From the NFRW Armed Services Committee

Our Armed Services members do not serve alone!  There are normally spouses and other family members who have “served” with them. No one wants the distinction of being a Gold Star Spouse (or mother), for that means your loved one has lost their life in the line of duty. Tamra Sipes, national president of Gold Star Wives of America, recently told Fox News, when “you lose the love of your life, it’s hard to put one step in front of another.”

Gold Star Spouses (previously known as Gold Star Wives) was founded in 1945; Gold Star Mothers was founded in 1928. Starting in World War II, families would hang a blue star in their window signifying they had a loved one in the service. If the loved one died, the star would change to gold. The Gold Star Spouses’ organizational goal is to enhance and improve the financial benefits for U.S. military spouses and families, as well as to provide a means to share their feelings with others going through the same hardship.

Over the years, benefits have improved for spouses, and starting in 2023, Gold Star Spouses will not have a monetary offset from the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) if they also receive Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC).  Spouses today are also helped by Casualty Assistance Officers who help guide them through the bureaucracy of burial, moving, and financial assistance, working with them as long as they need.

Remember to say a prayer for all of the Gold Star Spouses (and families).