Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 09/17/2001

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
As the newly elected president of the American Gold Star Mothers, I would like to inform veterans of all wars that there will be a Gold Star Mothers Day Service at Arlington National Cemetery, north of the Amphitheater, Sunday, September 30th at 2:00 p.m. 

Following a brief ceremony, we will place a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Invited guests include General James Jackson, Commander of The Military District of Washington, past Marine Corps Commandant, General Carl Mundy and other military leaders.

This is our 73rd anniversary and is of particular interest to our members because Congress has two bills pending titled the "Gold Star Parents Annuity Act." The House bill (H.R. 1917) was introduced by Representative Ben Gilman (R-NY), and the Senate bill (S.129) by Senator Max Cleland (D-GA). Both bills are the same and have been referred to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs. They are calling for a special monthly pension of $125 for Gold Star Parents -- fathers and mothers whose sons or daughters lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces during a period of war.

While details of the bill must still be ironed out in committee, I hope we can count on your support. Our Gold Star mothers in 200 chapters nationwide continue to volunteer in Veterans' Hospitals, advocate for veterans' rights, and educate America's youth about patriotism and civic responsibility.

As long as America continues to foster democratic principles worldwide and combat countries intent on war at the expense of humanity, the Gold Star Mothers will play a pivotal role in comforting the families of our service men and women who lose loved ones in those future conflicts.

Georgianna Carter Krell
President, The American Gold Star Mothers

Dear Georgianna:
I am looking forward to attending your very special memorial service, and be assured you have my wholehearted support for the passage of H.R. 1917.

When introducing this legislation, Congressman Gilman stated, 

"This legislation would create a new annuity of $125 per month for all current and future Gold Star Parents. Gold Star Parents are those individuals who have lost a child, who was an active duty member of the Armed Forces, and subjected to either enemy fire in a recognized conflict or to an act of terrorism.

The annuity is for each set of parents, to be divided equally if they are no longer married. Should one parent be deceased, the surviving parent would receive the full amount of the annuity. This annuity will be tax free.

The annuity is contingent upon the parents being awarded a Gold Star, the eligibility of which is determined by the Secretary of Defense.

Most of the recipients will be members of The American Gold Star Mothers, an organization that had its beginnings in World War I. During that conflict, a blue star was used to represent a person serving in the United States' Armed Forces. As American casualties mounted in 1917, silver stars were used to represent those who had been wounded, and gold stars were used for those who had died in the service of their nation.

One June 4, 1928, a group of twenty-five mothers residing in Washington, DC, met to plan the founding of a national organization, which was officially incorporated on January 5, 1929.

Gold Star membership was initially open to all mothers who had lost a son or daughter in World War I, but subsequently was opened to all those whose who had lost a child in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf conflict.

These additions have paralleled congressional modifications to the U.S. Code to permit the Secretary of Defense to award Gold Star pins to the parents of deceased veterans of those conflicts as well as those who lost children in terrorist attacks on U.S. Armed Forces.

Since its founding, The American Gold Star Mothers has played a vital role in the healing process for those who had lost a child. By bringing together those who share a common tragedy, this organization has helped its members realize that they are not alone in their grief.

Furthermore, The Gold Star Mothers also performed the important service of assisting veterans of the last century's military conflicts and their descendants with the presentation of claims before the Veterans' Administration They also perform thousands of hours of volunteer service in our VA hospitals, offering assistance and comfort to hospitalized veterans and their families.

Mr. Speaker, our country has always sought to look after the surviving spouse and children of a service-member who has been killed in action. Often overlooked however, are the parents of the deceased service-member. This is unfortunate since the parents are usually those who have had the greatest role in shaping that person's life and will have had the greatest impact on his or her life. Yet, beyond heartfelt condolences, the parents receive very little from the Government that their child chose to patriotically serve as a member of the Armed Forces.

While we all recognize that the Government has some obligation to the widowed spouse and the killed soldier's children, very few have argued on the behalf of the parents who lose their children to war. Only those parents who relied on their child as a primary means of support currently receive any benefit when their child is killed in the line of duty.

This legislation seeks to change that reality. It offers a small annuity to any parent, mother or father, regardless of need, as a sign of appreciation for the ultimate sacrifice made by their child in the defense of freedom and liberty.

Accordingly, I invite my colleagues to support this overdue measure, H.R. 1917."

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-462-4430 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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