In 1936, Congress designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother’s Day. The observance continues today but includes the entire family, now officially designated as Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day by proclamation of President Barack Obama in 2011 to honor parents and families of service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in defense of their country. The 2024 observance is this Sunday, September 29.

The Gold Star is the military award that no one wants. Gold Star mothers, fathers, and siblings suffer a loss unimaginable to those who will never experience it. To them, every day is a Memorial Day. After World War II, recognizing the tremendous losses felt by hundreds of thousands of mothers, Congress designated the Gold Star Lapel Pin featuring a gold star with a purple background surrounded by laurel leaves. Under strict Department of Defense guidelines, the U.S. military must present the lapel pin to the immediate family member of the deceased.

For a more personal perspective of Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day and what it means to the mother of a loved one lost in Iraq some 20 years ago, watch a brief news feature aired earlier this week on WVEC’s 13News Now in the Norfolk, Virginia, viewing area.