Among the most significant is the gold star license plate, which is a symbol that embodies overwhelming loss, enduring honor and sacrifice of the highest order.

The gold star license plate also indicates that the driver is an immediate family member of a U.S. service member who lost their life while serving in the military. It’s not decorative or attention-grabbing. But rather, it is a low-key, solemn recognition of a loved one’s sacrifice.

The gold star tradition originated during World War I.

In 1917, Army Captain Robert L. Queisser created the Blue Star Service Banner in order to honor his sons serving abroad. Across the country, families were quick to embrace the concept, hanging banners bearing blue stars in their windows as a show of support for family members in uniform. Each time a service member was killed, the blue star was replaced with a golden one, turning the service banner into a symbol of sacrifice, honor and gratitude.

That was also the year when the Gold Star was first recognized officially, when President Woodrow Wilson allowed mothers of fallen soldiers to wear a black arm band with a Gold Star in it. The gesture publicly recognized their sacrifice and helped establish the gold star as a permanent symbol of military loss.

And as the years went by, grieving families found solace in one another. In 1928, American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., a support organization for mothers who had lost children in military service, was incorporated. The group carries on its work in supporting grieving families across the country.

In 1936, Congress designated the last Sunday of September as Gold Star Mother’s Day, now observed in honor of all Gold Star families.

Many states now allow the issuance of gold star license plates to qualified family members so they can carry this tribute on the open road. These plates are not just a means of identification. They symbolize strength, remembrance, and enduring love. A gold star represents a life lost in service and a family changed forever.

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