The Silver Star families of America Latest Press Releases
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Sunday, September 06, 2009, 11:39:37 AM
The Board of Directors of The Silver Star Families of America has issued a statement condemning the actions of the Associated Press in releasing a photo of the last moments of life for a young Marine.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009, 6:38:47 PM
Today it was announced that The Silver Star Families of America (SSFOA) and Military Connection.com have joined forces to find the best Veterans Affairs and the best Military Primary Care Doctors in the country.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 5:05:56 PM
SSFOA Board of Directors wants to honor a primary care physician that was not chosen by a professional organization, but chosen by the people that matter most—the Veterans.”
Wednesday, July 08, 2009, 2:58:52 PM
By a unanimous vote the Board issued this statement concerning the Mojave Cross.
Thursday, July 02, 2009, 4:40:34 PM
Silver Star Families of America Day, or just Silver Star Banner Day, is a day set aside to remember and honor the wounded and ill of our Armed Forces.
Thursday, July 02, 2009, 11:44:44 AM
Representative Jay Wasson introduced the Silver Star Banner Day bill in the Missouri House and was taken up by Senator Goodman in the Senate. House vote was 158-0. Senate vote was 34-0.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009, 2:38:54 PM
Steve Newton, founder of the Silver Star Families of America, responded to DHS assessment report on right-wing extremism
Monday, March 09, 2009, 5:18:40 PM
Diana Newton, Co-Founder of the Silver Star Families of America, announced today that more than 700 cities and counties nationwide had issued proclamations in support of Silver Star Banner Day.
Monday, March 09, 2009, 9:55:13 AM
The VA budget request for 2010 contains a proposal that would bill veteran's private insurance for their service connected disability treatments. This is morally and ethically repugnant.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 7:50:11 PM
The Silver Star Families of America will back the Gold Stars with all our hearts and all our resources up to and including legal recourse. This issue is for them to decide, not our politicians or bureaucrats.
Friday, January 09, 2009, 3:18:54 PM
Today it was announced that Diana Creed Newton, Co-Founder of the Silver Star Families of America, has been awarded the Conspicuous Service Medal from Governor Blunt of Missouri.
Friday, December 26, 2008, 7:31:46 PM
The Silver Star Families of America today announced that it is endorsing service dogs for armed force members wounded with PTS(D)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008, 11:50:19 PM
Following our mission, the Board of Directors has established the SSFOA Commendation award. This award is to be given to an individual or organization that has had an exceptionally positive impact on our wounded and ill
Thursday, November 06, 2008, 6:38:20 PM
Today it was announced that the Silver Star Families of America will honor any military working dog that has been wounded in action.
Sep 17, 2008
Since 2005, the Silver Star Families of America have been working to remember, honor and assist the wounded and ill of our Armed Forces.
Sep 11, 2008
TRIBUTE TO SILVER STAR FAMILIES OF AMERICA Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson paid a rare tribute to an organization founded to remember, honor and assist the wounded and ill of our Armed Forces by reading a tribute into the Congressional Record:
Aug 28, 2008
Today it was announced that Governor Anoatubby of the Chickasaw Nation has joined with the Silver Star Families of America and signed a proclamation declaring May 1st Silver Star Banner Day in honor of our wounded and ill service members.
Aug 14, 2008
Starting today, members of the Merchant Marines who have served during war time and were wounded can apply for the coveted Silver Star Banner.
Jul 24, 2008
Today it was announced that the Silver Star Families of America, an organization founded to remember and honor the wounded and ill of our armed forces, has reached the 1 million dollar mark in donated volunteer hours and materials.
Jul 13, 2008
It was announced today that the Silver Star Families of America has presented the first allied service member a Silver Star Service Banner.
America Supports You: Communities Sign On for Annual Observance
By Sharon Foster
Special to American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 10, 2008 – Two years ago, Steve Newton, founder of Silver Star Families of America, asked the governors of all 50 states and the mayor of the District of Columbia to sign a proclamation to observe May 1 as Silver Star Banner Day, honoring wounded and ill servicemembers from all wars.
“We asked the governors to make this day a permanent and official day of observance each year thereafter,” Newton said. “This is a community outreach program that can be implemented by each governor to benefit the wounded and ill troop population in this unique way.”
