Military Service Banner, WWI

The earliest service banner was created during World War I in Ohio. This is one of the earliest service banners. It showed a blue star for each member of a family actively serving in the Great War. Other families picked up on its symbolism and quickly grew into a national phenomenon culminating into the Blue Star Mothers and eventually a Gold Star Mothers (for those who lost their lives) organization.

Today, the service banner has made a return during the more recent conflicts sporting a red border on a white field and gold star over blue ones.