For any parent who has sent a child off to college, you know it can be a gut-wrenching experience. Now, imagine not being able to communicate with your son or daughter for several weeks. When you finally can talk, all you get is a one-way conversation – a 10-second scripted phone call saying, “Mom, I’m fine. Things are fine. Goodbye.”
This is the experience of moms who have sons or daughters in boot camp or the military. The national organization known as Blue Star Moms was formed to provide much-needed support to parents of deployed military personnel. The group was formed during World War II, and the name originates from the custom of hanging a service flag in a military home’s front window. The flag contains a blue star for each family member currently serving in the Armed Forces, thus the name Blue Star Moms. A gold star represents a family member who has died while serving in the military.