The name Gold Star Mother was derived from the custom of military families who put a service flag in their front windows. The flag featured a star for each family member serving in their country – living members were denoted in blue while gold stars honored family members who were killed in the line of duty. In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson approved the wearing of black arm bands bearing a gilt star by those who had a family member who died while in military service to the United States.

American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. was incorporated in 1929, obtaining a federal charter from the United States Congress. The organization began with 25 mothers living in the Washington DC area and soon expanded to include affiliated groups throughout the nation. On June 23, 1936, a joint congressional resolution designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mothers’ Day.