World War II Woman

Gold Stars

The term “gold stars in the window” comes up a number of times in my book, We Knew We Were at War: Women Remember World War II. Gold stars, of course, designated that someone in the family had died while serving in the military. While a gold star sewed onto a flag is still awarded to families who have lost someone in the military, it is quite rare to see one displayed today.

During World War II, many families had blue stars in the window (some as many as five stars), which indicated the number of family members in the service. We were used to seeing the blue stars, but seeing a gold star had a very sobering effect on all of us.

In my book, Mary writes, “We were shocked when Tim Palmer, the nicest boy in town, was the first in our community to be killed in action. Then his younger brother was called up, having to leave his grieving family. Every time I walked past the Palmer’s house, my stomach churned as I noticed the blue star for their younger son hanging beside the gold star, which indicated that Tim was dead.”

Kathy writes, “The seeming normalcy of our lives in the neighborhood was shattered when my mother came home from her job as a telephone operator to announce somberly that Eddie Slovak, the son of a neighbor, had been killed in the war. I could never walk by that house without a feeling of dread and wonder. We kids had played on the street with Eddie, and to think of him as dead was fearful. If it could happen to Eddie, it could happen to my beloved brother, Milt.”

And from Gloria, “Our little neighborhood was greatly affected by the war. Two of the boys died, and gold stars were placed in the windows of their homes. Two other servicemen came home paraplegics. Both my brothers served – one in the South Pacific and one in the European Theater.”

I never saw a gold star in the window during World War II, but today, I know three families who have received gold star banners in recent years. And we all grieve.

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