See also:
R. L. Queisser’s patent on the service flag
Edwin Keigwin’s sermon “Over the Top With the Stars of God”
See also “Service Flags. Rulings On How to Denote Men Killed and Wounded in Country’s Service,” in the New York Times of 1918-06-02, section 5, page 2. I found it reprinted in full in the Tulsa (Oklahoma) Daily World of 1918-06-23, Society page 3, and The Pacific 68(26) of 1918-06-27, page 6; and plagiarized in part in the sentimental anthology Blue Stars and Gold (William E. Barton, sometime between 1918-08-01 and 1918-11-23).In response to many inquiries with reference to the service flag, its origin and established usage, the following memorandum has been prepared from the best available information—not as an official, authoritative statement, but to answer such inquiries and for the information and guidance of those who may desire to follow it:
First. The service flag is not an official flag of the government. It has, however, taken such firm root in popular sentiment and has been of such beneficial influence that it is officially recognized, and everyone who is entitled to fly it is encouraged and urged to do so.
The service flag was designed by inspiration in the following manner. Mr. R. L. Ineisser [sic: Queisser], of Cleveland, O., formerly captain of the machine gun company, 5th Ohio Infantry, retired because of accident, decided shortly after war was declared that some sign or symbol should be evolved by which it might be known that his sons were away in their country’s service, and one which would be to their mother a visible sign of the sacrifice her sons were making. He then designed the flag. The city council of East Cleveland adopted an ordinance providing that one be presented to the family of every soldier and sailor entering the service, and it soon received favorable recognition elsewhere, so that it was suggested to him that he patent it, which he did, the patent being issued to him Nov. 6, 1917. The basic idea of the service flag is that there shall be a star to represent each person serving with the colors.
Perhaps the best guide as to what persons shall be entitled to this honor is the legislation enacted by Congress for the benefit of those in the military service [sic] conversely, those to whom Congress has not seen fit to extend such recognition ought not to be represented on the service flag, which is limited to those in the military service.
All persons included in the several military forces are, without regard to their sex, deemed to be “persons in military service.” A woman should be accorded the honor of representation on the service flag also when in any active service. When flown from a home, a husband, son, father or brother may properly be represented on the service flag, even though he did not actually leave from that household directly to go into the service. In case of any more distant relative, they should actually be members of the household where the flag is displayed and have left for the service directly from such household.
There is some sentiment in favor of distinguishing flags representing members of a family from those representing members of an organization, by limiting the individual stars to the family flags, the organizations to use a single star with a numeral to indicate the number who have gone. And to represent by silver and gold stars only those who are invalided, wounded or killed. This would enable anyone clearly to determine in any doubtful case whether the person [sic] represented were members of the family or employees, and in any case where there are a large number, would show more distinctly how many have gone from such organizations.
A blue star is used to represent each person, man or woman, in the military or naval service of the United States. For those killed in action a gold star will be substituted for the blue star. The idea of the gold star is that [sic] the honor and glory accorded the person for his supreme sacrifice in offering up for his country his “last full measure of devotion,” and the pride of the family in it, rather than the sense of personal loss, which would be represented by a mourning symbol, even though white were to be used instead of black. For those wounded in action a silver star will be substituted for the blue star or superimposed on it in such manner as to entirely cover it. Use of the star in this manner would be limited to those entitled to the official wound chevron, which is awarded to those receiving wounds in action with the enemy or disabled by a gas attack, necessitating treatment by a medical officer. For those who die from such wounds the gold star will be put on the silver star with a margin of silver around the gold. For those disabled in line of duty a silver star will be placed on the blue star, with a margin of blue around the silver. For those who die as a result of action in line of duty, a gold star with a margin of blue will be substituted. Where men are reported missing, the presumption is that they have been taken prisoner, unless circumstances indicate the contrary, and unless authentic information is received that they have been wounded or killed they should continue to be represented by the blue service star. The roll of honor should be limited to those entitled to representation on the service flag. It should be headed by those who have made the supreme sacrifice under the designation “In Memoriam.”
Its Origin—Its Meaning and Those Entitled to Fly It—The Star of Honor.
No matter from what country a man or woman may have come, his or her treasured possession should be the red service flag with the blue star indicating that under the Star Spangled Banner some loved one is fighting to preserve his and her freedom, our freedom, the freedom of the world. What does the flag mean? Who originated it? Who is entitled to fly it? What does the star mean? The silver star? The gold star?
Many people cannot answer these questions, although the service flag is proudly displayed in thousands of windows throughout the United States.
First of all, any man born abroad who has a son in the United States Army or Navy, is entitled to this flag as much as a man born in the United States. To fly it is a great honor. Money cannot buy this privilege. The flag is for rich and poor alike.