Governors held ceremonies honoring wounded and ill servicemembers, Newton said, but the news was not always reaching small cities and towns. They, too, wanted to get involved.
“We started to get feedback, and many mayors wondered why we did not include their cities and towns in this event,” Newton said. “They were not able to go to the state capital, but they wanted to do something in their own community.”
That feedback led Newton to reach out to 5,000 cities and towns -- 100 per state -- across the nation in preparation for next year’s Silver Star Banner Day.
“We want to get down to the grassroots level and have local communities honor their wounded and ill, as well,” Newton explained. “At the same time, we wish to send the nation’s largest thank you.”
May 1 was chosen for this recurring event because it is Loyalty Day and the first day of Military Appreciation Month, Newton said.
A Silver Star Families of America committee contacts city clerks and mayors to inform them of the event and to ask for their participation. When they agree, they receive a proclamation letter to sign. To date, nearly 60 cities in 18 states have signed on to observe Silver Star Banner Day in 2009 and thereafter. The organization’s Web site, www.silverstarfamilies.org, is the place to start for people who want to ensure their community has the opportunity to participate.
“It is amazing the outpouring of admiration for our wounded and ill,” Newton said. “The general response from the cities has been, ‘We are honored to be included in this endeavor.’”
Newton said he hopes this event will let all servicemembers know that “we have not forgotten them and never will.”
“Their love of country and sacrifice will remain alive in our hearts,” he said, “and the Silver Star Families of America will always be here to make sure we never forget.”
Silver Star Families of America is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
Buffalo Mayor Hardesty first in nation to meet Silver Star Banner Day Request
By: Paul Campbell, Buffalo Reflex editor paulc@buffaloreflex.com
07/09/2008
The Silver Star Families of America has the goal of
having 5,000 cities across the nation declare May 1
as Silver Star Banner Day. With this in mind,
Steve Newton, of Clever, founder of the organization,
sent information to cities in all 50 states. The first to
respond was Buffalo Mayor Jerry Hardesty, who has
proclaimed May 1 to be permanently Silver Star Banner Day.
The organization was founded to honor those in the military,
past or present, who have been wounded or ill while defending
their country. It sent Hardesty a Silver Star banner, which
will hang under the American flag in front of his house.
The mayor told the Buffalo Reflex that Newton told him that he was going to be contacted by the Armed Services Network for being the first to declare the proclamation. He said that any person who has served or is currently serving in the military can receive a free banner by contacting the organization at www.silverstarfamilies.org.
Recognition of veterans is a touchy subject with Hardesty, a Vietnam veteran who emphasized that Vietnam vets were not honored or appreciated when they returned from war.
"I was on crutches at the airport after being wounded," Hardesty said. "A guy spit on me and called me a baby killer. This is the first time I have been able to recognize veterans in our town and in our country."
Hardesty stressed that he is a member of the "silent majority," and is proud of what he and other veterans have done for their country.
The proclamation declares that the city of Buffalo has always honored the sacrifice of the men and women in the armed forces, and The Silver Star Families of America was formed to make sure people remember the blood sacrifice of the wounded and ill by designing and manufacturing a Silver Star banner and flag.
"I hereby declare May 1 Silver Star Banner Day the permanent and official day to honor the wounded and ill soldiers of the city of Buffalo," the proclamation states.
©Ozarks Newsstand 2008
Silver Star Day -- Saratoga Springs Mayor and City Council proclaimed today as Silver Star Day.
"The Silver Star Families of America was formed to make sure we remembered the blood sacrifice of our wounded by designing and manufacturing Silver Star Banners," said Parker.
Thousands of banners have been given to wounded soldiers and their families across the county. They are designed to be hung in a window or on the outside of a military family home.
The Silver Star Families of America also provides such services as care packages and a Yahoo message board as a safe place for families to talk and pass along vital information. More details are available at www.silverstarfamilies.org.
Parker acknowledged he could make the proclamation without the City Council, but wanted to give them opportunity to lend their support as well. The Council agreed unanimously.
"Sometimes individuals bear the wounds on into life after service, so I appreciate this organization giving us the opportunity to honor and support them," Parker said.
Veterans group fights for quality health care
Steve Newton's support for our country's role in the Iraq war
has not wavered. He feels now, as he did in 2003, that U.S.
forces should remain there until they fulfill their mission.
