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Blue Star Flag History
Blue Star Service Banners sometimes called Blue Star Flags have long been a part of our wartime history. They have been hung in the family's windows of service men and women since World War One. These banners first became a way for households to indicate they have family members in the service in 1917. At that time World War I Army Capt. Robert L. Queissner designed this symbol in honor of his two sons who were serving on the front line. It quickly became traditional for a gold star to represent a soldier who had died serving his country. Theodore Roosevelt's family had a banner with a gold star in honor of their son who was shot down over France in 1918.
This tradition was most common during WWI and WWII though it has been carried out by some in more recent wars. The stars are placed on a white background with a red border. If a family has more than one person in the armed service the stars are put one below the next on the banner. When a soldier dies in action the blue star is replaced with a gold star. Another method is to put a smaller gold star on top of the blue star so the blue still surrounds the gold.
If you would like to order the finished banner/flag, you can order one from the American Legion*.*This site also offers a download section with a version that you can print to display in your window if you don’t sew or want to purchase one.
