Gold Star, the one award no one wants

This year I got to meet a few Gold Star Mothers, and Families. This is an award that I never want to earn. My Run family will know what it means, but my Trucking friends may not. When a Mother, Wife, Husband, or Father, or Family has a loved one in the military in harms way they become a Blue Star family. When that person dies in action they become a Gold Star Family. No one wants to become a recipient of a Gold Star. The ones that do are very brave, and go on with their lives, and help others that have lost loved ones. There are a lot of folks that have Gold Stars. WWII created the most, and there are over 50,000 from the Vietnam War. There are many from the other conflicts this nation has been involved in. I salute everyone that has ever lost a loved one to war. They are a strong lot, and they support themselves and others very well. They are in part a reason for riding for those who cannot. My own parents, Mother, Father and Step Father were Blue Star parents during Desert Storm, and Vietnam, and a few other minor dust ups. They were lucky because my Brother and I were lucky.
OK that is enough, just a quick thank you to all those Gold Star families, you sons, daughters, husbands and wives served proudly and I will never forget the freedom they bought me with their blood.