A bipartisan resolution recently passed by the U.S. Senate designates Sept. 24-30 Gold Star Families Remembrance Week.
Introduced by U.S. Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), the resolution was approved by unanimous consent.
“The loss of a service member in the defense of our nation is a burden carried by families for a lifetime. It is the ultimate sacrifice by families who support their loved ones serving in our Armed Forces,” Hyde-Smith said. “It is not only appropriate, but responsible, for the American people to honor and recognize Gold Star families, their losses, and their sacrifices on behalf of our nation.”
The legislation provides the nation a specific time to honor the sacrifices made by families of U.S. service members who lost their lives in service to America, Warnock said.
“It’s our duty as a nation to take care of our military families, and that includes the families of fallen service members who should never be forgotten,” he said.
The measure is also supported by the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.
“Memorial Day exists to honor the fallen, but Gold Star Remembrance Week provides the opportunity to honor surviving military families themselves,” explained TAPS President and Founder Bonnie Carroll.
Commemoration of Gold Star Families Remembrance Week this year comes in advance of Gold Star Mother’s Day, which has been observed by presidential proclamation since 1936 on the last Sunday of September.
Hyde-Smith introduced the first-ever Gold Star Families Week resolution in 2018 and until its passage there was no formal recognition on a national level of the sacrifices made by families of the fallen.
Click here to read the resolution.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.