But Newton has lost some faith in his country's ability --
and perhaps willingness -- to take care of its newest generation
of war wounded.
That's how five years of the Iraq war turned Steve Newton into a
veterans advocate.
In 2004 he and his wife, Diana, launched Silver Star Families of America, reintroducing the 1918 Silver Star emblem on a banner to honor the war wounded from all conflicts.
Since then, membership has grown from eight people to thousands who correspond with young veterans by letter or e-mail, donate money and testify before lawmakers, Newton said.
Often he and others go to bat for families and veterans whose military benefits are stalled in bureaucratic red tape, Newton said. One recent plea for help came from an Alabama mother after the Department of Veterans Affairs lost her son's medical records three times, delaying his benefits.
"We deal with this stuff every day," he said. "We're not afraid to pick up the phone and call the inspector general."
Silver Star banners hang on front doors of the homes of wounded soldiers; some hang on the post of the soldier's hospital bed. Letter-writing teams support distant soldiers; others correspond through the Web site or by telephone. The group, which uses the Web site www.silverstarfamilies.org, also buys food cards for the hospitalized, and VA services vouchers for homeless veterans.
Newton, who served stateside and in Italy with the Marines and Navy Reserve, recently sent written testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs about problems in the VA system and at military hospitals.
"The thing that bothers me the most is when we need our warriors, everyone is there for them and support them, but after the war it seems like people forget. And they don't want to see people who don't have any legs. Basically that's what we do: Make sure people don't forget."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
26 February 2008
Clever, MO.
The Silver Star Families of America has recently learned that across the United States there are tens of thousands of unburied and unclaimed remains of U.S. Service Members that are being stored in mortuaries and crematoriums.
The Silver Star Families of America were astounded and disappointed that those who have given so much for their country have been forgotten. We urge swift State/Federal action to correct this situation and to allow our honored dead an honorable funeral.
Steve Newton, Co Founder of the SSFOA stated; “This is one of the most egregious mistreatment of veteran’s remains that I have ever seen. This is unacceptable, unhonorable and a disgrace.”
Newton continued, “I am proud of the governor of Missouri for taking the lead on this problem and I strongly urge all other states to follow suit. If these remains are unclaimed they should be turned over to the Veterans Administration for proper burial or given to VSO’s to honorably intern.
The SSFOA is a non profit 501 c 3 organization that was formed to remember, honor and assist the wounded of our Armed Forces.
Steven Newton
SSFOA
525 Cave Hollow Rd.
Clever, MO. 65631
Sources:
http://www.ksdk.com/video/default.aspx?aid=67740&sid=138863&bw=hi&cat=70
http://www.miap.us/
Boaz, Missouri
December 25, 2007
Today The Silver Star Families of America has announced that they will join with the Veterans Administration in the “National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans on the 14th of February.
The purpose of the program is to:
* Pay tribute and express appreciation of hospitalized veterans.
* Increase community awareness of the role of VA medical centers.
* Encourage citizens to visit hospitalized veterans and to become
involved as volunteers.
* Provide an opportunity for the community to become acquainted
with the volunteer opportunities with VA medical centers.
Activities planned for the event include special ward visits, valentine distribution, photo opportunities, special recognition activities and veteran recognition programs.
Janie Orman, President of the Silver Star Families of America stated: “The National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans” program compliments the mission of the Silver Stars. We also encourage citizens to visit and volunteer at VA outpatient clinics and to remember the veterans in our Soldier Homes.”
The Silver Star Families of America was founded to remember, honor and assist the wounded of our Armed Forces from all wars. They can be contacted at www.silverstarfamilies.org
Boaz Missouri
The Silver Star Families of America
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
14 November 2007
SILVER STAR FLAG FOR THE WOUNDED NOW OFFICIAL IN THE STATE OF MISSOURI
The Silver Star Families of America was organized in Missouri several years ago to remember, honor and assist the wounded of our Armed Forces in anyway we can.
