[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 59 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S5387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 36--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE CONGRESS 
        REGARDING THE BLUE STAR SERVICE BANNER AND THE GOLD STAR

  Mr. DASCHLE (for himself, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Frist, Mr. 
Kerry, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Bond, Mr. McCain, Mr. Reid, and 
Mr. Rockefeller) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
was considered and agreed to:

                            S. Con. Res. 36

       Whereas the Blue Star Service Banner was patented and 
     designed in 1917, during the height of the First World War, 
     by Army Captain Robert L. Queissner of the 5th Ohio Infantry, 
     who had two sons serving on the front lines;
       Whereas the banner quickly became the symbol for a family 
     member serving the Nation and families began proudly 
     displaying these banners in their front windows during the 
     First World War;
       Whereas each Blue Star on the banner represents a family 
     member serving in the Armed Services and symbolizes hope and 
     pride;
       Whereas beginning in 1918, the Blue Star would signify the 
     living, and a smaller Gold Star would be placed on top of the 
     Blue Star, forming a blue border, if the family member was 
     killed or died while on active duty, to symbolize his or her 
     sacrifice for the cause of freedom;
       Whereas the placement of a Gold Star on top of a Blue Star 
     recognizes that those who served together and came home, as 
     well as their families, will always remember the sacrifice of 
     those who died and honor their families;
       Whereas the banners were displayed widely during the Second 
     World War;
       Whereas many of the banners displayed during the First and 
     Second World Wars were hand-made by the mothers of those 
     serving in the Armed Forces;
       Whereas the legacy of the banner continued during the 
     Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf Wars and other periods of 
     conflict, as well as in times of peace;
       Whereas the Blue Star Service Banner is the official banner 
     authorized by law to be displayed in honor of a family member 
     serving the United States, while the Gold Star may be 
     displayed in honor of a family member who has made the 
     ultimate sacrifice for the Nation;
       Whereas for over 85 years, families have proudly displayed 
     the Blue Star Service Banner showing service men and women 
     the honor and pride that is taken in their sacrifices for 
     freedom;
       Whereas the banner may be displayed by members of the 
     immediate family of a loved one serving in the Armed Forces, 
     including active duty service in a unit of the National 
     Guard, Merchant Marine, or the Reserves;
       Whereas the banner may be flown by families with a service 
     member stationed either domestically or overseas;
       Whereas the display of the banner in the front window of a 
     home shows a family's pride in their loved one and is a 
     reminder that preserving America's freedom demands great 
     sacrifice; and
       Whereas this reminder is especially timely during the 
     current conflict with Iraq and the war on terrorism: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) calls on all Americans to honor the men and women of 
     the United States Armed Forces and their families;
       (2) honors the men and women of the United States Armed 
     Forces and their families;
       (3) encourages these families to proudly display the Blue 
     Star Service Banner or, if their loved one has made the 
     ultimate sacrifice, the Gold Star; and
       (4) calls on the media to recognize the importance of the 
     Blue Star Service Banner and its symbolism of the devotion 
     and service of the men and women of the United States Armed 
     Forces.
       Sec. 2. The authority on which this resolution rests is the 
     authority of Congress to make all laws which shall be 
     necessary and proper as provided in Article I, section 8 of 
     the United States Constitution.

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