::  Point of View  ::

After my father left to serve his country and fight in World War II, my grandmother, like so many mothers before her hung a blue star in her window to serve as a reminder that a family member was defending our freedom.  Traditionally, service flags were displayed in homes, places of business, churches and schools to signify the number of family members who were serving in our Armed Services.  When the servicemembers returned safely from service, the blue star was then removed from display.  However, if a family member died while serving, a gold star was then placed directly over the blue star to honor the deceased veteran for their ultimate sacrifice – the loss of their life in defense of our freedom. 

A group of “gold star” mothers met in 1928 and formed the organization American Gold Star Mothers, Inc (AGSM).  It's an organization that no one would ever want to join, and for the benefit of those who do not know, there's only one way that you can become a member of this association – you receive a message from the pentagon, and normally that comes in the form of two uniformed officers coming to your door to inform you that you have lost a son or a daughter in combat.   

Since World War I, mothers who have lost a son or daughter while in service to our country have come to be known as “gold star” mothers.  In 1936, the first Presidential Proclamation to honor these mothers was given stating that the last Sunday in September would be designated and known as “Gold Star Mother’s Day,” and as customary since that date, on Sunday, September 25, 2005 we honored these mothers – not only for the loss of their child in service to our nation, but for their labor throughout the United States, for their many hours of work and personal service in hospitals for veterans and their families. They have a unique ability to remind us of our noble cause, ensuring that we will forever remember that America’s freedom originated and is maintained through a constant struggle that is still being fought today. 

The American Gold Star Mothers have suffered the supreme sacrifice of motherhood by losing sons and daughters who served in the Armed Forces, and thus perpetuate the memory of all whose lives were sacrificed in our wars. The American Gold Star Mothers assist veterans of the Armed Forces and their children in the presentation of claims to the Veterans' Administration, and aid the men and women who served and died or were wounded or incapacitated during hostilities. The services rendered to the United States by the mothers of America have strengthened and inspired our Nation throughout our history.

We honor our nation and the mothers of America when we revere and emphasize the role of the home and the family as the true foundations of our country. By doing so much for the home, the American mother is a source of moral and spiritual guidance for the people of the United States and thus acts as a positive force to promote good government and peace among all mankind.

As stated on the American Gold Star Mothers website, “The success of our organization continues because of the bond of mutual love, sympathy, and support of the many loyal, capable, and patriotic mothers who while sharing their grief and their pride, have channeled their time, efforts and gifts to lessening the pain of others.  We stand tall and proud by honoring our children, assisting our veterans, supporting our nation, and healing with each other.”

::  Documents & The Federal Government ::

In today's world of automated answering machines and confusing procedures, the federal government can often seem like a frustrating maze. One of my most important duties is to cut through the red tape and ensure that the federal government is working for you. A frequent frustration that many constituents express is not knowing the difference between “original documents” and “certified documents.” 

For example, a constituent recently learned that after he applied for veteran’s benefits he received notification that the document he sent in, a copy of his birth certificate he had since l947, was not proper documentation.  He then told my constituent representative, “It‘s all I have! What do they mean, “certified document needed.”  Here is a brief explanation about the difference between “original documents” and “certified documents”. 

Basically, an original copy of a vital record (such as a certificate of birth, death, divorce, or marriage) or a military document is the old dog-eared, yellowing document you probably have at home.  Most of us assume this would be a perfectly acceptable form of documentation, if not the most logical one.  However, since 9-11 and the subsequent increased scrutiny of identities, a “certified document” is now what may be necessary for transactions with state, local and federal agencies.  A “certified document” is a document that is “certified” by the designated state agency in each state in which the event occurred. Therefore, church copies, hospital copies, city/county records, copies and notarized copies of the original are generally not useful for transactions.  You can use the following internet sites to find information on where to obtain certified copies of your vital records and/or military discharge documents.  

Certified Military Discharge Document (DD214) http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/get-service-records.html 

National Resource to Obtain Certified Vital Records:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm