Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins and Veterans Service Agency Director Josh Gaccione led a solemn ceremony on Friday, paying respects to the parents and families of those who died in military service.
The County’s Annual Gold Star Mothers and Families Tribute Ceremony took place at the Kensico Dam Plaza Walk of Honor, where county service members lost during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom are memorialized. They were saluted at the ceremony by members of Bronx Army Recruiting Company and New York City Recruiting Battalion as their names were read
The tradition of wearing a gold star to signify a family member loss in service goes back to World War I. In 1936, Congress designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother’s Day, now known as Gold Star Mother’s and Families Day. After World War II, the Gold Star Lapel Pin was designated by Congress to be given to immediate family members of active duty military killed in service.
County Executive Jenkins said: “”When a child is called to military service, for parents there’s pride, there’s patriotism, but there’s trepidation too, because military parents share a fundamental dream — that their child will come home. No one dreams of a Gold Star. To our Gold Star mothers, fathers and families, we are in awe of you. Our respect for your strength is deep. Our empathy for your loss is boundless. Our commitment to you is total, and our resolve to keep your child’s memory alive is absolute Their spark of life may be gone from the plane, but we know still burns in you. May it burn in us too.”
