Evergreen Rotary

Blue Star Banner Salute-Request for Names

By Jane Weinberger

The Evergreen American Legion Post, on Sunday May 18th, will host the 4th annual “Blue Start Salute”, a ceremony to honor the local families who have a member serving on active duty in any of the U.S. Armed forces. It is open to the public and will be on the grass patio of the Evergreen Elks Lodge at 1:00. They have requested that we ask for names of anyone you might know (and Rotarians) that they can send a formal invitation to the service and award them with a blue star banner to hang in their home or in their window. Please send the names (and contact information) to me and I will forward it to the American Legion Post.

History of the Blue Star Banner:

A Blue Star Banner displayed in the window of a home is an American tradition. The banner lets others know that someone in the home is proudly serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. The Blue Star Banner was designed and patented in 1917 by World War I Army Capt. Robert Queissner who had two sons serving on the front line. Each blue star represents one family member who is serving. If the individual symbolized is killed or dies while serving, the star representing that individual will have superimposed on it a gold star of smaller size. (The ceremony at the Elks will also recognize and honor the gold star families in the community).
Blue Star Mothers and Gold Star Mothers organizations were established during World War I and remain active today. Blue Star Banners, while widely used across America during WW I and II, they were not embraced during the Korean or Vietnam wars with nearly the same enthusiasm. Thanks to the American Legions throughout the country for rekindling the spirit of pride in our military men and women.

The Blue Star banner displayed in the front window of a home shows a family’s pride in their loved one serving in the military and reminds others that preserving America’s freedom demands much. As Americans do their best to support our troops in this ongoing war in Iraq, the Blue Star Banner tradition reminds us all that war touches every neighborhood in our land.

Note: Remember this is not about supporting the war, but this is about supporting “family”. The strength of our soldiers comes from the strength of their families.