Gold Star Spouses Day 2024 (US): Facts about Life in the Army

Gold Star Spouses Day 2024 (US): People celebrate Gold Spouses Day every April 5. We mourn the families of fallen or wounded soldiers. This day, once known as Gold Star Wives Day, now includes any family members, male or female, who have lost loved ones in the military. This day shows affected families that we respect their sacrifice and loss. Ceremonies and “remember the fallen” road races remember them.

Gold Star Spouses Day: History

Every day, tens of thousands of people sell their lives to serve their country. Consequently, this also signifies that thousands of families have members serving in the military. Imagine bidding farewell to a cherished individual while their return is uncertain. Each time a member of their armed forces family is deployed for deployment, military families confront this. The spouses, children, siblings, spouses, and children of those valiant service heroes are left behind.

World War I households decorated service flags with blue stars to honor family members who joined, starting the Gold Star movement. We ceremonially replaced the stars with gold stars if a family member died to commemorate their public sacrifice for liberty. The Golden Star Wives Association, created in 1945, included First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The government approved the Golden Star Lapel Button and distributed it to surviving family members and spouses of fallen soldiers.

In 1929, lawmakers compensated battle casualties’ spouses and mothers, and in 1936, they established National Gold Star Mother’s Day on the final Sunday of September. President Obama renamed it Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day. However, not before. The first Gold Star Wives’ Day was in 2010, and we later changed it to Gold Star Spouse Day.

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Gold Star Spouses Day: FAQs

Has Gold Star Wives of America formed the sole organization to represent Gold Star Families?

Supporters have also formed other organizations in support of the cause. The Gold Wives of America subsequently founded the Gold Star Sons and Daughters Association to provide financial support for initiatives aimed at honoring the offspring of deceased military personnel.

When was the inaugural meeting of the Gold Star Wives of America held?

The inaugural gathering took place on April 5, 1945. Four young widows, whose spouses perished in the war, organized it and hosted it in Marie Jordan’s apartment on West 20th Street in New York City.

Justification for Eleanor Roosevelt’s membership in the Gold Star Wives of America.

She became a member of the Gold Star Wives of America in 1945, shortly after her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, passed away, and was elected to the organization’s inaugural board of directors.

Five Facts about Life in the Army

Families in the military are required to relocate nearly ten times more frequently than typical families, or they have to move every two to three years on average. This is an inherent aspect of military life.
Statistical data shows that 36.6% of female spouses of male military personnel who are deployed for more than a year have a mental health diagnosis.
Experts in bereavement estimate that the loss of an active-duty military member impacts ten individuals.
Only 5% of military spouses are male; approximately 95% are females under the age of 35.
Developing a sustained professional trajectory can prove challenging for military spouses, given the requirement to relocate every other year.