Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District
Issues
Veterans
Gold Star Medal
The family of Mark Clotfelter, who was killed in action thirty-one years ago in Vietnam, finally received the Gold Star medal this Memorial Day. I delivered the medal to the sister of Mark Clotfelter, Susan Clotfelter Blaker, at her home in Poulsbo.
I was honored to have the opportunity to present the Gold Star medal to Mr. Clofelter's sister. We all must be reminded of the sacrifices our veterans have made for our freedoms. It was especially timely to honor Mark Clotfelter's life on Memorial Day, and to remember what this holiday is all about.
Mr. Clotfelter's Cobra helicopter was shot down in 1969 as he was assisting Special Forces units over enemy territory. Many years later, Susan Clotfelter Blaker contacted my office on behalf of her mother. "I am requesting your help because I am not sure where else to begin. My mother, Ina Clotfelter, is 77 years old. She lost her only son in Vietnam and should have received the Gold Star in 1969," she wrote. My office managed to obtain the medal from the National Personnel Records Center.
The Gold Star Lapel Button was established by Act of Congress to provide an appropriate identification for widows, widowers, parents, and next of kin of members of the Armed Forces of the United States who lost their lives during World War I, World War II, or other armed conflicts in which the United States was engaged. The Gold Star Lapel Button consists of a gold star on a purple circular background, bordered in gold and surrounded by gold laurel leaves. On the reverse is the inscription "United States of America, Act of Congress, August 1966" with space for engraving the initials of the recipient.