Photo By Staff Sgt. Brian Calhoun | Deborah Whitsitt, South Carolina Gold Star President, displays a blue star service...... read more read more
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Families of fallen Soldiers gathered to celebrate the lives and grieve the losses of their sons, daughters, mothers and fathers, Sept. 27, 2014, at the Governor’s Mansion during a gathering of the Gold Star Mothers and families.
Almost 60 family members were in attendance as a proclamation, signed by President Barack Obama and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, was read designating Sept. 28, 2014, as Gold Star Mothers and Families Day.
“The last decade has been significant,” said Brig. Gen. Van McCarty, deputy adjutant general of South Carolina.
“There are a lot of men and women who have raised their hands to serve this country. Not because they had to, but because it was the right thing to do,” he said. “There are a lot of groups that help families, but none do it as well as the Gold Star Mothers, a support group that calls together the mothers of this nation who have raised those who served this country.”
The American Gold Star Mothers organization was established in 1928 to assist veterans and families who had lost loved ones in service to their country. It began during World War I when families with members serving in the military during hostilities would hang a banner with a blue star in their windows.
If the service member was killed in action, the family would then embroider over the blue star with gold thread, and create a gold star, representing the loss of life to service of the country.
The Gold Star Mothers program works closely with many groups, including the S.C. National Guard, to provide a wide range of services to veterans and family members.
“In June 2011, General Livingston [the adjutant general for South Carolina] created a Service Member and Family Care branch, which did not exist prior to that,” said Col. Ronald Taylor, South Carolina National Guard J-1, Human Resource and Family Care director.
“He felt that he wanted our service members and families to have the programs, and the awareness of the programs, that could help them, like financial counseling, marriage counseling, employment and outreaches like we are having today.”
Taylor said they are also currently working towards creating seven one-stop shops throughout the state to make these programs available in more rural areas, so the families don’t have to come to Columbia to acquire services.
“We are currently tracking almost 1,000 families, not just the National Guard, but all branches,” Taylor added.
“These annual meetings have become great places for families to get together and network,” said Elizabeth Warren, Survivor Outreach coordinator. “It is the Army’s promise and commitment to never forget their fallen Soldiers, and this is how they are honoring their promise through this program.”
| Date Taken: | 09.27.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 09.28.2014 16:06 |
| Story ID: | 143517 |
| Location: | COLUMBIA, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 100 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldiers’ sacrifices remembered through families, by SFC Brad Mincey, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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