[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E74-E75]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE RED STAR SERVICE BANNER AND THE RED STAR FOUNDATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACK BERGMAN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 28, 2025

  Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Speaker, in my office on Capitol Hill hangs a 
service banner--14 inches high by 8.5 inches wide, with a blue border, 
a white center, and a red star in the center. Given to me by its 
designers and fellow Marines Jerry Shaffer and Sergeant Major Gene 
Overstreet, this banner is used to recognize the service of a Veteran 
or service member who has died by suicide. It is my honor today to 
recognize the Red Star Service Banner and the Red Star Foundation.
  Each year, nearly 8,000 Veterans die by suicide in the United 
States--including over 500 active, reserve and guard deaths. Since 
2001, more Veterans have died by suicide than have been killed in 
action since 1950. Despite greater focus and investment being placed 
both within the Department of Veterans affairs and outside to address 
this suicide crisis, tragically, little to no real progress has been 
made.
  For each suicide, at least 6 surviving family members and loved ones 
are directly impacted leaving over 1 million people in the United 
States to cope with the pain and loss of a loved one. A new service 
banner specifically for Veteran and military suicides would serve 
several essential purposes:
  1. Recognition: it would provide a visible and enduring 
acknowledgment of the sacrifice made by those who lost their lives to 
the struggles of mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder. 
These battles are just as real, just as honorable, and just as 
deserving of remembrance as those faced in the field of combat.

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  2. Support for Families: it would offer a form of recognition to the 
families who have endured the loss of a loved one due to the invisible 
scars of war. They, too, have made significant sacrifices, and they 
deserve our empathy, understanding, and respect.
  3. Awareness: A specific banner would raise awareness about the 
crisis of Veteran suicides, promoting open dialogue, reducing stigma, 
and emphasizing the critical need for resources and support for mental 
health and suicide prevention among Veterans.
  4. Community and Unity: it would bring together the broader military 
and civilian communities in collective remembrance and action, uniting 
us in our support for those who have served and our determination to 
ensure that no veteran feels alone in their struggles.
  This service banner has been initially manufactured by ``The Flag 
Company'' in Clearwater Florida, and adopted by America's Gold Star 
Families, Military Order of the Purple National, Bruce Rector; mayor of 
Clearwater, Florida, the American Legion Turner-Brandon Post 7, Palm 
Harbor Chamber of Commerce, Pinellas County Veterans Association, 
Florida Veterans Coalition, Veteran Forces, Military Order of the 
Purple Heart Chapter 1963, the Military Order of the Purple Heart 
Chapter 705, Operation Warrior Wishes, and the Sgt. Anthony Patrick 
Muhlstadt Foundation.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the Red Star Service Banner 
and the Red Star Foundation. I applaud them for their work to honor our 
Veterans and service members lost due to suicide and to provide support 
and community to their loved ones. On behalf of my constituents, I wish 
the Red Star Foundation all the best in its future endeavors.

                          ____________________