war-damaged service men in hospitals.  On November 4, 1918, she received confirmation of her son's death.  His body was never found.

Grace, realizing the self-contained grief is self-destructive, devoted her time and efforts not only working in the hospital but extending the hand of friendship to other mothers whose sons had lost their lives in military service.  She organized a group of these special mothers, with the purpose of not only comforting each other, but giving care to hospitalized veterans confined in government hospitals far from home.  The organization was named after the Gold Star that families hung in their windows in honor of deceased veterans.

After years of planning, June 4, 1928, five mothers met in Washington, DC to establish the national organization American Gold Star Mother's Inc.

The success of the organization continues because of the bond of mutual love, sympathy and support of many loyal, capable, and patriotic mothers who while sharing their grief and their pride, channeled their time, efforts and gifts to lessening the pain of others.

They stand tall and proud by honoring their children, assisting veterans, supporting our nation and healing with each other.

President Woodrow Wilson said: "The Service Flag displayed from homes, places of business, churches, schools, etc. to indicate the number of members of the family, or organizations who are serving in the Armed Forces or who have died from such service.  Service flags have a deep Blue Star for each living member in the service and a Gold Star for each member who has died." Thus, the Gold Star and the term Gold Star Mother, as applied to mothers whose sons or daughters died in World I, were accepted, they have continued to be used in reference to all American Military engagements since that time.

Today Gold Star Mothers is an organization whose sons or daughters served and died that this world might be a better place in which to live.

Natural Mothers, who are citizens of the United States of America, or of the Territorial and Insular, or Possessions of the United States of America, whose sons and daughters served and died in the line of duty in the Armed Forces of the United States of America or its Allies, or died as a result of injuries sustained in service, are eligible for membership in American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. Adoptive Mothers and Step-Mothers who reared the child from the age of five years old whose natural mother is deceased, are also eligible.

On June 12, 1984 Congress made the last Sunday in September Gold Star Mother's Day.

Are any of you Gold Star Mothers?




Churches will be back next week.


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