WWII Gold Star Boys - Mural - Cuba, Missouri, USA.
N 38° 03.717 W 091° 24.348
15S E 639853 N 4213888
A large Mural & Plaque honoring the 'Gold Star Boys' the servicemen from Cuba, Missouri who lost their lives during WW II.
Waymark Code: WMXR0E
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 02/17/2018
Views: 2
The Plaque on the Mural reads:
"During World War II the Blue Bonnet, a Frisco train named after the Texas state flower, was a familiar sigh with its distinctive blue and white cars. The train was a major form of transportation from 1927 to 1967, and during World War II this #7 train whisked away many of Cuba's service men as they left their homes to protect our way of life.
"Gold Star Boys" designated those that were killed in combat while on active duty in the armed forces. Small pins worn by family members had a gold star on a purple background, bordered by a gold laurel wreath. The gold star was a symbol of the supreme sacrifice made by that person while serving his country. Shown from left to right: Dale K. Hudson, Preston A. (Bud) Gibson Jr., Rex Hilliard Powell, Lawrence E. Grant, Floyd Cecil Vaughn, and Ralph Burnell Fishwick."
"You might wonder why these men who died in the service of their country were called “Gold Star Boys.” With Public Law 534, the 89th Congress directed the design and distribution of a lapel button–known as the Gold Star Lapel button–to identify widows, parents, and next of kin of members of the Armed Forces of the United who lost their lives during hostilities. The pin, which is issued by the Department of Defense, is gold and is on a purple background for combat death and all gold for death while in service.
When one of the service men was killed in combat, his relatives received this gold medal. Servicemen’s mothers often wore the medal to show that they had lost a son. It was a badge not only of sadness for loss but also one of pride because their sons had sacrificed for their countries."
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Gold Star Boys Train Mural painted by:
Michelle Loughery of Canada, bringing along her assistant Sara Lindsay, returned to Cuba for this mural. Shelly Smith Steiger collaborated on this mural."
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