We Honor Those Who Serve And Those Who Have Fallen In Service
For 15 years the Blue Star Salute Foundation has been attending deployments throughout the State of Alabama. At these deployment ceremonies we present each service member a Blue Star Service Banner so that they can give to a loved one to proudly display in a window of their home.
"Thank you to all of our veterans and current service members of the US Armed Forces. Thank you to the Gold Star family members who have lost a loved one defending our country."
Paula Edmondson
Blue Star Salute Foundation
What is a Service Flag?
The Service Flag (also known as "Blue Star Banner" or "Son In Service Flag") was designed and patented by World War I Army Captain Robert L. Queissner of the 5th Ohio Infantry who had two sons serving on the front line. The flag quickly became the unofficial symbol of a child in service. President Wilson became part of its history when in 1918 he approved a suggestion made by the Women's Committee of the Council of National Defenses that mothers who had lost a child serving in the war to wear a gold gilt star on the traditional black mourning arm band.
This led to the tradition to cover the blue star with a gold star on the Service Flag to indicate that the service member has died or been killed.
The color of the star is also symbolic in that the blue star represents hope and pride and the gold star represents sacrifice to the cause of liberty and freedom.