Veterans column: April 5th is Gold Star Spouse Day
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.
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.
Of course, nobody wants to be a member of a Gold Star family. 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.”
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. In 2009, President Barack Obama amended the holiday to extend the recognition to all family members of a deceased service member.
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 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.
For 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.
Gold Star Mothers is a stand-alone, chartered organization with chapters across the nation. It has a detailed website with information on its annual national conventions, trips to Washington D.C. and a 23-acre apartment complex for Gold Star Families in Southern California.
It also supports and strengthens spouses and families of fallen service members. Check out their website at www.goldstarmoms.com.
Many Gold Star spouses find a measure of comfort through volunteer work with the USO and other veteran organizations. The USO provides transportation for families from home to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware where the beloved servicemember’s body may be transported if he or she were overseas at the time of death.
In any case, if the family is far from the returning remains, the USO is notified and will be there to help make a difficult journey a little easier. As time passes, many Gold Star moms and dads find they need to do something positive with their time and often find other volunteers working at the USO with a bonding or similar life experience.
The symbol for a Gold Star Family is a Gold Star on a flag, with a white back ground and red stripes around the border. A Gold Star family member may also wear a lapel pin.
There are currently 195 Gold Star monuments honoring family members throughout the United States. In Ventura County, there is one on display at the Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley.
For more information, visit America's Gold Star Families online at americasgoldstarfamilies.org.
Andy Ostroth is a retired U.S. Navy master chief having served 30 years. He is currently a senior veteran team leader at the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation in Camarillo.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Veterans column: April 5th is Gold Star Spouse Day
