Gold Star Father or Family

GOLD STAR FATHER OR FAMILY -  At the conclusion of World War II, Congress established the Gold Star Lapel Button to provide an appropriate means to identify widows and widowers, children, parents, brothers and sisters of members of the Armed Forces of the United States who lost their lives in the defense of democracy and freedom during the World Wars I and II; and any subsequent armed hostilities in which the United States became engaged.

The Gold Star Lapel Button's unique design incorporates the symbols that indicated the family's loss; the Laurel Wreath Border signifies valor; the purple field signifies the family's grief or mourning; the Gold Star has been used since World War I to signify 'Died in a Combat Theater'.