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The Service Flag
is an official banner authorized by the Department of Defense
for display by families who have members serving in the Armed
Forces during any period of war or hostilities the United States
may be engaged in for the duration of such hostilities.
The history of the Service Flag
is as patriotic and touching as the symbolism each star
represents to the families that display them.
The service flag (also known as
"blue star banners" or "son in service
flags") was designed and patented by World War I Army
Captain Robert L. Queissner of the 5th Ohio Infantry who had two
sons serving on the front line. The flag quickly became the
unofficial symbol of a child in service. President Wilson became
part of its history when in 1918 he approved a suggestion made
by the Women's Committee of the Council of National Defenses
that mothers who had lost a child serving in the war to wear a
gold gilt star on the traditional black mourning arm band.
This led to the tradition to
cover the blue star with a gold star on the Service flag to
indicate that the service member has died or been killed.
The color of the stars is also
symbolic in that the blue star represents hope and pride and the
gold star represents sacrifice to the cause of liberty and
freedom.
During World War II, the
practice of displaying the service flag became much more
widespread. In 1942, the Blue Star Mothers of America was
founded as a veteran service organization and was part of a
movement to provide care packages to military members serving
overseas and also provide assistance to families who encountered
hardships as a result of their son or husband serving during the
war.
Virtually every home and
organization displayed banners to indicate the number of members
of the family or organization serving in the Armed Forces, and
again, covered those blue stars with a gold star to represent
each member that died.
In 1960, Congress chartered the
Blue Star Mothers of America as a veterans service organization
and in 1966, the Department of Defense revised the
specifications for the design, manufacture and display of the
Service Flag.
The Department of Defense
specifies that family members authorized to display the flag
include the wife, husband, mother, father, stepfather, parent
through adoption, foster parents who stand or stood in loco
parentis, children, stepchildren, children through adoption,
brothers, sisters, half brothers and half sisters of a member of
the Armed Forces of the United States. The flag should be
displayed in a window of the residence of person who are members
of the immediate family.
The Service Flag may also be
displayed by an organization to honor the members of that
organization serving in the Armed Forces during a period of war
or hostilities.
How to Display the Service
Flag
The Service Flag is an indoor
flag and should be flown facing out from the front window of the
home or organization.
If the U.S. flag is also
displayed with the Service Flag, the U.S. flag should be of
equal or greater proportions and should take the place of honor
above the Service Flag.
If a gold star is added to the
Service Flag, it should take the position of honor and be placed
over the blue star that is positioned closest to the staff.
The gold star should be smaller
than the blue star to create a blue border surrounding the gold
star
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