One of Our Family

Blue and white illustration of a person next to blue text over a rectangle with a blue star inside that is all inside a rectangle with blue text avove and a shield below on a white background

When the United States entered the WW I in 1917, Army Captain Robert Queisser designed a flag to honor his sons fighting in the war. His flag had two blue stars, one for each son, on a white background with a red border. It was small enough to hang in the window. This service flag, as it was called, was endorsed by the mayor of Cleveland and the governor of Ohio. Service flags and service flag memorabilia were advertised in the October 1917 National Geographic.

Service flags returned in World War II and their symbolism formally codified. They were not popular during the Vietnam War, but they came back during the Gulf War. Service flags are still available, their manufacture and display being regulated by government code since 1967.