I have to admit, that I’ve been off kilter this weekend and am not really prepared to get back to blogging and all of the things that go with it.
However, I have to get back on the wagon and start moving forward. I don’t have a “Q&A” question already in mind, so I thought I’d do one that has been in the back of my mind this for a while.
“Why are homes displaying blue stars in their windows?”
Driving throughout downtown Delaware and surrounding communities, you’ll find many homes with a banner that features a white banner with a blue star and a red border. And being the curious sort, I’ve been wondering, “Why?”
“…The mayor of Cleveland, the Chamber of Commerce and the governor of Ohio have adopted this service flag. The world should know of those who give so much for liberty. The dearest thing in all the world to a father and mother – their children.”
Well it turns out, that that tradition is an old one and even has Ohio roots. According to the Veterans Flag Depot, the tradition began during World War I when Army Capt. Robert L. Queissner of the 5th Ohio Infantry had two sons serving on the front lines. It gained popularity, when on Sept. 24, 1917, an Ohio congressman read the following into the Congressional Record: “…The mayor of Cleveland, the Chamber of Commerce and the governor of Ohio have adopted this service flag. The world should know of those who give so much for liberty. The dearest thing in all the world to a father and mother – their children.”
It was standarized during the second World World War and became a fixture in many homes across the nation as we battled the Axis. They fell out of favor during the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War.
However, following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the American Legion launched a dreading campaign, which has now morphed into the National Remember Our Troops Campaign which has brought the tradition back as a form of honoring our troops.
According to the National Remember Our Troops Campaign, the Department of Defense has issued strict guidelines on who can display the blue star.
… regulations currently state that qualified active duty military personnel are Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard including “activated” members of the National Guard and Reserves. There is no requirement that a service member is or was stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere overseas to qualify.
Family members authorized to display the Service Banner include wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, stepparents, parents through adoption, foster parents who stand or stood in loco parentis, sons, daughters, stepchildren, children through adoption, brothers, sisters, half brothers and half sisters of members of the Armed Forces of the United States.
There is also a “Gold Star Banner” which is for those with love-ones that have given the ultimate sacrifice during a time of conflict.
“Q&A” appears on Sadie’s Take on Delaware Ohio every Tuesday and is a forum for us to answer all your questions. You can send your questions to toby@tobysellshomes.com or use the “contact” form on the upper-right hand corner of this screen.