We do this primarily by presenting a Silver Star Banner and certificate to every wounded Solider who requests one. To date we have given out more than one thousand Banners and scores of Silver Star Flags to V.A. medical centers and to military hospitals.It is our desire that every time someone sees a Banner in a window or a Flag flying, that they remember the blood shed for this great Nation.In 1917 citizens of this country used to sew over a Blue Star with silver thread to represent wounded in their families. That is the reason we chose the name of the Silver Star Families of America. We wanted to fill the gap between the Blue and Gold Service Flags so we designed a Banner and Flag specifically for the wounded. To our surprise we recently discovered that the Silver Star Flag for the wounded was actually given semi official status by then Lt. Colonel Nathan MacChesney, later Brigadier General.MacChesney’s support of the Silver Star Flag was approved by the Adjutant General of the United States Army.
Somewhere between World War I and World War II the Silver Star Flag for the wounded was lost. There was no recognition in a symbolic way for the wounded.
Today the Silver Star Flag flies across the world to remind everyone of our wounded:
The Stars and Stripes Museum
The War Veterans Museum
The Missouri Veterans Home Mt. Vernon
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Bethesda
Palo Alto
V.A. hospitals around the country
Landshul Germany
Balboa
Brooke
Ft Campbell
Legion Posts
Purple Heart Chapters
Medical Support Iraq
The Navajo Nation
Etc.
Many individuals have also been honored with the Silver Star Flag:
General David Petreaus
President George W. Bush
General Jackman
Former SECDEF
Etc
It is imperative that when the medals go in the drawers and the wars are over that we continue to remember the sacrifices made by so many. A symbol is needed so that we may never forget.
In a ceremony at the Capitol today on the 14th of November Missouri Governor Matt Blunt proclaimed the SSFOA Flag and Banner as the official symbol for the wounded in the state of Missouri.
The states of Indiana and Connecticut have also designated the Silver Star Flag and Banner as their official symbols for the wounded of our Armed Forces and many other states have made inquires as to how to do so.
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS FOR THE GOVERNORS PROCLAMATION SIGNING
The Silver Star Flag for the Wounded
*Diana Creed Newton
Founder
Silver Star Families of America
417-743-2508
*Carl Dietrich
Commander State of Missouri
Military Order of the Purple Hearts
*Dan Dunaway
Adjutant MOPH 621
Military Order of the Purple Hearts
*Gene Wheat
Commander State of Missouri
Disabled American Veterans
*Marvin Harper
Commander State of Missouri
American Legion
Jerry Jones
Commander
State of Missouri
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Tom Hartman
Vice Commander
VFW
*Harold (Hal) Dulle
Executive Director
Missouri Veterans Commission
*Daniel Bell
PAO
Missouri Veterans Commission
*Jeremy Amick
Missouri National Guard
NOTE:
This is a partial list
POC will be Diana Creed Newton
417-743-2508
Co Founder
Silver Star Families of America
SILVER STAR FLAG ®
SILVER STAR BANNER TM
THE NAME "SILVER STAR SERVICE BANNER" IS TM
Copyright 2005-2009
All Rights Reserved
The Silver Star Banner and Flag is in no way connected to the Silver Star Medal
The Silver Star Families of America is a non-partisan, not-for-profit charitable organization committed to supporting the United States wounded and ill military members and Veterans from all wars, past and present, and honoring their sacrifice with Silver Star Banners.Content within this web site is the sole property of The Silver Star Families of America"All photos and letters sent to the SSFOA become the property of the organization to be used in any way we deem appropriate."
* DISCLAIMER: Award and/or Photos in no way imply that the DoD or CENTCOM endorse The Silver Star Families of America. It is the SSFOA intention to honor General Petraeus for his outstanding leadership that has directly impacted the care and well being of the wounded and ill members of the USA Armed Forces.
SSFOA reserves the right to conduct the day to day business of the organization as they deem appropriate. SSFOA does not and can not offer monetary or legal assistance, due to the nature of our IRS filings, it is a violation of our by-laws and mission, SSFOA cannot assist anyone in this manner.
While the SSFOA attempts to exercise due care, we are not responsible for the performance, accuracy or content of external links or individuals we offer as referrals. All materials, ideas, projects etc made for the SSFOA while you are a member becomes SSFOA property. State Coordinators and Reps will be chosen at the discretion of SSFOA National Headquarters. SSFOA is an all volunteer 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit public charity organization. Proceeds go toward the purchase of Silver Star Banners and wounded, ill and dying assistance programs, less than 5% for administration. See SSFOA Financial Page See your tax advisor. For more info on deductions see: http://apps2.irs.gov/charities/contributors/index.html
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