Stars of America
A tribute to America's veterans and civil servants — the men and women who understood that freedom is never free.
America's story began in 1776, when a young nation declared its independence and set out to build a country founded on liberty, courage, and sacrifice. That spirit was tested again in 1814, during the War of 1812, when Francis Scott Key watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry through a long and uncertain night. As dawn broke, he saw the American flag still standing above the fort — a sign that the nation had held. Moved by that sight, he wrote the poem that became “The Star-Spangled Banner,” later set to music and officially adopted as our national anthem in 1931. It has stood ever since as a reminder that freedom is something people fight for, defend, and hold onto — often at great cost.
That cost is carried most deeply by Gold Star families — the mothers, fathers, spouses, and children of service members who gave their lives for this country. The gold star, first displayed during World War I, marks a family's ultimate sacrifice, and it asks something of the rest of us: to remember.
The folded flag carries that same weight. At a veteran's funeral, the flag is folded thirteen times into a triangle of stars on a field of blue — recalling the thirteen original colonies and the tricorn hats of the soldiers who first fought for our independence. When it is placed in the hands of a grieving family, it represents the nation's gratitude for a life given in service.
Give. Engage. Serve.
Organizations doing real work for the people this page is about — veterans, military families, and Gold Star families. Give, volunteer, or get involved directly — and if you're considering service yourself, military.com is where to start.
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From those early battles to the wars of the modern era — and in the quiet, everyday dedication of the civil servants who keep this country running — America's liberty has come at an extraordinary cost, paid in countless lives given so the rest of us could live free.
Thank you for this beautiful country.
May it continue to flourish as we pave the way for a beautiful tomorrow.