OUR FIGHT FOR OUR WOUNDED SOLDIERS

http://www.petitiononline.com/12251952/petition.html ^ | 2005 | Steven J. Newton

[Steve Newton]

OUR FIGHT FOR OUR WOUNDED SOLDIERS

TO MY FRIENDS AT THE FREE REPUBLIC

A few weeks ago I put an article on the Free Republic about our fight to get a banner for our wounded soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

I talked with someone in the Pentagon, in regard to our petition, who stated something along the lines as, “Well, that’s great but you have a long way to go to hit 10,000.”

We stand at less than 300 signatures. We are WELL below such earth shaking topics such as, “Save Arrested Development” and keep “Dead Like Me” on the air.

I know everyone is busy, but I would urge each and everyone of you to PLEASE stop by and sign the petition.

[Steve Newton]

OUR FIGHT FOR OUR WOUNDED SOLDIERS TO MY FRIENDS AT THE FREE REPUBLIC

A few weeks ago I put an article on the Free Republic about our fight to get a banner for our wounded soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

I talked with someone in the Pentagon who stated something along the lines as, “Well, that’s great but you have a long way to go to hit 10,000.”

We stand at less than 300 signatures. We are WELL below such earth shaking topics such as, “Save Arrested Development” and keep “Dead Like Me” on the air.

I know everyone is busy, but I would urge each and everyone of you to PLEASE stop by and sign the petition.

http://www.petitiononline.com/12251952/petition.html

Our wounded deserve a Service Flag and the only way it’s going to happen is if we do it. I know you will come through and I am proud of each and every one of you.

God Bless

Chief Steve Newton (ret)

Copy of the Petition:

To: Department of Defense

OUR FIGHT FOR A BANNER FOR OUR WOUNDED SOLDIERS (Service Flag)

As most of you know, we have had a banner for families with children in the military since about World War I. Around this banner grew a wonderful organization called the Blue Star Mothers. Later within the same organization grew a distinct and honored group called the Gold Star Mothers who have lost children in the service of their country.

But at the present time we have no recognized banner for wounded soldiers. In the distant past it has been said there was a Silver Star designating a wounded soldier but the tradition has been lost. It is my intention to reinstate this tradition. To date in Operation Iraqi Freedom there have been almost 20,000 wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. It is time that they AND their families had a specific banner honoring their sacrifice.

Everyone starts out with a Blue Star Banner for a family member in the service of his or her country. If the service member dies in the line of duty, the Gold Star is sewn over the Blue Star leaving a blue border showing around the new Gold Star. It would be a simple matter to sew a Silver Star over a Blue Star leaving a blue border showing and thus creating a banner for our wounded.

However it is not THAT simple. The copyright of the Blue Star Banner rests with the Department of Defense and the rules and regulations governing its use and manufacture are in DoD 1348.33-M which authorizes the Secretary of Defense to approve the design of the flag and prescribe regulations governing its manufacture and use. It also refers to this flag as "The Service Flag." The law is in Sec. 901 of the U.S. Code. However there is no mention of a Silver Star although in the history of the Service Flag there have been MANY variations. I have contacted many organizations and individuals about a banner for our wounded but have received ambiguous responses if I received any.

Many have stated that a family can express their love and patriotism in any fashion they deem appropriate. Some have stated that if it is not specifically mentioned in the DoD regulations it is not authorized. I believe that we must honor tradition AND DoD regulations by following the examples of our forefathers. By keeping the same banner but sewing a Silver Star over the Blue Star it would, in my opinion, satisfy tradition and honor the Blue Star Mothers, the Gold Star Mothers AND the families who have suffered through the trauma of a wounded soldier. (Or the new Silver Star Mothers)

So in keeping with the attempt to reinstate this traditional use of the Service Banner and if you are a family member of a wounded soldier, you may now go to: http://showcase.netins.net/web/sovereign/star/ and download a SILVER STAR BANNER to be proudly displayed in your window. (Graphics by Gary King) Right click on the Image and save to your computer. Then you can print out the banner on your printer. If you already have a real banner and are a family member of a wounded soldier, contact you’re nearest flag maker and request a Silver Star.

To learn more on this effort please go to: http://steven.newton1.home.att.net/ or: http://home.att.net/~steven.newton1/serviceflag.html and read the history of the Service Flag and about our fight for a “Silver Star” Banner for our wounded. When this effort is complete we will send the results to the Secretary of Defense and the President of the United States.

Remember that the DoD has not yet recognized this effort. But they are studying the matter as we speak. However, “studying” by the government can take a while. We need to be honoring our wounded and disable soldiers NOW. We request that the DoD make changes to the regulations to officially recognize our wounded with the establishment of a Silver Star.

Steven J. Newton

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

OUR FIGHT FOR OUR WOUNDED SOLDIERS TO MY FRIENDS AT THE FREE REPUBLIC
A few weeks ago I put an article on the Free Republic about our fight to get a banner for our wounded soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

I talked with someone in the Pentagon who stated something along the lines as, “Well, that’s great but you have a long way to go to hit 10,000.”

We stand at less than 300 signatures. We are WELL below such earth shaking topics such as, “Save Arrested Development” and keep “Dead Like Me” on the air.

I know everyone is busy, but I would urge each and everyone of you to PLEASE stop by and sign the petition.

http://www.petitiononline.com/12251952/petition.html

Our wounded deserve a Service Flag and the only way it’s going to happen is if we do it. I know you will come through and I am proud of each and every one of you.

