The Gold Star
by Ngozi Osuagwu, MD | May 28th, 2018
When I was growing up, getting a gold star meant you did exceptional work. Then, the 2016 presidential campaign started and the gold star took on a different meaning for me. The gold star denotes a relative of a person killed while serving in the armed forces during wartime. A gold star family has lost an immediate family member of the armed forces. During the campaign, we were introduced to Khizr and Ghazala Khan who lost their son, Army Captain Humayun Khan in the Iraq War.
While for most of us Memorial Day represents a day off when we can turn up the grill, it definitely has a different meaning for a gold star family. Memorial Day is a special day to honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country free and that includes their loved one.
As we did last year, there will be an opportunity to go silent to honor those that have died while in the Armed Forces. The campaign is #GoSilent for Memorial Day. We are encouraged to gather our friends and family across the country and pause for a national moment of silence to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. The time will be Memorial Day at 3:00 PM ET.
