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1 1 (July 8, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govedyu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service nforming the legislative debate since 1914 Defense Primer: Gold Star Designation Updated July 8, 2021 Background During the years of U.S. participation in World War I (WWI, 1917-1918), a service banner with a blue star was flown by some families to represent each family member in military service. The white field, edged with red, holds up to five stars. See Figure 1. A practice developed that when a servicemember was killed or died the blue star would be replaced with a gold one. The Department of Defense (DOD) policy regarding display of the gold star on the Service Flag is contained in DOD Instruction ((DODI) 1348.36, Gold Star Lapel Button, Service Flag, and Service. The policy remains essentially unchanged, stating: If the Service member symbolized is killed or dies from causes other than dishonorable, the star representing that individual will have a gold star of smaller size superimposed on it, so that the blue forms a border. Figure I. Blue and Gold Star Service Banners (Flags) Source: Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Auxiliary Programs at http://vfwauxiliaryprograms.blogspot.com/20 14/1 2/americanism-what- do-gold-star-blue-star.html. In a separate but related practice, President Woodrow Wilson approved a recommendation in May 1918 made by the Women's Committee of the Council for National Defense that American women should wear a black band on the upper left arm, affixed with a gold star to signify the loss of a family member during the war. President Wilson described such women as Gold Star Mothers in his letter to the Council. In October 1942, Congress passed Public Law 77-750 that authorized the Secretary of War to approve a standard design for a service flag and a service lapel button. Gold Star Lapel Button (GSLB) The GSLB (also called the Gold Star Pin) was created in 1947, P.L. 80-306, as a means of identification for parents and widows of servicemembers who lost their lives in the U.S. armed services in WWII. The GSLB is a gold star on a field of purple surrounded by laurel leaves. See Figure 2. Under 10 U.S.C. §1126(a), A lapel button, to be known as the gold star lapel button, shall be designed, as approved by the Secretary of Defense, to identify next of kin of members of the armed forces-(1) who lost their lives during World War I, World War II, or during any subsequent period of armed hostilities in which the United States was engaged before July 1, 1958; (2) who lost or lose their lives after June 30, 1958-(A) while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; (B) while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or (C) while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict in which the United States is not a belligerent party against an opposing armed force; or (3) who lost or lose their lives after March 28, 1973, as a result of-(A) an international terrorist attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly to the United States, recognized as such an attack by the Secretary of Defense; or (B) military operations while serving outside the United States (including the commonwealths, territories, and possessions of the United States) as part of a peacekeeping force. Under 10 U.S.C. §1126(d)(1), The term next of kin means individuals standing in such relationship to members of the armed forces described in subsection (a) as the Secretaries concerned shall jointly specify in regulations for purposes of this section. See DODI 1348.36 in section 3.2. Families of servicemembers who died in circumstances other than those listed above may not be eligible for the Gold Star Lapel Button. However, they may be eligible to display a gold star on the Service Flag and may qualify for the Next of Kin Lapel Button. See DODI 1348.36 in sections 3.1- 3.3. Next of Kin Lapel Button Approved in 1973, the Next of Kin Lapel Button (also referred to as the Next of Kin Pin) is provided to the families of servicemembers who lost their lives while serving on active duty or while serving in a drill status as a member of the National Guard or Reserves in circumstance other than KIA. The Next of Kin Lapel Button is gold, with a star within a circle of sprigs of oak. According to A Survivor's Guide to Benefits by DOD, The star within the circle commemorates honorable service and the sprigs of oak refer to the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. Figure 2. Gold Star Lapel Button (left) and Next of Kin Lapel Button (right) Source: Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) at https://www.taps.org/articles/I5-2/goldstarpins and DODI 1348.36 in Section 3: Gold Star Lapel Button. https://crsreports.congress~gov

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