Blue Star and Gold Star Families Memorial Marker Program
Kathy Austin, Chairman
761-0206
The National Garden Clubs, Inc. have had a program in place to honor service men and women since 1945. It’s the Blue Star Memorial Program.
In 1944, the ladies of the New Jersey Council of Garden Clubs persuaded the New Jersey Legislature to dedicate a six mile stretch of Highway 22 as a memorial drive to our Armed Forces. Through subscriptions of $1.00/tree, they lined the highway with 6,000 dogwoods. The following year the National Council of State Garden Clubs, as it was called at the time, adopted the program and began a Blue Star Highway system, which covers thousands of miles across every state, including Alaska and Hawaii. A large metal Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker was placed at appropriate locations along the way.
The program was expanded to include all men and women who had served, were serving or would serve in the armed services of the United States.
There are now three types of markers: the Memorial Highway Marker, found alongside roadways and at rest stops; the Blue Star Memorial Markers found at veterans’ hospitals, national cemeteries, etc.; and Blue Star By-Way Markers which can be placed in any appropriate garden setting. NGC Member Services provides a guideline for ordering a memorial marker and suggestions for installation.
Helena Garden Club and Malta Dirt Daubers Garden Club are planning new Blue Star Markers in their communities in the near future. Rainbow Garden Club is in the process of having a bench installed by the Great Falls Marker dedicated in 2007. The Great Falls Flower Growers are also discussing installation of a matching bench. In 1953 Miles City ordered a Marker for location by Hwy 10, but it disappeared when the Interstate was built. Upon research about 18 years ago, they and the Highway Department came to the conclusion it got scrapped. The Miles City Garden Club purchased a new Highway Marker and dedicated it on July 4, 2015.