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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.”
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Documents
& The Federal Government
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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
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