Blue Service Star Flags

History and Meaning of the Blue Service Star Banner

The single blue star on a white background with a red border flag design was created in 1917 by US Army Captain Robert L. Queisser. The flag was meant to honor his two sons who were serving during World War I. The idea caught on quickly with much of the public. On September 24, 1917, the following statement was read into the Congressional Record:

The Mayor of Cleveland, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Governor of Ohio have adopted this service flag. The world should know of those who give so much for liberty. The dearest thing in all the world to a father and mother is their children.

The flag was standardized and codified by the end of World War II. They were not popular during the Vietnam and Korean conflicts, but have recently started to be displayed again. In modern usage, an organization may fly a service flag if one of its members is serving active duty but is more customarily flown by the parents or spouse of the service member serving in harm’s way. There is no legal specification of the banner’s size, so there are multiple different sizes and configurations. However, according to the Department of Defense code, the flag size ratio should be the same as the American Flag. When displayed with the American flag, the latter should take the place of honor. If the flags displayed are different in size, the American flag should be larger.