https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated July 8, 2021
Defense Primer: Gold Star Designation
Background
During the years of U.S. participation in World War I
(WWI, 1917-1918), a service banner with a blue star was
flown by some families to represent each family member in
military service. The white field, edged with red, holds up
to five stars. See Figure 1. A practice developed that when
a servicemember was killed or died the blue star would be
replaced with a gold one. The Department of Defense
(DOD) policy regarding display of the gold star on the
Service Flag is contained in DOD Instruction ((DODI)
1348.36, Gold Star Lapel Button, Service Flag, and
Service. The policy remains essentially unchanged, stating:
“If the Service member symbolized is killed or dies from
causes other than dishonorable, the star representing that
individual will have a gold star of smaller size
superimposed on it, so that the blue forms a border.”
Source: Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Auxiliary Programs at
http://vfwauxiliaryprograms.blogspot.com/2014/12/americanism-what-
do-gold-star-blue-star.html.
In a separate but related practice, President Woodrow
Wilson approved a recommendation in May 1918 made by
the Women’s Committee of the Council for National
Defense that American women should wear a black band on
the upper left arm, affixed with a gold star to signify the
loss of a family member during the war. President Wilson
described such women as “Gold Star Mothers” in his letter
to the Council.
In October 1942, Congress passed Public Law 77-750 that
authorized the Secretary of War to approve a standard
design for a service flag and a service lapel button.
Gold Star Lapel Button (GSLB)
The GSLB (also called the Gold Star Pin) was created in
1947, P.L. 80-306, as a means of identification for parents
and widows of servicemembers who lost their lives in the
U.S. armed services in WWII. The GSLB is a gold star on a
field of purple surrounded by laurel leaves. See Figure 2.
Under 10 U.S.C. §1126(a), “A lapel button, to be known as
the gold star lapel button, shall be designed, as approved by
the Secretary of Defense, to identify next of kin of members
of the armed forces—(1) who lost their lives during World
War I, World War II, or during any subsequent period of
armed hostilities in which the United States was engaged
before July 1, 1958; (2) who lost or lose their lives after
June 30, 1958—(A) while engaged in an action against an
enemy of the United States; (B) while engaged in military
operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign
force; or (C) while serving with friendly foreign forces
engaged in an armed conflict in which the United States is
not a belligerent party against an opposing armed force; or
(3) who lost or lose their lives after March 28, 1973, as a
result of—(A) an international terrorist attack against the
United States or a foreign nation friendly to the United
States, recognized as such an attack by the Secretary of
Defense; or (B) military operations while serving outside
the United States (including the commonwealths, territories,
and possessions of the United States) as part of a
peacekeeping force.”
Under 10 U.S.C. §1126(d)(1), “The term “next of kin”
means individuals standing in such relationship to members
of the armed forces described in subsection (a) as the
Secretaries concerned shall jointly specify in regulations for
purposes of this section.” See DODI 1348.36 in section 3.2.
Families of servicemembers who died in circumstances
other than those listed above may not be eligible for the
Gold Star Lapel Button. However, they may be eligible to
display a gold star on the Service Flag and may qualify for
the Next of Kin Lapel Button. See DODI 1348.36 in
sections 3.1- 3.3.
Next of Kin Lapel Button
Approved in 1973, the Next of Kin Lapel Button (also
referred to as the Next of Kin Pin) is provided to the
families of servicemembers who lost their lives while
serving on active duty or while serving in a drill status as a
member of the National Guard or Reserves in circumstance
other than KIA. The Next of Kin Lapel Button is gold, with
a star within a circle of sprigs of oak. According to A
Survivor’s Guide to Benefits by DOD, “The star within the
circle commemorates honorable service and the sprigs of
oak refer to the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force.”
