Photo By Andrew Young | Gold Star families, Second Air Force and the 81st Training Wing leadership pose for a...... read more read more
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. – During World War 1, families displayed small flags with a blue star representing a family member serving during periods of armed conflict. If the service member made the ultimate sacrifice while deployed, the family placed a gold star over the blue star to inform the community of their loved one’s fate and the price they paid for their nation.
To honor the surviving families of fallen service members, on June 23, 1936, Congress officially designated the last Sunday of September as Gold Star Mother’s Day, now known as Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast is home to over a dozen Gold Star Family members spanning from the Korean war to the Global War on Terrorism. In their honor, the Second Air Force Commander, Maj Gen Wolfe Davidson hosted a Gold Star Family social at his home on Sept. 27. During the social, family members of fallen Airmen, Marines and Soldiers shared stories about their loved ones with Second Air Force and 81st Training Wing leadership.
Ernest Hemingway once said “Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name. In some ways men can be immortal.”
“Listening to the family members share the stories of our hero’s life, their character and their service is a humbling and inspiring experience,” said Davidson. “It allows us to ensure these heroes remain immortal in the words of Hemmingway.” It is not only our duty to continue to honor and celebrate their life and their service, but also to care for their families once they’re gone.”
The gathering was just one of many events organized throughout the military to serve as a tribute to the sacrifice fallen heroes have made in service and to the Gold Star Families across the installation, surrounding communities and the country.
As Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day passes, the observance continues to ensure that the memories of fallen warriors thrive in the minds of Americans across the nation while helping families endure the healing process and serving as a sobering reminder that freedom is not free.
As Davidson said, “We will never forget their sacrifice and while there is rarely a time when an American Service Member is not within arm’s length of the enemy, we aspire to ensure there is never a moment when their family is more than an arm’s length away from our embrace.”
| Date Taken: | 10.04.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.04.2024 15:40 |
| Story ID: | 482572 |
| Location: | BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 6 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, To Never be Forgotten, by A1C Devyn Waits, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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