WIESBADEN, Germany - Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, commanding general, Army Europe, hosted a Memorial Day ceremony at the Keyes Building on Clay Kaserne, here, May 21.
Memorial Day, which is observed on the last Monday of May, commemorates the men and women who died while in the military service. In observance of the holiday, many people visit cemeteries and memorials, and volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at national cemeteries.
In addition to Army Europe and U.S. Army Garrison-Wiesbaden leaders, Soldiers, civilians and family members, several Gold Star families attended the ceremony.
The term Gold Star family is a modern reference that comes from the Service Flag. These flags/banners were first flown by families during World War I. The flag included a blue star for every immediate family member 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 were engaged. If that loved one died, the blue star was replaced by a gold star. This allowed members of the community to know the price that the family had paid in the cause of freedom.
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About us: U.S. Army Europe is uniquely positioned in its 51 country area of responsibility to advance American strategic interests in Europe and Eurasia. The relationships we build during more than 1,000 theater security cooperation events in more than 40 countries each year lead directly to support for multinational contingency operations around the world, strengthen regional partnerships and enhance global security.
Related Links:
Memorial Day ceremonies around Europe
Feature site: Gold Star Survivors
Department of Veteran Affairs: Memorial Day
U.S. Army Europe Memorial Day resource portal (USAREUR NIPR network required)
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