What the Blue Means. The idea of the service flag is that there shall be a blue star on it for every person from the home, store or factory in active service in the army or navy of the United States. This person may be a man or a woman—a soldier, sailor, marine or nurse—or he or she may be a clerk or any other employee with the army abroad. Not only actual fighting men, but those who help the fighting men abroad, may have the flag at home.
A silver star placed over the blue star means that the person has been wounded or gassed, and a gold star over the blue star is in honor of one killed in the service. Use of the silver stars is limited to those entitled to the official wound chevron.
Those Entitled to the Stars. All officers and enlisted men of the Regular Army, Regular Army Reserve, Officers’ Reserve Corps, Enlisted Reserve Corps, National Guard, National Guard Reserve, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Naval Militia, Naval Reserve Force, Marine Corps Reserve, National Naval Volunteers, United States Guards, and members of the Nurse Corps are entitled to the blue star. So are all officers and drafted men in the new National Army raised by the selective service act, all officers of the Public Health Service, all men transferred from other services by the President to duty with the Army and Navy, and all army field clerks, and civilian clerks and employees on duty with military forces detailed for service abroad. The blue stars are also for men attending officers’ training camps of the army or navy and men with the allies who enlisted before our entrance into the war.
No Emblem But a Star. Persons in the reserve forces and home guards are not entitled to the flag, and no emblems except the blue, silver and gold stars are proper. Many people are doing good work to help win the war, but as the flag is intended for those in the military and naval service only, they are not entitled to it.
This means that no service flag may be flown for workers of local and district draft boards, medical and legal advisory boards, Red Cross, Young Men’s Christian Association, Knights of Columbus and Jewish Welfare workers, and members of official war boards, commissions, aid societies, etc.
When flown from a home a husband, son, father or brother may have a star on the service flag, and even a more distant relative, provided he was a member of the household. Stars of actual club members may be on club flags. The flag of a business concern may have stars for members of the firm and employees.
Origin of the Service Flag. The service flag, which is not an official flag of the United States Government, was originated, designed and patented by R. L. Queisser, of Cleveland, O., formerly captain of the Machine Gun Company of the Fifth Ohio Infantry, now the 145th United States Infantry. The captain was retired from the regiment because of an accident, but two of his sons who were officers in the National Guard, were still in the service when war with Germany was declared. The thought that these two sons would be called to the colors inspired the captain to invent the flag. The idea has become popular all over the United States.
Nearly all nations of the world are against Germany because they know her cause is unjust and that she has not acted honestly. The United States stands for freedom, right honor and justice for herself and for all the smaller nations that are not strong enough to protect themselves. She is fighting not only her own battle, but the battle of all the people of the world who love freedom and an equal chance to live, prosper and be happy.
In 1917, an entirely new flag came into existence and promises to become a permanent addition to the number of American flags. It is called the “service flag,” and is used to indicate that one or more members of a household, or business house, are in the military or naval service of the country. The flag is a patented private invention and has no official standing with the United States government, but it seems to meet a popular desire and to perform a peculiar and useful function not performed in any other way.
The standard proportions of the service flag are a width of four and a length of five units, but as a matter of fact the flags are made of varying proportions. The design consists of a white center and red border, the width of the border being about one-third of the narrow width of the flag. In the center of the white field is a blue star if one person is in the service, and a corresponding number of stars if more than one person are in the service. On some flags hung out by large corporations, on which it is not practicable to place a star for each person, the stars are arranged in the form of numbers. For instance, the flag hung across Broadway, New York City, in front of the American Telephone and Telegraph Building, bears the number “6861” outlined with stars in the white field. This flag is 32 by 52 feet in size.
The service flag was designed and patented by Capt. R. L. Queisser, of Cleveland, Ohio, a business man who was an officer in the National Guard and served on the Mexican border. The Chamber of Commerce and the City Council of Cleveland recommended its use, and it became instantly popular throughout the country. At the last session of Congress a bill was introduced to make the flag official, and it was suggested that $50,000 be appropriated to provide flags for families having sons and daughters in service, but the pressure of war legislation prevented the passage of the measure. The Secretary of War, however, gave it recognition to the extent of allowing a service flag showing the number of civilian employes of the War Department in the service to be made.
Several suggestions have been made of ways to indicate the death of a person represented by a blue star. They include the substitution of a black star, a gold star, or a black-edged blue star on the white field, or the placing of a white star on the red border.
Readers may enjoy the same report’s article on “History in Telephone Names” (pages 265–268) detailing the painstaking effort that went into the selection of the mnemonic for Manhattan’s “CAthedral” telephone exchange in late 1914.
From “The Flag of Our Country,” by Mrs. Charles B. Nelcamp, in St. Nicholas 45(9), July 1918, page 792:
[...] The “service flag,” invented and patented by Captain Queisser, of Cleveland, is too well known to need description, but it may be stated that this banner, like all other patented articles, may be copied for home use (but not for sale or to give away). The white center, originally one third the width when the flag was used only for families, where it could scarcely need space for more than a dozen stars, is now made one half the width; the proportions are as two to three; and the stars are placed with one point up, as in our flag.
