Almost one hundred years ago, Grace Darling Siebold sent a son off to war. That son never returned. Originally notified that her son, George, was missing in action, Grace began to frequently visit the military hospital, hoping to find her child among the injured.

While she was there, Grace began helping the overworked nurses care for the sick and wounded. When news finally came that her son had been declared killed in action (his remains were never identified), Grace discovered that her service to the injured soldiers in the hospital had eased her grief and made her feel closer to the son she had lost. This discovery - that serving others can be an antidote to grief - led Grace to form a service organization for moms who had lost children to war so that they could gain strength from one another and could experience healing through their service.

Around the same time, President Wilson suggested that, instead of the black armband traditionally worn by family members in mourning, family members of soldiers killed in action should wear a black armband with a gold star on it to honor the sacrifice of their family member. They could also replace the traditional blue star on the American service flag that hung in their windows with a gold star. Thus, families who had lost loved ones in combat became known as "gold star families".

In 1929, Grace's service organization became officially organized as American Gold Star Mothers, and for the past 87 years, this organization has provided gold star moms the opportunity to gain strength and support from each other and to heal through serving members of the military and their families.

With more than a thousand members nationwide, American Gold Star Mothers is a Veterans' Service Organization. As such, the members of AGSM serve both veterans and active-duty members of the military and their families by visiting hospitals and veterans' homes, fund raising, and volunteering for various projects to commemorate our country's fallen and support the survivors.

The current president of American Gold Star Mothers, Cindy Kruger, lost her son, Army Sergeant Michael Hardegree, in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2007. She says finding AGSM " ... was the beginning of my journey out of the dark - out of the blackness of grief."

In 1936, Congress declared the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mothers' Day, and in 2012, President Obama changed it to Gold Star Mothers' and Families' Day. The day is marked by a variety of events across the country, including a brunch or dinner in honor of gold star mothers and families, visits to veterans' homes and hospitals, and/or gatherings at military cemeteries which are frequently attended by politicians and military dignitaries.

In her remarks last month to the national American Gold Star Mothers' association gathered in Washington, D.C. for National Gold Star Mothers' and Families' Day, Ms. Kruger stated,  "It's never been about us. We want to reach out and touch our veterans whether that be through physical touch, fundraising, sometimes a little chastising, support or love. We want to provide for them as we always provided for our sons and daughters because through our service, we heal. Veterans and Gold Star Mothers have been healing each other for many years starting with our founder, Grace Darling Seibold. When she left the hospital after spending the day searching for her son, she left feeling a little better, because she had been helping tend the wounded. This day is a day we accept but only because it gives us a chance to talk about our mission. It's always been about our mission: our service to our veterans."

On Saturday, Oct. 17, from noon to 3 p.m., the JBLM Survivor Outreach Program will honor gold star moms and their families at this year's annual Gold Star Mothers' Day of Recognition Event to be held in the Family Resource Center Building #4274.

This event will include free food and games for gold star moms and their families, as well as shopping at the Exchange on the Main Post, and other opportunities for these special mothers and families to connect with and support one another.

According to Ro Hicklin, JBLM's Survivor Outreach Coordinator, "It is very important that our Survivor Outreach Program stay in contact with the families and let them know that they, too, will always be part of our military community."  The Gold Star Mothers' Day of Recognition Event is just one way the Survivor Outreach Program hopes to achieve this goal.

For more information about the Gold Star Mothers' Day of Recognition Event, contact Ro Hicklin at 253.966.5047.  And for more information about American Gold Star Mothers, visit their website at www.goldstarmoms.com.

Gold Star Mothers' Day of Recognition Event, Noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 17, Family Resource Center Building #4274, 4274 Idaho Ave., Joint Base Lewis-McChord, 253.966.5047