Posted on Nov 22, 2015
Do you consider the families of service members killed in non-combat service related deaths to be Gold Star Families?
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I am asking this because of a topic brought up in another question. I had a shipmate that was killed in a storm. He had been ordered to secure a piece of heavy equipment. A large wave hit the area he was working in causing him to be crushed. In the investigation that followed he was found not to be at fault in any way however his officer and NCO were found to be negligent.
My opinion is that he was following orders to the best of his ability and that order resulted in his death. His family should be recognized as a gold star family. Unfortunately this is not the case for him or many others that have lost a family member in a non-combat connected death.
My opinion is that he was following orders to the best of his ability and that order resulted in his death. His family should be recognized as a gold star family. Unfortunately this is not the case for him or many others that have lost a family member in a non-combat connected death.
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Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 11
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I have been trying to respond to all the comments however every time I open Rally point and try to type it freezes. I have resorted to using word and a copy and paste.
First let me thank all of you for your opinions, while I do not agree with most, I do see the points you have made and I respect them.
I would like to make sure that my point was understood. We are talking about the families of service members. To be told that your son, daughter, husband or wife’s death while tragic is somehow less than that of another service member is seen as a slap in the face. I do agree that a combat death deserves recognition and I feel that we as a nation have done a great job of hat in recent years. I do not feel that recognizing the other sacrifice and sorrow felt by the families’ of those that died a service related non-combat death in any way takes away from those families that have suffered a combat related loss.
In grief we are all the same, the reason for that grief does not matter. To trivialize one death while hailing another is not what the Gold Star was ever intended to mean. I have had to honor of knowing several Families that have suffered the loss of a service member. I can say without hesitation that no member of that group would ever say another member is undeserving.
I spent a great deal of the night research and a large part of my day today on the phone with various organizations and government offices. I have the official answer to my question and will share it. I will also give my sources.
The Gold Star Mother Inc, is a group that acts under a congressional charter. They say that all service connected deaths entitle the family to Gold Star recognition. This is the oldest such group in existence.
The casualty assistance offices of the Army, Navy (Including Marines) and Air Force agree and have written policies to that effect. All Service related deaths give the immediate family Gold Star Status.
The DOD also says that all service connected Deaths give the Family gold Star recognition. They have created two pins, one indicates the death was combat related, a gold star on a purple back ground, the other for service connected death is a gold star on a gold background.
Starting in WW1 family members would hang a banner in the window of the home with one or more blue stars for each service member. If the service member was killed the star was changes to Gold.
In WW2 the lapel award was created and awarded retroactively to death back to WW! And all service deaths that followed.
In 1973 in an attempt to simplify the wording a various rules the words service related Deaths were changed to combat related deaths. This change created much confusion about who was entitled to call themselves a gold star family, this change was only intended to mean about that awarding of the lapel pin. This was also the rule that created the two different pins.
It is important to understand that the Gold Star was never an official recognition until more recent times and the misconception the only combat deaths entitled a family did not come about until Desert Storm. This was due to the ruling on the lapel pins. Many government officials still do not know or understand about the two different pins and therefore continue to make the mistake.
Now with the official recognition it gives the families resources, those resources range from Grief Counseling to VA assistance in some cases.
I apologize for the length of this post however I felt it was necessary to fully explain.
First let me thank all of you for your opinions, while I do not agree with most, I do see the points you have made and I respect them.
I would like to make sure that my point was understood. We are talking about the families of service members. To be told that your son, daughter, husband or wife’s death while tragic is somehow less than that of another service member is seen as a slap in the face. I do agree that a combat death deserves recognition and I feel that we as a nation have done a great job of hat in recent years. I do not feel that recognizing the other sacrifice and sorrow felt by the families’ of those that died a service related non-combat death in any way takes away from those families that have suffered a combat related loss.
In grief we are all the same, the reason for that grief does not matter. To trivialize one death while hailing another is not what the Gold Star was ever intended to mean. I have had to honor of knowing several Families that have suffered the loss of a service member. I can say without hesitation that no member of that group would ever say another member is undeserving.
I spent a great deal of the night research and a large part of my day today on the phone with various organizations and government offices. I have the official answer to my question and will share it. I will also give my sources.
The Gold Star Mother Inc, is a group that acts under a congressional charter. They say that all service connected deaths entitle the family to Gold Star recognition. This is the oldest such group in existence.
The casualty assistance offices of the Army, Navy (Including Marines) and Air Force agree and have written policies to that effect. All Service related deaths give the immediate family Gold Star Status.
The DOD also says that all service connected Deaths give the Family gold Star recognition. They have created two pins, one indicates the death was combat related, a gold star on a purple back ground, the other for service connected death is a gold star on a gold background.
Starting in WW1 family members would hang a banner in the window of the home with one or more blue stars for each service member. If the service member was killed the star was changes to Gold.
In WW2 the lapel award was created and awarded retroactively to death back to WW! And all service deaths that followed.
In 1973 in an attempt to simplify the wording a various rules the words service related Deaths were changed to combat related deaths. This change created much confusion about who was entitled to call themselves a gold star family, this change was only intended to mean about that awarding of the lapel pin. This was also the rule that created the two different pins.
It is important to understand that the Gold Star was never an official recognition until more recent times and the misconception the only combat deaths entitled a family did not come about until Desert Storm. This was due to the ruling on the lapel pins. Many government officials still do not know or understand about the two different pins and therefore continue to make the mistake.
Now with the official recognition it gives the families resources, those resources range from Grief Counseling to VA assistance in some cases.
I apologize for the length of this post however I felt it was necessary to fully explain.
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PO3 Michael James
Yes, I'm Sorry for all these families, the wives, the children.. these are lasting scars.. in memory of loved ones, who Never return to them.. Time does NOT heal, yes it softens a little.. but it Never heals, especially with the Children.. too many lives have been Ruined !! Something the VA, and Congress can Not comprehend !!!
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Suspended Profile
IC2, first off, I'm sorry about the loss of your shipmate. Having lost several in industrial accidents on a Tender, I can feel your pain....
Was the ship in operations in support of combat, or was it in local ops? If local ops, it probably doesn't meet the criteria. Nonetheless, the family may be able to get some support from the State Dept of Veterans Affairs wherever they live...
Was the ship in operations in support of combat, or was it in local ops? If local ops, it probably doesn't meet the criteria. Nonetheless, the family may be able to get some support from the State Dept of Veterans Affairs wherever they live...
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