[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 67 (Monday, April 19, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE AMERICAN GOLD STAR MOTHERS, INC.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHRIS JACOBS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 19, 2021

  Mr. JACOBS of New York. Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment 
to recognize a recent event that generously contributed to and 
positively impacted the welfare of our community and citizenry here in 
the 27th Congressional District of New York. I gladly welcomed the 
Department of New York of the American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. to my 
hometown of Buffalo, New York for their 84th Convention on April 9-10, 
2021.
  I recognize the American Gold Star Mothers, women that share the 
tragedy of having children that died in connection to military service 
or are missing in action. These Gold Star Mothers strive to keep the 
memory of their sons and daughters alive by working to help veterans, 
those currently serving in the military, their families, and their 
communities. I am grateful for their efforts to come together to 
respect and honor our fallen service members, especially considering 
the immense hardship they have experienced themselves.
  There are many instances in the Congressional Record of service flags 
being adopted-that precede the creation of the American Gold Star 
Mothers organization--and I would like to highlight two in particular. 
In 1917 Ohio veteran and businessman Robert L. Queisser created the 
Blue Star Service Flag to honor his two sons serving in the First World 
War and other service members of the U.S. military. The Congressional 
Record of September 24, 1917 reflects the adoption of this service 
flag. This flag recognizes those who give so much for liberty and 
acknowledges that the dearest thing to a father and mother are their 
children.
  Later, in 1918, President Woodrow Wilson approved a suggestion by the 
Women's Committee of the Council of National Defense that mothers who 
lost a child in World War I wear a gold star on a traditional black 
mourning armband. This led to creation of the Gold Star Service Flag, 
where a gold star was placed inside the flag's blue star, signifying a 
service member has died.
  The Gold Star Service flag adoption was, of course, followed by the 
creation of the American Gold Star Mothers, Inc, an organization that 
offered its 65 original charter members the opportunity to find 
strength in fellowship. In 1928, twenty five mothers of American 
service members lost in World War I met in Washington, D.C. under the 
leadership of Grace Darling Seibold, the mother of U.S. Army First 
Lieutenant George V. Seibold killed in action, to establish the 
American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. The organization was officially 
incorporated on January 5, 1929.
  That same year, Congress provided funding for these mothers and 
widows to travel to cemeteries in Europe to visit their loved ones. In 
1930, a group of 231 Gold Star women sailed from Hoboken, New Jersey 
aboard the passenger liner SS America on the inaugural pilgrimage to 
the European graves of their sons and husbands who died in World War I. 
When this program ended three years later, nearly 6,700 Gold Star women 
had journeyed across the Atlantic to bid a final farewell to loved ones 
laid to rest in war cemeteries in France, Belgium, and Great Britain.
  Congress later granted a federal charter to the American Gold Star 
Mothers, Inc. and designated the last Sunday in September as ``Gold 
Star Mother's Day.'' Congress also authorized and requested President 
Franklin D. Roosevelt issue a proclamation in observance of this 
occasion. Each year on this day, we express the love, sorrow, and 
reverence of the people of the United States for American Gold Star 
Mothers.
  We especially recognize our American Gold Star Mothers and their 
fallen soldiers in New York's 27th District. At the Buffalo & Erie 
County Naval & Military Park resides the U.S. Navy destroyer USS The 
Sullivans (DD-537). This National Historic Landmark has been a public 
memorial and museum ship since 1979, and is sponsored by Alleta 
Sullivan, a Gold Star Mother whose five sons were killed in action. 
George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert Sullivan-brothers from 
Waterloo, IA--died when their cruiser was sunk at the First Naval 
Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942.
  I am glad the Gold Star Mothers recently had the opportunity to 
gather in Buffalo, New York for the 2021 Convention of the Department 
of New York of the American Gold Star Mothers. I remain incredibly 
grateful for and humbled by the Gold Star Mothers' commitment to 
honoring and reflecting on the legacies of their sons and daughters 
lost in service to our Nation; finding strength in the fellowship of 
each other; and helping veterans, current military servicemembers and 
their families, and our communities.

                          ____________________