Honoring Military Gold Star Families

Gold Star families are recognized as essential members of the military community. The gold star designation began during World War I when families displayed service banners with blue stars for active members and gold stars overlay on blue stars to indicate a service member's death. Congress formally established the service flag in 1942 and created the Gold Star Lapel Button program in 1947 following World War II to identify widows and parents of deceased service members. The nation honors these families through designated observances: Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day on the last Sunday of September and Gold Star Spouses Day on April 5. Eligible next of kin (including widows, widowers, parents, children, and siblings) receive the Gold Star Lapel Button automatically upon determination of eligibility at the time of death, though buttons can be requested or replaced using the DD Form 3 if needed. Eligibility extends to those who died during armed conflicts from World War I onward, including combat operations, terrorist attacks, and peacekeeping missions. The War Department maintains an online memorial honoring service members who died while on active duty since 1985. Survivors can access benefits information, counseling services, and support through Military OneSource and related military resources dedicated to assisting Gold Star families.