WHEREAS, The history of Gold Star families began in the United States shortly after World War I to provide support for mothers who lost sons or daughters in the war; and

WHEREAS, The reference to the Gold Star comes from the custom of families of service members hanging a service flag in the window of their homes displaying a blue star for every living family member in the Armed Forces and a gold star for those who have perished; and

WHEREAS, The United States began observing Gold Star Mothers’ Day on the last Sunday of September in 1936, and the Gold Star Wives was formed before the end of World War II; and

WHEREAS, Since 2009, the President of the United States has designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mothers’ and Families’ Day, continuing the tradition of honoring the sacrifice of these families; and

WHEREAS, The strength of our military is built upon the men and women who serve in uniform and the families who support them; and

WHEREAS, Since the start of the War on Terror, more than 7,000 members of the United States Armed Forces have lost their lives; and

WHEREAS, The families of our fallen soldiers have made a tremendous sacrifice on behalf of our country; and

WHEREAS, All Gold Star families deserve to be recognized by our local, state, and federal leaders for their sacrifices and their dedicated, patriotic support of the United States; and

WHEREAS, Supporting Gold Star families demonstrates the commitment of the American people to those families, now and in the future; and

WHEREAS, As a nation, we must continually look for new ways to support Gold Star families both in the days immediately following the tragedy and in the years that follow; now, therefore, be it