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Media Advisory
Public Affairs Office, U.S. Army Garrison, Hawai’i
(808)787-1529
Release number: 2024-09-10
Sept. 10, 2024
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawai’i – Army officials invite the community to take part in honoring the mothers and families of fallen service members at a ceremony at Punchbowl, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Sept. 29, at 1 p.m.
During the Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day ceremony, surviving mothers and families of fallen service members, or “Gold Star mothers and families,” will place the boots of their lost loved ones, as well as a lei of honor and remembrance, at the foot of the Lady Columbia statue. Lady Columbia stands tall at the cemetery, representing all grieving families of the Armed Forces, as she vigilantly watches over the fallen.
“We owe our deepest gratitude and respect to these families who have survived such heartbreaking losses,” said Col. Rachel Sullivan, Commander, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawai’i, and ceremony host. “Their strength and resilience is both humbling and inspiring.”
In 1936, Franklin D. Roosevelt designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother’s Day. In 2011, President Barrack Obama amended the last Sunday in September to be recognized as Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day..
The display of the Gold Star dates back to World War I. Families would display a blue star flag for every member serving in the war. If that family lost a child in combat, they would switch out the blue star with a gold star.
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MEDIA NOTE: Interested media should contact the USAG-HI Public Affairs Office to attend the event or request photographs. Please R.S.V.P. no later than 4 p.m., Sept. 25. Contact Mr. Michael Donnelly, External Communications, at (808) 398-9407.
For information about the event, reach out to the Survivor Outreach Services Coordinator (SOSC), at (808) 787-4227.
