A resolution introduced by U.S. Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) designates Sept. 21-27 as Gold Star Families Remembrance Week nationwide.
The bipartisan resolution establishes a national period to honor the sacrifices made by families of U.S. military servicemembers who lost their lives in defense of the nation. Hyde-Smith first introduced a Gold Star Families Remembrance Week in 2018, establishing the first formal and national recognition of the sacrifices made by families of the fallen.
Since 2021, Hyde-Smith and Warnock have introduced the resolution jointly, each time receiving approval from the entire Senate.
“In the same sense that we honor the fallen and our veterans, I think we have a duty to honor the families of the servicemembers who lost their lives in service to our nation. They, too, have sacrificed for our freedoms,” Hyde-Smith said. “I hope people in Mississippi and across the country will take time to reach out to Gold Star families during Gold Star Families Remembrance Week.”
“Our nation is indebted to the brave servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedoms. And their families, who also sacrificed immensely, deserve our recognition and support,” Warnock added. “I am proud to recognize the bipartisan Gold Star Families Remembrance Week and honor the families of servicemembers who sacrificed everything to keep us safe. As I long as I serve all Georgians in the U.S. Senate, I will be a champion for our servicemembers, veterans, and Gold Star families.”
The symbol of the Gold Star is now recognized nationwide after growing exponentially during World War I when families of servicemembers would embroider service flags with gold stars representing loved ones who had died in the line of duty. They would then hang the flags in windows of their homes to further honor the fallen.
The 2025 Gold Star Families Remembrance Week resolution can be read here.