“President Approves War Mourning Bands.” In the New York Times of 1918-05-26, page 18.
Letter to Women’s Committee Commends the Wearing of Simple Badges of Loss.
WASHINGTON, May 25.—President Wilson has approved a suggestion made by the Women’s Committee of the Council of National Defense that, instead of wearing conventional mourning for relatives who have died in the service of their country, American women should wear a black band on the left arm with a gilt star on the band for each member of the family who has given up his life for the nation. The following letter to Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, Chairman of the Women’s Committee, made public today, contains the President’s approval:
THE WHITE HOUSE.
Washington, May 22, 1918.My Dear Dr. Shaw: Thank you for your letter of yesterday. I do entirely approve of the action taken by the Women’s Committee in executive session, namely that a three-inch black band should be worn, upon which a gilt star may be placed for each member of the family whose life is lost in the service, and that the band shall be worn on the left arm. I hope and believe that thoughtful people everywhere will approve of this action, and I hope that you will be kind enough to make the suggestion of the committee public, with the statement that it has my cordial indorsement.
Cordially and sincerely yours,
Woodrow Wilson.In an explanatory statement on the subject the Women’s Committee says:
This action of the committee at this time is prompted by a feeling on their part that we should determine beforehand the attitude we are to take toward the inevitably growing death roll of the defenders of our country. The wearing of such insignia will, they feel, express better than mourning the feeling of the American people that such losses are a matter of glory rather than of prostrating grief and depression.
For a long time the Women’s Committee has been receiving letters from women urging some such action on their part. The determined avoidance of mourning by English women has been much commented on and praised. One woman who advocates this step has four sons in the service, one of whom has already been killed. She wrote recently: “I know the costliness of such supreme glory and sacrifice, and have felt both the selfish temptation to hide my pain behind a mourning that would hold off intrusion and the inspiration and stimulus of keeping up to my gallant son’s expectation that I should regard his death as a happy promotion into higher service. Patriotism means such exalted living that dying is not the harder part.”
The insignia which has been chosen by the Women’s Committee is of a kind that can readily be made at home out of whatever material can be procured. The band is to be black and three inches wide—the stars gilt, and one for each member of the family who has lost his life in service. These stars may be gold, of gilded metal, or satin, or of cloth. The design will not be patented, and the insignia will never become a commercial article.
Shaw’s letter of 1918-05-21 is in the Library of Congress’s Woodrow Wilson archives, series 4, number 4473.
Wilson’s letter and the Committee’s explanatory statement were reprinted not only in the New York Times but also in the Commercial & Financial Chronicle 106(2763) of 1918-06-08 (page 2407) and the Literary Digest 57(11) of 1918-06-15 (pages 73–74).
The (Hartford) Connecticut Bulletin of 1918-07-12 (page 2) and the Albany-Decatur (Alabama) Daily of 1918-07-18 (page 4) reprint this statement from Dr. Shaw:
The desire to avoid the usual symbols of mourning on the part of those who have relatives in the army and especially those who have lost their loved ones in the country’s service is highly patriotic and to be commended. The constant reminder of losses and sorrow must tend to depress the spirit of the people and develop a feeling of helplessness and despair not in keeping with the supreme sacrifices which our fighting men and toiling women in the field of action are making. This badge is not so much a symbol of mourning as of the rank of those who have been counted worthy to make the supreme sacrifice for their country and humanity.
For more background information see The Woman’s Committee, United States Council of National Defense: An Interpretive Report (Emily Newell Blair, 1920), page 91.
“Another Shield to be Authorized for Service Flag.” In Office Appliances 30(2), August 1919, page 82.
The publication of the following statement issued by Grosvenor B. Clarkson, director of the United States Council of National Defense, is authorized by the Council: “The War and Navy Departments having issued a citation to employers who give assurance that they will gladly take back their old employes who have served in the armed forces of the United States, it seems fitting that some symbol representing this attitude on their part should be placed upon the service flag.
“The United States Council of National Defense, therefore, endorses the placing of the United States shield upon the red border, but no names of individuals or business firms shall appear anywhere upon the flag. Any employer who sends the required assurance to the War and Navy Departments through Colonel Arthur Woods, chairman of the Council’s Emergency Employment Committee for Soldiers and Sailors, Washington, D. C., can receive the citation, and as soon as the citation is received such employer is entitled to put the shield upon his flag.
“The shield should appear upon the service flag in the following manner: If the service flag hangs downward, as in a window, the shield should be at the top; if the flag flies from a mast the shield should be placed on the border nearest the mast. In both cases the shield shall be right side up.”