Gold Star Families Honored at Presidio 4 Sept. Reception

By Michael Beaton, Presidio of Monterey Public AffairsSeptember 8, 2014

Gold Star Families Honored at Presidio of Monterey 4 Sept. Reception
1 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. -- Gold Star families meet during a special reception in their honor following the Presidio Resiliency Festival and the Soldier Show at the Presidio of Monterey Sept. 4. Gold Star family or Gold Star Mother is the designa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gold Star Families Honored at Presidio of Monterey 4 Sept. Reception
2 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. -- Gold Star families meet during a special reception in their honor following the Presidio Resiliency Festival and the Soldier Show at the Presidio of Monterey Sept. 4. Gold Star family or Gold Star Mother is the designa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gold Star Families Honored at Presidio of Monterey 4 Sept. Reception
3 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. -- Gold Star families meet during a special reception in their honor following the Presidio Resiliency Festival and the Soldier Show at the Presidio of Monterey Sept. 4. Gold Star family or Gold Star Mother is the designa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gold Star Families Honored at Presidio of Monterey 4 Sept. Reception
4 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. -- Gold Star families meet during a special reception in their honor following the Presidio Resiliency Festival and the Soldier Show at the Presidio of Monterey Sept. 4. Gold Star family or Gold Star Mother is the designa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gold Star Families Honored at Presidio of Monterey 4 Sept. Reception
5 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. -- Gold Star families meet during a special reception in their honor following the Presidio Resiliency Festival and the Soldier Show at the Presidio of Monterey Sept. 4. Gold Star family or Gold Star Mother is the designa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gold Star Families Honored at Presidio of Monterey 4 Sept. Reception
6 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. -- Gold Star families meet during a special reception in their honor following the Presidio Resiliency Festival and the Soldier Show at the Presidio of Monterey Sept. 4. Gold Star family or Gold Star Mother is the designa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gold Star Families Honored at Presidio of Monterey 4 Sept. Reception
7 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. -- Gold Star families meet during a special reception in their honor following the Presidio Resiliency Festival and the Soldier Show at the Presidio of Monterey Sept. 4. Gold Star family or Gold Star Mother is the designa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. -- The designations "Gold Star Mother" and "Gold Star family" are distinctions that no parent, spouse or sibling wants, but their commitment, dignity and constant vigil ensure that the sacrifice of a son, daughter or spouse is never forgotten.

The Presidio of Monterey is active year-round providing support and inclusion to Gold Star families at events and observances large and small, and the recent Presidio Resiliency Festival at Price Field Sept. 4 provided another opportunity to invite and honor local Gold Star families to the Presidio.

The festival, part of the Army's Resiliency Campaign, included a variety of wellness experts and information booths, a sports challenge between different branches of the military to compete in physical-fitness contests and closed with a patriotic, Broadway-style variety performance of the U.S. Army Soldier Show.

The Soldier Show is a travelling entertainment extravaganza performed by Soldiers who entertain military personnel and their families in communities around the world.

Prior to the show, Gold Star families were met and greeted at the venue's entrance by service members and community leaders from the Presidio Garrison and Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center and were escorted to their prearranged seats for a front-row view of the show.

After the show, Gold Star families had the opportunity to meet the cast and mingle at a reception held in honor of the families.

The reception was hosted by Presidio Garrison and Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center leaders Col. Paul Fellinger and Col. David Chapman.

Families representing five fallen service members attended the Gold Star event.

The gathering provided the attending Gold Star families the opportunity to not only share stories and fellowship, but to also address concerns and share solutions with each other, Presidio leaders and Army Community Service representatives.

THE HISTORY OF THE GOLD STAR DESIGNATION

A Gold Star family or Gold Star Mother is the designation given to those who have lost a son, daughter, husband or wife in the service of the United States. The Gold Star name references the single gold star on service flags displayed in the windows of homes that have lost a son or daughter to war.

During World War I, flags were displayed in homes, businesses, schools and churches bearing a blue star for each military service member serving in harm's way. A gold star was stitched over the blue one when one of the members of the military had given their life for their country. From this simple expression of community solidarity, the Gold Star Mothers -- an organization comprised of mothers who have lost a son or daughter in war -- was born.

Although mothers of fallen service members began calling themselves "Gold Star Mothers" during the First World War, the sorrowful bond they share reaches back to every woman who has lost a son or daughter in uniform since the nation's revolution. According to the website, "The Army cherishes the mothers of its Soldiers as bedrocks of support and comfort, and honors the mothers of its fallen as resilient legacies of their children's service." The United States began observing Gold Star Mothers Day on the last Sunday of September in 1936.

To learn more about the Presidio of Monterey visit the garrison's official web site at www.monterey.army.mil.

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