[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 144 (Wednesday, September 26, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF GOLD STAR MOTHERS DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. JOHN KLINE

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 24, 2007

  Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solemn 
observance of ``Gold Star Mother's Day'', on Sunday, September 30th.
  More than 75 years ago, one mother's determination to transform her 
personal loss into good works led to the creation of the American Gold 
Star Mothers. After receiving notice of her son's death in aerial 
combat during World War I, Grace Darling Seibold devoted her energy to 
volunteering in a local hospital. She began reaching out to other 
mothers whose sons had died in military service to our Nation, and 
these women organized into a local group.
  Their organization was named after the gold star service flag that 
families hung in their windows for family members who had died in 
military service. After years of planning, it became a national 
organization in 1928. In 1936, Congress designated the last Sunday of 
September as ``Gold Star Mother's Day.''
  Since then, brave women have continued to come together as Gold Star 
Mothers to ease the burden of their loss and to serve others.
  The cost of America's freedom is often personal. Few pay more dearly 
than our Gold Star Mothers, who have endured the death of a son or 
daughter in service to our country.

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