It was not until 1947 that Congress designated the version we know today -- the Gold Star lapel pin -- as the official symbol of a family member's sacrifice. The Gold Star Lapel Button was ...

Donna Engeman started wearing the Gold Star lapel pin after her husband, Chief Warrant Officer John Engeman, was killed southeast of Baghdad on May 14, 2006. She wanted to honor and remember the ...

Donna Engeman started wearing the Gold Star lapel pin after her husband, Chief Warrant Officer John Engeman, was killed southeast of Baghdad on May 14, 2006. She wanted to honor and remember the ...

In 1947, Congress authorized the military to issue gold star lapel pins to families of those who had been killed in combat. In 1973, Congress approved another for families of service members who ...

FORT LEE - The Army recently announced plans to release three public service announcements over the next year to increase awareness of DOD-issued Gold Star and next-of-kin lapel pins. Fox Sports aired ...

Two Gold Star lapel buttons are given to military families. The traditional Gold Star pin was created in the 1940s to honor the surviving parents or spouses of service members who died in combat.

The pins are designed to signify the loss of a loved one in support of our nation. Although the Gold Star pins have been in existence for decades, many Americans are unfamiliar with their meaning.

Congress later passed legislation stating that the families of those who die overseas shall receive a Gold Star lapel pin, a small, distinctive decoration with a gold star and purple background.