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Theirs is a love story etched in sacrifice, a bond that transcends the physical realm. Gold Star spouses carry within them a profound love, a constant reminder of the heroes they cherished. Their strength isn't born of forgetting but of remembering.

Today, we honor the strength and sacrifice of America’s Gold Star spouses. Your loved ones gave everything in service to our country, and we will always stand with you in remembrance, gratitude, and respect.

On this Gold Star Spouses Day, let us take a moment to honor and recognize the profound sacrifices of the surviving spouses of our fallen military heroes. Your strength and resilience inspire us all, and we stand with you in remembrance and gratitude.

Today is Gold Star Spouses Day. These men and women and their families have sacrificed so much for our freedom. On behalf of a grateful nation, we honor and remember those they have lost and renew our promise to support those they have left behind! Bilarakis on FB

April 5, 2025, is recognized as Gold Star Spouse Day, a day to honor the spouses of those who died while serving on active duty. Since 2010, Congress has annually acknowledged this day as “Gold Star Wives’ Day,” paying tribute to the sacrifices of individuals affiliated with Gold Star Wives of America, a nonprofit organization founded in 1945 by women whose husbands died in service to our country.

As the military has evolved, so has the role and demographic of the military spouse, leading to a more inclusive resolution that now recognizes April 5, as Gold Star Spouses’ Day.

The tradition of the gold star recognition dates back to 1918, when families would display a gold star over the blue service star in their window to signify the death of a loved one serving in the U.S. military overseas. In 1947, Congress approved the design, production, and distribution of the official Gold Star Lapel Button, symbolizing service members who died in combat. In 1973, the Lapel Button for Next of Kin of Deceased Personnel was introduced, honoring active-duty service members who died in noncombat operations.

The survivor support community has embraced April 5 as the date to recognize the sacrifices made by all gold star spouses and express gratitude for their unwavering commitment. The Navy Gold Star Program remains dedicated to providing support and fostering connections among gold star families, ensuring they stay connected to their Navy family for as long as they wish.

In commemoration of Gold Star Spouses’ Day, let us honor the families of the fallen, recognizing that no one has given more for our nation. If you encounter someone wearing a Gold Star Lapel Button or the Lapel Button for Next of Kin of Deceased Personnel, understand that these symbols represent the families of our fallen heroes. If you meet or know a gold star spouse, please take a moment to acknowledge their spouse’s sacrifice and express gratitude for their continued service.

To learn more about how the Navy Gold Star Program is honoring gold star spouses in your area, we encourage you to connect with your local coordinator. For more information visit the Navy Gold Star Program website at www.navygoldstar.com.

#SustainingtheFleet #EnablingtheFighter #SupportingtheFamily #AmericasNavy250

Staten Island, New York, April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In observance of Gold Star Spouses Day, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation is honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country by delivering ten new mortgage-free homes to the families they left behind. Gold Star Spouses Day honors these remarkable individuals and acknowledges the sacrifices made when a loved one goes to serve our country. The Foundation delivered mortgage-free homes to the families of fallen service members, including:

• USMC Staff Sergeant Alexis Fontalvo

• Army Staff Sergeant Joshua Gore

• Army Specialist Dennis Gomez

• Army Sergeant Joel Lee Murray

• Army Sergeant David Cooper

• Army Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Herzog

• Army Specialist Anthony Vargas

“Today, we honor the resilience and strength of America’s Gold Star Spouses. When a husband or wife serves, the whole family serves. When a loved one makes the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country, Tunnel to Towers will deliver a mortgage-free home to the families these heroes leave behind,” said Frank Siller, Chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation...In a private ceremony, retired FDNY Captain Richard Jacques presented SSgt Fontalvo's family with a ceremonial Tunnel to Towers key outside their new home in Magnolia, Texas...In Havelock, North Carolina, the wife of fallen Army Staff Sgt. Joshua "Caleb" Gore cut a ceremonial ribbon outside her new mortgage-free home....The Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Gold Star Family Home Program honors the legacy of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country by providing the surviving spouses and young children with mortgage-free homes or paying off their mortgages.

Read More..https://www.wdhn.com/business/press-releases/globenewswire/9416475/tunnel-to-towers-foundation-delivers-mortgage-free-homes-to-ten-gold-star-families-in-observance-of-gold-star-spouses-day/

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany -- U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz honored Gold Star Spouses with a recognition ceremony and bench dedication April 2, 2025, on Sembach Kaserne in Sembach, Germany. The ceremony took place just days ahead of Gold Star Spouses Day, observed annually on April 5. “This bench is dedicated to the Survivors of the Fallen who have sacrificed the most for us all,”  Read More:  US ARMY Article Link 

April 3, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rep. Green: “Protecting Guardian Gold Star Spouses is Our Solemn Duty.”

WASHINGTON—Today, Rep. Mark Green re-introduced his Protecting Gold Star Spouses Act in the 119th Congress. The bill ensures that no Gold Star Family will ever lose out on benefits owed, even during a government shutdown.

Green said, “Our nation should be a shining example of how to treat our servicemembers and their families. It’s our duty and our honor to take care of America’s Gold Star spouses and families. We have our military men and women, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, to thank for our freedoms. The families they leave behind, Gold Star Spouses and Children, need to know they will never be left behind. 

Members of the Coast Guard do some of the most dangerous work in the Armed Forces. The Coast Guard protects the United States’ economic, national, and border security—their work allows us to sleep more soundly at night. 

My legislation ensures Coast Guard Gold Star Spouses receive stipends from the Survivor Benefits Plan (SBP) from the federal government, even during a lapse in appropriations. Every Gold Star Family reminds us that freedom comes at a cost, and we must never take it for granted.”

Read the bill here. 

Background:

Rep. Green previously introduced the Protecting Gold Star Spouses Act during the 116th Congress, 117th Congress, and 118th Congress.

Read more about the bill in the Washington Examiner and ClarksvilleNow.

source: https://markgreen.house.gov/press-releases?id=B48973E8-C70B-40BB-856E-D6936BD50A0D

Hearing Held 25 March 2025

House Veterans Affairs Announcement: 

ttps://veterans.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=6670

On Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at 10:15 AM ET, the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs will hold a legislative hearing titled: “Legislative Hearing on: Legislative Hearing on: H.R. 530, ACES Act; H.R. 647, Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act of 2025; H.R. 1039, Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act; H.R. 1228, Prioritizing Veterans’ Survivors Act; H.R. 1286, Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act; H.R. 1344, Dennis and Lois Krisfalusy Act; H.R. 2138, Veterans’ Compensation Cost-ofLiving Adjustment Act of 2025; H.R. 2137, Review Every Veterans Claim Act of 2025; Discussion Draft, Veteran Appeals Transparency Act of 2025; H.R. 2201, Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act; Discussion Draft, Veterans Claims Education Act; Discussion Draft, Survivors Benefits Delivery Improvement Act of 2025; and Discussion Draft, Board of Veterans Appeals’ Attorney Retention and Backlog Reduction Act.” The live stream can be found below.

https://www.youtube.com/live/PgF9-Sq9ub4?si=LNkc_dstD954T5If