Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the Blue Star Flag and the Gold Star.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

First, let me compliment the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg) for offering this resolution before the Congress, the sense of Congress regarding the Blue Star Banner and the Gold Star. I think this is certainly fitting and proper considering the fact that we today are at war in Iraq, considering the fact that we already have lost American lives in that conflict.

I remember as a young boy growing up in my hometown of Lexington, Missouri, and seeing these banners with Blue Stars and some with two Blue Stars and some with Gold Stars, knowing the fact that members of the family, either a sailor or sometimes brothers; or sometimes a soldier would lose his life on the battlefield and the Gold Star would hang in the window of that family's home. And I think it is certainly fitting that we, in our own way, express our sense that this is the right thing to do now, to bring it home to America that these young men and women who literally put their lives on the line should be remembered in such a visible and fine way.

Cicero, the great Roman orator, once said that gratitude is the greatest of all virtues, and this is one way, a small way, be that as it may, to express the gratitude of not just the Congress but of the American people for the young people who risk their lives on the battlefield.

So, as a cosponsor of this House concurrent resolution, I support this measure. It is a timely resolution recognizing the importance of Blue Stars and Gold Star banners. The Blue Star Banner actually emerged during the First World War when Army Captain Robert Queissner designed a Blue Star to honor his two sons who were serving on the front lines during that conflict. The patented star soon became the country's unofficial symbol which families used to recognize a child serving in our Armed Forces.

In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson approved a recommendation by the Women's Committee of the Council of National Defenses that mothers who had lost a child in conflict wear a Gold Star on the traditional black mourning arm-band. Thus began the tradition of covering a Blue Star with a Gold Star when a family lost such a loved one.

The Department of Defense has recognized the banner as an official service flag for immediate family members of servicemen and women to display during any period of war or hostilities in which the American Armed Forces are engaged.

As I mentioned, when I was a boy growing up in my hometown of Lexington, I still recall those Blue Stars, those banners, hanging in the windows of homes as fathers or mothers, husbands, wives and sons and daughters left to serve our Nation in that Second World War. As men and women were called upon to serve our Nation, the prevalence of the Blue and the Gold Star Banners became a familiar sight wherever we went in my hometown. It was during the Second World War that organizations also displayed the banner to recognize their members who were serving in uniform.

Today, Mr. Speaker, as one travels across our wonderful land, one can still find these traditional symbols being proudly displayed. However, while we have more than a million service members in uniform as we speak, the use of the banner has steadily declined and, sadly, this American tradition has faded. Many Americans no longer recognize this banner for the important part it has played in the history of our country, particularly the military history of our country, and yet American men and women are still called upon to defend our freedoms. Korea, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and now Operation Iraqi Freedom are just a few of the conflicts which our Armed Forces have served.

This last September, as American forces continued the fight against terrorists, this House of Representatives passed a similar resolution that called upon the President to issue a proclamation in support of the Blue and the Gold Star Banners. As our forces continue to engage in battle in the Middle East, I urge the President to issue a proclamation that calls upon families of service members to display the Blue Star Banner in patriotic support of our loved ones.

As our men and women in uniform fight to bring democracy and stability to the people of Iraq, I hope that we will restore this proud tradition. And it is a proud tradition. I urge all Americans to restore the display of a star for their loved ones who are defending the freedoms that this body was founded upon.

So it is with pleasure, Mr. Speaker, that I endorse and urge this House of Representatives to pass this resolution and that we have a unanimous vote in favor of the Blue Stars and the Gold Stars to be displayed on the banners in our windows of our homes.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Let me first compliment the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) for bringing this important resolution to the floor. Let me share, if I may, Mr. Speaker, an experience I had yesterday.

I went out to Bethesda Naval Hospital, and I had the opportunity to visit with seven of the 10 young Marines and one sailor who were injured in the Iraqi war, the Iraqi conflict, and some of them were injured rather severely. I have to tell my colleagues that of the seven I visited, all seven were extremely strong in morale, they backed the purpose of our being in Iraq, and were just proud to be United States Marines. I met some of their families too, and what great American families they were. And these families, I know full well, will display with great pride and affection the Blue Star Banner that we are speaking of, which the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg) was good enough to endorse through his resolution.

So let us hope that every member of our military's families will display this banner with pride and exhibit the pride of the families I saw yesterday with those injured Marines at the Bethesda Naval Hospital. I am proud of them. I am proud of everyone who wears the American uniform.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt).

