I’ve been teaching classes on the military installation lately, and I’m often amazed by how little the military population knows about Gold Star Families. I believe one of the first steps to be supportive of them is to understand the terminology. The second way is to lend your time and or talents to the cause.
Yesterday marks three years. I remember it as I do every other unforgettable annual event. Except, days before this anniversary, I begin to reflect and remember. I re-feel the events as I remember them. I feel the fear, then the relief, then the sorrow and loss.
Losing a loved one is a painful event, but the pain doesn’t stop after the funeral. The pain continues, and as loved ones we try to keep the memory and spirit of the lost love one alive.
On this empowering episode of Army Wife Talk Radio, we’re chatting with guest, Amalie Flynn, as she talks about her book, Wife and War: The Memoir.
April 5 was Gold Star Spouses Day, and at this year’s events, I had the pleasure of spending time with some of my fellow Gold Star Spouses. Seeing these strong, beautiful, spirited people recently made me think about what a Gold Star Spouse is. Not the technical term, in that it’s a spouse who lost their service member while he or she was serving on active duty, but what kind of person we are.
Valentine’s Day has passed and all the chocolate has been eaten, but were you able to take the time to tell your service member how much you love them?
As any military spouse knows, the armed forces has its own language and terms. Describing a family member that has experienced the death of a service member is no exception. A Gold Star family member is a parent, spouse, child, or sibling that has lost their service member while serving on active duty. Since I have become a military widow, I have found that a large portion of the military community is not familiar with this term or where it came from.
Mission: Milspouse is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
EIN Number: 88-1604492
hello@missionmilspouse.org
P.O. Box 641341
El Paso, TX 79904
