Posted on 04/04/2005 3:30:41 PM PDT by 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, thats 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at petitiononline.com ...
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, thats 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 its 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 youre 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
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, thats 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 its 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 youre 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
# 297
Amen! Thanks for the post.
May God have mercy on me if I am ever too busy for such a thing as this.
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
Thank you my friend.
Steve
Thank you my friend
I don't know what to say, but I'm proud of you all
Chief Steve Newton
Thanks for fixing my post. Wish I knew how to do that
Steve
"...stop by and sign the petition."
What's the URL, Steve?
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!
I'll take that as a compliment. (I signed it a long time ago.)
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!
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?
Gee, thanks. Actually, right now I look like something the cat dragged in, but I'll take it anyway.
http://www.petitiononline.com/12251952/petition.html
Thanks buddy
Steve
Thank you Diva
And the Old Sargeant thanks you too
Steve Newton
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