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, except to thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg) for this resolution and to thank the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) for sponsoring this resolution. I think it is very, very important that every American family have the opportunity to display a banner such as this resolution endorses, that every American family that does not have a loved one in uniform understands, recognizes, and appreciates those families that do.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

I rise in strong support of the resolution. This is a grand tradition of our Nation, and this resolution encourages all Americans to honor the Blue Star Banner and the Gold Star as patriotic symbols of the proud tradition of the families of our fighting men.

This tradition was started in World War I when, in 1917, the Blue Star Banner was designed by an Army veteran Captain Robert L. Queissner, who had two sons serving on the front lines during World War I. The design is to symbolize the number of members of the family from that household who are currently serving in our armed services; and the intent of the resolution is to simply encourage American families with service personnel currently serving in our Armed Forces to proudly display this banner.

The banner became a particularly strong symbol. Mothers across the country embraced it as a symbol of devotion and their pride for family members who were serving in the war, and it came to its pinnacle of recognition during World War II. As a matter of fact, I would remind my colleagues that in the movie Saving Private Ryan, they may recall that as the Army sedan pulls up to the home of the Ryans, we can see a Blue Star Banner in the window of their home, acknowledging that a member of their family was serving in the war.

If more than one member of the family is serving in the armed services at the time of the combat, then there are as many blue stars as there are members of the family currently serving.

This symbol, as I said, reached its pinnacle during World War II when great pride was exhibited by our American families for the service men and women from their families who were currently serving. It has fallen into some disuse since then, and this resolution simply calls upon all American service families to proudly display the Blue Star Banner, acknowledging that a member of that household's family is currently serving in our armed services somewhere around the world.

Clearly, we are at war. We are at war not only to liberate Iraq, but we are also at war across the globe in our war against terrorism, in Afghanistan but elsewhere around the world; and we all, every single one of us, are tremendously proud of our Armed Forces and the battle that they are carrying forward both to liberate Iraq but also to battle and fight terrorism wherever it appears around the globe.

Our hope, my hope as a sponsor of this resolution, is that all families with service personnel currently serving in our Armed Forces will proudly display the Blue Star Banner, and that all Americans across the Nation will recognize the Blue Star Banner as a symbol of pride and dedication, recognizing not just the sacrifice of the individual service member, man or woman, in our armed services at this critical point in our Nation's history, but also the sacrifice made by that family.

It seems to me that this is a particularly important time, and my hope is that across the country these banners will spring up, hanging in the windows of families with service personnel and that all of us, as a Nation, all of us who do not have a family member serving in the armed services, will step forward and tell those families how much we appreciate not only the sacrifice that the individual serviceman or servicewoman is making to serve our Nation at this critical point in time, but also that the family is making. It seems to me that this is indeed a grand tradition and one that is very important.

I need to go on and explain, however, the tradition of the Gold Star because the Gold Star carries this tradition one step further. As we know as Americans, as the world knows, freedom is not free. It comes at a very heavy price. Not far from here, at Bethesda Naval Hospital, there are many injured servicemen who have come back from the war to liberate Iraq and who are there being healed. But we also know that some service members already in this war have lost their lives.

The tradition of the Gold Star shortly followed the Blue Star Banner, and the Gold Star is a star which is displayed by a family when they have lost a family member, that is, when a member of the service has made the ultimate sacrifice. Tragically, that has happened in this war. Tragically, we have lost all too many soldiers in this war, and the tradition is that when a family member is lost, when a family member has made the final sacrifice, that the Gold Star is placed over the Blue Star, acknowledging that someone from that home has made the ultimate sacrifice.

This concurrent resolution, the Blue Star Banner and the Gold Star, is supported by many groups across the country, the American Legion and its efforts all across the country. The Blue Star Mothers of America, the American Gold Star Mothers and the Gold Star Wives of America, as well as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, are all supporting these banners. Indeed, this is the official banner recognized by Congress in 1967 and by the Department of

Defense as the official acknowledgment of the fact that there is a family member in the services.

This morning at the press conference we held on this topic, a representative of the Gold Star Mothers came forward, and she made it very clear, along with a representative of the Gold Star Wives, that they did not want their group to expand, that indeed because the Blue Star Banner is a moment of pride for a service member serving, the Gold Star Banner, of course, is an acknowledgment of a lost life; and the women from the Gold Star Wives and the American Gold Star Mothers came forward and said they do not want their groups to expand, of course because the only way one gains membership in the group of Gold Star Mothers or Gold Star Wives is to lose a family member. I think every member of the Nation hopes that the Gold Star does not expand, but each day as this war goes forward there is the risk of that.

