RECOGNIZING THE RED STAR SERVICE BANNER AND THE RED STAR FOUNDATION

RECOGNIZING THE RED STAR SERVICE BANNER AND THE RED STAR FOUNDATION

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2025)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E74-E75] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING THE RED STAR SERVICE BANNER AND THE RED STAR FOUNDATION ______ HON. JACK BERGMAN of michigan in the house of representatives Tuesday, January 28, 2025 Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Speaker, in my office on Capitol Hill hangs a service banner--14 inches high by 8.5 inches wide, with a blue border, a white center, and a red star in the center. Given to me by its designers and fellow Marines Jerry Shaffer and Sergeant Major Gene Overstreet, this banner is used to recognize the service of a Veteran or service member who has died by suicide. It is my honor today to recognize the Red Star Service Banner and the Red Star Foundation. Each year, nearly 8,000 Veterans die by suicide in the United States--including over 500 active, reserve and guard deaths. Since 2001, more Veterans have died by suicide than have been killed in action since 1950. Despite greater focus and investment being placed both within the Department of Veterans affairs and outside to address this suicide crisis, tragically, little to no real progress has been made. For each suicide, at least 6 surviving family members and loved ones are directly impacted leaving over 1 million people in the United States to cope with the pain and loss of a loved one. A new service banner specifically for Veteran and military suicides would serve several essential purposes: 1. Recognition: it would provide a visible and enduring acknowledgment of the sacrifice made by those who lost their lives to the struggles of mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder. These battles are just as real, just as honorable, and just as deserving of remembrance as those faced in the field of combat. [[Page E75]] 2. Support for Families: it would offer a form of recognition to the families who have endured the loss of a loved one due to the invisible scars of war. They, too, have made significant sacrifices, and they deserve our empathy, understanding, and respect. 3. Awareness: A specific banner would raise awareness about the crisis of Veteran suicides, promoting open dialogue, reducing stigma, and emphasizing the critical need for resources and support for mental health and suicide prevention among Veterans. 4. Community and Unity: it would bring together the broader military and civilian communities in collective remembrance and action, uniting us in our support for those who have served and our determination to ensure that no veteran feels alone in their struggles. This service banner has been initially manufactured by ``The Flag Company'' in Clearwater Florida, and adopted by America's Gold Star Families, Military Order of the Purple National, Bruce Rector; mayor of Clearwater, Florida, the American Legion Turner-Brandon Post 7, Palm Harbor Chamber of Commerce, Pinellas County Veterans Association, Florida Veterans Coalition, Veteran Forces, Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 1963, the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 705, Operation Warrior Wishes, and the Sgt. Anthony Patrick Muhlstadt Foundation. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the Red Star Service Banner and the Red Star Foundation. I applaud them for their work to honor our Veterans and service members lost due to suicide and to provide support and community to their loved ones. On behalf of my constituents, I wish the Red Star Foundation all the best in its future endeavors. ____________________