Family Matters Blog: Marines Honor Gold Star Families
By Heather Forsgren Weaver
American Forces Press Servic
Since World War I, families of servicemembers have been hanging flags in their windows with stars on them to show their support. The flags contain a blue star for each family member currently serving in a conflict. If a family member dies as a result of a conflict, the blue star becomes a gold star and the family becomes a "Gold Star Family."
Event connects Gold Star Families, kin of those who died in military service
By Rick Rojas
Washington Post
An indescribable pain consumes two Maryland mothers as they approach the anniversaries of their entrance into a network of families they hoped never to join: those with children killed in war.
Chicago White Sox show support for a fan in Afghanistan
Stacey Simon went to Nationals Park this past Saturday, June 19th, with one goal in mind: to get a baseball for her boyfriend. It was not an easy task, but she was a lady with a mission.
On Saturday, children dressed in camouflage lined up in the troop readiness center to take passport pictures before “deploying” to Afghani stan. No, the Army isn’t recruiting children; the little recruits prepared to go on a fun-filled journey to explore the country where their military parent is currently deployed.
For the child of a Soldier, life can seem stressful. Mom or dad is often deployed to a far-away land. Every few years, the Family packs up and moves from state to state or, occasionally, across the ocean. Military children might think they are alone in their respective plights, but Military Kids Blog offers a forum for these kids to discuss the challenges and benefits of living the military lifestyle.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- John Ellsworth remembers when his 20-year-old son called home from Iraq to proudly announce he was now a demolitions expert.
"I said, 'Son, you're 20 years old,'" Ellsworth ribbed his son gently. "'You are not an expert at anything.'"
New York Times
A furious Defense Secretary Robert Gates has upbraided The Associated Press for its decision to go against the wishes of a young Marine’s family and publish a photograph of him after he was killed in Afghanistan.
ST. PAUL -- The Minnesota prairie winds whipped across the even rows of grave stones at Fort Snelling on Monday afternoon. The winds of far-away war had brought more than 100 mourners to the National Cemetery grounds.
Katie Glenn, a "military brat," worked with the nonprofit organization Families United to create a blog site for children of deployed troops or those who have lost a parent in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Katie Glenn has helped create a way for other "military brats" like her to cope with having a parent deployed or losing a mother or father in war, and it is only a click away in cyberspace.
Active-duty military members, veterans and the rest of the community are invited to attend “A Tribute to Our Troops,” a fundraising event on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend to honor all those who have sacrificed to preserve America’s freedoms.
Two juveniles admit to vandalizing Iraqi Freedom Memorial
Morning Sun
John Ellsworth was relieved when he got the phone call Friday night.
What he had suspected turned out to be true—juveniles doing an ignorant act of vandalism on the Iraqi Freedom Memorial at Island Park, which is dedicated to the memory of his son, U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Justin M. Ellsworth, who died in Iraq in 2004.
Ron Griffin has dozens of pictures that tell his son's story: Kyle in U.S. Army camouflage during training, a proud teenager with a hint of a smirk on his face; standing under a pair of crossed swords with his buddies in Baghdad; or in a helicopter over the Euphrates River, heading to the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
WASHINGTON - Every week, Air Force cargo jets land and taxi down the runway at Dover Air Force Base, Del., carrying the remains of fallen U.S. troops. After a chaplain says a simple prayer, an eight-man military honor guard removes the metal "transfer cases" from the planes and carries them to a mortuary van. Read More
The Army mistakenly sent letters addressed "Dear John Doe" to 7,000 family members of soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, unleashing calls from troubled relatives and prompting a formal apology yesterday from the Army's top general.
