U.S. Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) have announced a bipartisan resolution that designated this week as Gold Star Families Remembrance Week.
The resolution, which unanimously passed the Senate on Wednesday, marked a significant step in elevating national recognition for families who have had loved ones fall in military service. Gold Star families are those who have lost a family member in active duty, symbolized by a Gold Star lapel button awarded to the next of kin of deceased service members as a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made.
“Gold Star families embody patriotism at its greatest depths, having endured the loss of a loved one in service to our country. Their pain is a solemn reminder of the price of freedom,” Hyde-Smith said. “It is our duty as Americans to honor their bravery of unparalleled sacrifices made for our nation, and I am proud to have worked with Senator Warnock to pass this bipartisan resolution.”
The resolution dedicates Sept. 22-28 as an official opportunity to honor the sacrifices of Gold Star families. The Tragedy Assistance Program of Survivors (TAPS), an organization that supports these families, has long advocated for such recognition.
Hyde-Smith first introduced the Gold Star Families Week resolution in 2019, marking the first formal national recognition submitted in Congress for the families. Since 2021, she and Warnock have worked annually to promote the resolution.
This year’s observance will lead into Gold Star Mother’s Day, which has been commemorated by presidential proclamation since 1936 as the last Sunday in September each year. Click here to read the 2024 Gold Star Families Remembrance Week resolution.