Carrot Top

Grace Seibold lost her son in WWI and organized a group of mothers who were going through the same grief which was named the American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. This name came from the custom of families of servicemen hanging a banner called a Service Flag in the window of their homes. The Service Flag had a star for each family member in the military. Families hung a blue star on the Service Flag for those that were living and a gold star in honor of the deceased veteran. On May 28, 1918, President Wilson approved that American women should wear a black band on the left arm and a yellow star on the band for each member of the family who had died while serving in the military.

Congress approved on June 23, 1936 that the last Sunday in September be designated as Gold Star Mother’s Day due to the “American Gold Star Mothers suffering supreme sacrifice in the loss of their sons and daughters in World Wars” as it is said in the Public Resolution 123.

You can see the activities that are taking place in Washington, DC here.

Membership today is open to any American woman whose son or daughter has died in the line of duty while in the US Armed Forces. Stepmothers and adoptive mothers are eligible for membership too. Husbands and childrenla of American Gold Star Mothers can become Associate Members who do not vote or pay dues.

The Gold Star Mothers provide emotional support for each other and they have a huge sense of patriotism. They have always been involved in a lot of volunteer work and continue to do so.

Pennsylvania’s State Flag is more of a square than a rectangle. It is composed of a blue field on which the State Coat of Arms is embroidered. Draft horses are on either side of the coat of arms and the American eagle rests on the top. The scroll at the bottom reads Virtue, Liberty and Independence.

The first state flag bearing the state coat of arms was authorized by the general assembly in 1799. An act of the general assembly of June 13, 1907, standardized the flag and required that the blue field match the blue of “Old Glory”.

The flag of Oregon is the only state flag with different pictures on each side. On the reverse appears a beaver the state animal. Both sides have a field of navy blue with design in gold. The front picture includes a heart shaped shield with an eagle on top, surrounded by thirty-three stars which was the number of states in 1859. The scene on the shield shows the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean, mountains, forests and a covered wagon. A plow, wheat and pickax represent farming and mining. Of the two ships: The one leaving is a British ship and the one arriving is a United States ship representing trade. The eagle represents the United States. On a banner are the words “The Union” representing support for the United States. Finally the flag is emblazoned with the words “State of Oregon” above the picture and the date of statehood “1859″ below.

The Oklahoma state flag honors more than 60 groups of Native Americans and their ancestors. The blue field comes from a flag carried by Choctaw soldiers during the civil war. The center shield is the battle shield of an Osage warrior. It is made of buffalo hide and decorated with eagle feathers. Two symbols of peace lie across the shield. One is the calumet, or peace pipe. The other is an olive branch. Crosses on the shield are Native American signs for stars, representing high ideals.

Ohio’s state flag was adopted in 1902. The Ohio burgee, as the swallowtail design is properly called, was designed by John Eisemann. The large blue triangle represents Ohio’s hills and valleys, and the stripes represent roads and waterways. The 13 stars grouped about the circle represent the original states of the union; the 4 stars added to the peak of the triangle symbolize that Ohio was the 17th state admitted to the union. The white circle with its red center not only represents the “O” in Ohio, but also suggests Ohio’s famous nickname, “The Buckeye State”.

North Dakota’s dark blue field displays a bald eagle holding an olive branch and a bundle of arrows in its claws. In its beak, the eagle carries a ribbon with the words “One nation made up of many states”. The shield on its breast has thirteen stars, representing the original thirteen states. The fan shaped design above the eagle represents the birth of a new nation, the United States. The name “North Dakota” appears on a red scroll below the eagle.

The state flag of North Carolina shall consist of a blue union, containing in the center a white star with the letter N on the left and the letter C on the right of the star, the circle containing the same to be one-third the width of the union. The fly of the flag shall consist of two equally proportioned bars; the upper bar to be red, the lower bar to be white; that the length of the bars horizontally shall be equal to the perpendicular length of the union, and the total length of the flag shall be one-third more than its width. That above the star in the center of the union there shall be a gilt scroll in semi-circular form, containing in black letters this inscription “May 20th, 1775″, and that below the star there shall be a similar scroll containing in black letters the inscription: “April 12th, 1776″.

The New York state flag has a dark blue field where the state coat of arms rests. The goddess Liberty holds a pole with a Liberty Cap on top. Liberty stands for freedom. At her feet is a discarded crown, representing freedom from England at the end of the revolutionary war. On the right is the goddess, Justice. She wears a blindfold and carries the scales of justice. Meaning that everyone receives equal treatment under the law. The state motto “Excelsior” on a white ribbon expresses the idea of reaching upward to higher goals. On the shield a sun rises over the Hudson highlands and ships sail the Hudson River. Above the shield is an eagle resting on a globe representing the Western Hemisphere.

The state flag of New Mexico looks rather normal but is very unique in what it means. The yellow field and red symbol colors are the colors of Spain. First brought to New Mexico by Spanish explorers in 1540. On New Mexico’s flag we see a red sun with rays stretching out from it. There are four groups of rays with four rays in each group. This is an ancient sun symbol of a Native American people called the Zia. The Zia believed that the giver of all good gave them gifts in groups of four. These gifts are:

• The four directions - north, east, south and west.
• The four seasons - spring, summer, fall and winter.
• The day - sunrise, noon, evening and night.
• Life itself - childhood, youth, middle years and old age.
• All of these are bound by a circle of life and love, without a beginning or end.

The State flag of New Jersey is buff or light tan colored. The state coat of arms is emblazoned in the center. The shield has three plows with a horse’s head above it. Two women represent the goddesses of Liberty and Agriculture. A ribbon at the bottom includes the year of independence in 1776 and reads: Liberty and Prosperity. The New Jersey state flag was formally adopted in 1896.