American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.

15 Dec American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.

What is American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.? 

American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. (AGSM) is a private, nonprofit organization consisting of American mothers who lost children who served in the U.S. military. A congressional charter under Title 36 * 211 of the United States Code allows it to represent mothers of those lost in World War I. It was founded in 1928.

Service flags, they were called, were hung in the windows of homes by families of servicemembers. Each member of the armed forces’ family had a star on the service flag. The blue star represented living service members, while the gold star represented those killed in combat.

All organization members must have lost a son or daughter while actively serving in the U.S. military (regardless of where or when they did, whether the circumstances of death involved hostile conflict or not, and includes mothers of those lost in action).

AGSM Membership Criteria

As part of the ASGM criteria, the natural mothers or adoptive mothers who were citizens or legal residents of the United States at the time of their son’s or daughter’s induction and whose son or daughter became missing in action, died while on active duty, or died as a result of such service, are eligible for membership in American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.

A stepmother who is a citizen or a legal resident of the United States, responsible for the rearing of a child under the age of 15, who served and was missing in action or died in action, may become a member of American Gold Star Mothers.

The Gold Star father, the Gold Star sibling and the Gold Star grandparent are eligible for Associate Membership.

How Do I Contact American Gold Star Mothers, Inc? 

2128 Leroy Place, NW
Washington, DC 20008

202-265-0991

NATIONAL PRESIDENT
President@goldstarmoms.com

NATIONAL SERVICE OFFICER
nso@goldstarmoms.com

Chapters/Departments of AGSM

Departments of the American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. organization are further divided into chapters. Chapters are organized geographically.

For your convenience, you can search by state to find a chapter near you. You can only know where its members live based on the city listed after the chapter name.

AGSM does not have a chapter in your area, but you are still welcome to join. The Grace Darling Seibold chapter in Washington, DC, will be assigned to you.

What does AGSM do?

The AGSM hosts several events for Gold Star Moms and Gold Star family members, which provide several benefits such as:

• Keep the spirit of world services alive and develop it.
• The continuation of the bonds of fellowship forged through that service and supporting and advancing all patriotic efforts.
• Develop a sense of community, state, and national responsibility.
• To honor the lives of those who sacrificed themselves during World War II
• All Gold Star mothers and their descendants should receive any assistance they need.
• To promote peace and goodwill among all nations, including the United States.

Annual National Convention

What is it? 

In honor of Gold Star Mothers and their families, there are public events and meetings every year. Government buildings are also required to display flags on this day. The ceremony’s purpose is to honor and recognize those who have lost a son or daughter in the United States military.

The convention was attended by many groups, including survivor outreach services, Vietnam war commemorations, wreaths across America, honor and remember, and an author who published a book based on the experiences of gold star mothers who served during the Vietnam conflict.

How many attend?

Many veterans attended the event.

Where have some of them been held?

• The 2021 National Convention was held in Memphis, Tennessee, on 25-27 June 2021,
• The 2019 American Gold Star Mothers Inc. National Convention was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
• The National Convention was held at La Quinta Inn & Suites San Antonio Riverwalk on 16th June 2017 in San Antonio, TX.

Mothers’ Cupboard

What is it, and what are they selling?

They participate in memorial and veterans day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery every year. Other organizations that receive donations include Wreaths Across America, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and Jame Parke Scholarship Fund. A new line of items has been added to our store, called mothers cupboard, displayed at the national convention.

The store sells clothing, jewelry, stationery and Christmas items. AGSM members are only permitted to purchase items with the AGSM logo.

Gold Star Mothers’ Weekend

When? Cost? A number of attendees?

The National Membership dues for American Gold Star Mothers Inc. are $35 per year. The Gold Star Mothers’ weekend was held from Sept. 24-26 2021.

Founded in 1994, AGSM has maintained its emphasis on offering emotional support to members, volunteering at veterans’ hospitals, and generally promoting patriotism and respect for armed forces members. The group currently has 933 members.