God Bless

Chief Steve Newton (ret)

Copy of the Petition:

To: Department of Defense

OUR FIGHT FOR A BANNER FOR OUR WOUNDED SOLDIERS (Service Flag)

As most of you know, we have had a banner for families with children in the military since about World War I. Around this banner grew a wonderful organization called the Blue Star Mothers. Later within the same organization grew a distinct and honored group called the Gold Star Mothers who have lost children in the service of their country.

But at the present time we have no recognized banner for wounded soldiers. In the distant past it has been said there was a Silver Star designating a wounded soldier but the tradition has been lost. It is my intention to reinstate this tradition. To date in Operation Iraqi Freedom there have been almost 20,000 wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. It is time that they AND their families had a specific banner honoring their sacrifice.

Everyone starts out with a Blue Star Banner for a family member in the service of his or her country. If the service member dies in the line of duty, the Gold Star is sewn over the Blue Star leaving a blue border showing around the new Gold Star. It would be a simple matter to sew a Silver Star over a Blue Star leaving a blue border showing and thus creating a banner for our wounded.

However it is not THAT simple. The copyright of the Blue Star Banner rests with the Department of Defense and the rules and regulations governing its use and manufacture are in DoD 1348.33-M which authorizes the Secretary of Defense to approve the design of the flag and prescribe regulations governing its manufacture and use. It also refers to this flag as "The Service Flag." The law is in Sec. 901 of the U.S. Code. However there is no mention of a Silver Star although in the history of the Service Flag there have been MANY variations. I have contacted many organizations and individuals about a banner for our wounded but have received ambiguous responses if I received any.

Many have stated that a family can express their love and patriotism in any fashion they deem appropriate. Some have stated that if it is not specifically mentioned in the DoD regulations it is not authorized. I believe that we must honor tradition AND DoD regulations by following the examples of our forefathers. By keeping the same banner but sewing a Silver Star over the Blue Star it would, in my opinion, satisfy tradition and honor the Blue Star Mothers, the Gold Star Mothers AND the families who have suffered through the trauma of a wounded soldier. (Or the new Silver Star Mothers)

So in keeping with the attempt to reinstate this traditional use of the Service Banner and if you are a family member of a wounded soldier, you may now go to: http://showcase.netins.net/web/sovereign/star/ and download a SILVER STAR BANNER to be proudly displayed in your window. (Graphics by Gary King) Right click on the Image and save to your computer. Then you can print out the banner on your printer. If you already have a real banner and are a family member of a wounded soldier, contact you’re nearest flag maker and request a Silver Star.

To learn more on this effort please go to: http://steven.newton1.home.att.net/ or: http://home.att.net/~steven.newton1/serviceflag.html and read the history of the Service Flag and about our fight for a “Silver Star” Banner for our wounded. When this effort is complete we will send the results to the Secretary of Defense and the President of the United States.

Remember that the DoD has not yet recognized this effort. But they are studying the matter as we speak. However, “studying” by the government can take a while. We need to be honoring our wounded and disable soldiers NOW. We request that the DoD make changes to the regulations to officially recognize our wounded with the establishment of a Silver Star.

Steven J. Newton

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

# 297

[duck duck goose]

Amen! Thanks for the post.

[Bahbah]

I know everyone is busy

May God have mercy on me if I am ever too busy for such a thing as this.

[Steve Newton]

Thank you

I knew I could count on you guys. It will mean a lot when that Flag is flying above a VA hospital.

God Bless

Steve

[Steve Newton]

Thank you my friend.

Steve

[Steve Newton]

Thank you my friend

I don't know what to say, but I'm proud of you all

Chief Steve Newton

[Steve Newton]

Thanks for fixing my post. Wish I knew how to do that

Steve

[7.62 x 51mm]

"...stop by and sign the petition."

What's the URL, Steve?

[Diva Betsy Ross]

ACTION NEEDED!

Please sign this petition if you agree!!

All of the really attractive,witty guys and gals are signing and if you are on this list that means YOU!! ;}

IF I added you to this ping- don't worry it is just for this one thread- and because I think you are waay cute!! Hehe!

Seriously I thought you may be interested.

[GodBlessUSA]

Signed! Thank you for working on this for our Soldiers and their families!

Thanks for the ping Tonkin!

[armymarinemom]

I would very much like to see this clarified by the DOD. I had an individual ask me if I was a Red Star Mother over the phone the other day because she had heard that I had a son wounded. No my sons had not been wounded, the individual was mistaken. I much prefer the silver star to a red one in order to denote wounded in action. It maintains the same proud history and tradition as the banners used in WWI. Our troops and the families deserve to have a symbol to recognize wounding just as they do for active duty or ultimate sacrifice.

[BykrBayb]

I'll take that as a compliment. (I signed it a long time ago.)

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Signed and thanks! I will see if we can get any others to get on over here and sign too! Thanks Tonk for the ping!

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Then you were a hot chick starting a long time ago!! I wonder if any one wants to have a contest to see who can get the most people to sign up. Anyone out there game?

[Bahbah]

All of the really attractive,witty guys and gals are signing and if you are on this list that means YOU!!

Gee, thanks. Actually, right now I look like something the cat dragged in, but I'll take it anyway.

[Steve Newton]

http://www.petitiononline.com/12251952/petition.html

Thanks buddy

Steve

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Well that is a pretty good lookin cat then! :]

[Steve Newton]

Thank you Diva

And the Old Sargeant thanks you too

Steve Newton