I think it is time for America to passionately thank our armed services personnel. The Blue Star Banner and the Gold Star are a great tradition for doing that.

I urge my colleagues not to just embrace this resolution and vote for it, but go home and talk about it in their districts, tell their constituents, let them know of this grand tradition, encourage every single family with a member in our armed services to fly the Blue Star Banner with great pride and let every other American express their gratitude and their thanks to those service personnel serving.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 109) expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the Blue Star Banner and the Gold Star, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Con. Res. 109, the concurrent resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg), the author of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg), and I commend the gentleman for bringing this important resolution to the attention of the House.

House Concurrent Resolution 109 reminds the Nation of one of our most cherished wartime traditions, having the families of military servicemembers display the Blue Star Service Flag and wear a service lapel pin.

The daily lives of most Americans remain unchanged by the conflict in Iraq and the war on terrorism. Aside from the television news coverage, many Americans do not think about these very challenging conflicts during the rush of their busy days. However, there are hundreds of thousands of Americans whose family members are fighting on the front lines of these 21st century wars and enduring all the same dangers and hardships that confronted our warriors during previous conflicts.

Mr. Speaker, all of us need to remember that these Americans are experiencing this war in a very personal manner and with a level of fear and uncertainty for loved ones in uniform that only they can understand.

Mr. Speaker, that is why the Blue Star Service Flag and its accompanying service lapel pin are so important. They will be an eloquent reminder for friends and neighbors that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are fighting and sacrificing their lives to keep us safe and to keep us free.

We can all benefit from a short, somber moment every day to remember those brave Americans and pledge to do more during our day to support our troops and the families they leave behind.

At this point, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague and friend, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), for his lifelong dedication to the service and our troops. It is a pleasure to serve on the committee with him as the ranking member. Again, I want to commend the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg), and I urge strong support for this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, with the eloquent words of my friend, the gentleman from Missouri, I would also urge each and every one of our colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, It is my great pleasure to take a moment to speak about the Blue Star Banner and the Gold Star.

As we continue to battle the enemy of freedom, each day many Americans bid farewell to a loved one that is a member of our Armed Forces, not knowing where they will go or when they will return, these families only have symbols of their loved ones.

These brave men and women who proudly wear our military's uniforms leave behind equally brave friends and relations who look for some way to remain connected to their loved ones abroad. Those on the homefront are eager to show their support for our troops, their hope for a safe return, and their pride in the actions and bravery of their loved ones. The Blue an Gold Star Banner emphasizes the special and difficult role of the family left behind in time of war.

Recognizing this desire to show support and pride for our family members who are off to battle, Army Captain Robert L. Queissner designed the Blue Star Banner in 1917, initially in support of his two sons who were serving on the front lines in World War I. The popularity of this banner spread quickly among those whose family members were also fighting in the War, and continued through many years and many battles to be displayed by families nationwide who anxiously awaited their loved ones' return.

The families of those who did not make it back home displayed a Gold Star over the Blue Star Banner, to symbolize the honor with which their loved ones perished in the name of freedom. This practice continues today, as a way for families to show their pride in the valiant actions of their loved ones in service to our country, who have made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.

I therefore encourage the families of all American servicemembers to display the Blue Star Banner and, as necessary, the Gold Star, in show of unconditional support for and pride in our nation's Armed Forces.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 109. The Blue Star Banner was originally patented and designed in 1917, by Spanish-American War Veteran and World War I Army Captain Robert L. Queissner of the 5th Ohio Infantry, who at that time had two sons serving on the front-lines. Since its unofficial adoption back in the early 20th century, it has grown to become the

official symbol of all mothers who have children proudly serving their country in the Armed Forces. As our history shows, many of the brave men and women who have so honorably served this country in battle have indeed made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that the United States of America remains the beacon of freedom and prosperity throughout the world. To honor these fallen heroes family members who lost loved ones in the defense of liberty began placing a gold star over the blue star to symbolize their sacrifice. As we speak, our courageous service men and women continue to secure the safety of the world and bring freedom to oppressed peoples. Therefore, it is only appropriate that we pass this resolution today and show our solidarity and resolve not only to those who serve, but to their family members that they have left behind here on the home-front. Mr. Speaker, I would urge all my colleagues to pass this resolution and show that the steadfastness of the American spirit starts here in the United States Congress.