A question on US Service Flags?

Question

My understanding of the Blue Star service flag is it can only be displayed by a family member (parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild) when a family member is in the Armed Forces during a time of war.

The Gold Star service flag represents that same family member killed in combat during time of war.

I cannot seem to get a straight answer from the Department of Defense or other organisations on whether the Gold Star service flag can only be displayed during that particular war, any war, or any time. (My father was killed in combat in the Vietnam War.)

Clarification would be appreciated, as well as a reference if you could provide it.

(American disabled veteran, logged in through Yahoo! Canada to avoid the hated and non-functional NEO format that Yahoo has foisted off on us to debug for free)

quietharmony1002 · Accepted Answer

The Gold Star Service Flag is displayed by any family member in memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving our Nation. This flag is a white rectangular field bordered in red, with a gold star superimposed over a larger blue star so that the blue forms a border.  

The Blue Star Service Flag is a white rectangular field bordered in red, with a blue star or stars arranged horizontally. The number of blue stars corresponds to the number of Family members in U.S. Armed forces currently deployed during any war or conflict. It is displayed by any family member of the service member(s).

For more information, visit the Army's MWR (Morale, Welfare, Recreation) web site:  http://www.armymwr.com/goldstar.aspx

NWIP · Answer

This is what I found

The individuals entitled to display the service flag are clearly defined in 36 USC Â§ 901 which reads:

A service flag approved by the Secretary of Defense may be displayed in a window of the place of residence of individuals who are members of the immediate family of an individual serving in the Armed Forces of the United States during any period of war or hostilities in which the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged.

I also found this webpage that might help to http://www.goldstarmoms.com/resources/serviceflags/serviceflags.htm

alexander m · Answer

there is no official DOD regulation on it. The system is not something that is military or government ran. It is ran by Blue Star Mothers and Gold Star Mothers, which are support groups for parents (mainly moms) who have sons/daughters in the military.
As far as original purpose goes, the Blue Star flag is flown when a son/daughter is in the military (does not have to be during wartime) and a gold star is flown when a son/daughter has been lost in war. You can fly it for your dad if you want, there's nothing stopping you, but it's going to throw some cross signals

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A question on US Service Flags?

3 Answers