Senate passed Gold Star Children’s Day resolution on Thursday.
U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., along with U.S. Representatives Dean Phillips, D-Minn., and Trent Kelly, R-Miss., celebrated the designation of August 1, 2021 as Gold Star Children’s Day.
The Senate passed a resolution introduced by Wicker and Manchin to officially set aside this day to recognize the sacrifices of the children of fallen service members.
“Designating August 1 as Gold Star Children’s Day will help recognize the unique sacrifices borne by the children of our nation’s fallen heroes,” Sen. Roger Wicker said. “I encourage all Americans to come together in support of these sons and daughters who carry on the legacy of their parents who paid the ultimate price for our country.”
“No child should ever have to grow up without a parent, and I can only imagine the pain that comes from losing a parent in the line of duty,” said Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va).
In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law legislation declaring Gold Star Mother’s Day, a national observance honoring the mothers of fallen service members.
In 2010, the Senate honored Gold Star Spouses by resolution annually on April 5, recognizing the unique sacrifices made by spouses of fallen service members.
The passed resolution goes on to state that thousands of sons and daughters of military families have lost mothers and fathers who served in the Armed Forces. It calls for national recognition for the burden and legacy they carry.
“As a Gold Star son, I understand firsthand the sacrifices made by some so that ALL may enjoy the freedoms we hold dear as Americans – and so that we may continue to be blessed to live in the oldest and most successful continuous democracy in the world,” Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) said. “Up until now, the unimaginable sacrifices of Gold Star Children have not been recognized with a special day, and that ends here.”
“The children of our fallen men and women in uniform have experienced the unimaginable loss of a loved one. Recognizing Gold Star Children’s Day will serve as a reminder to all Americans that freedom is not free,” Rep. Trent Kelly said.
Read the full text of the resolution here.
Anne Summerhays
