I heard about it through the Marine Parents organization. What Gold Star families have gone through, it is a shame this commemorative day is not more well known.”

Maureen Lake, Sun City resident

I am so proud of him for his service to the country, and for his musical talent.”

Rande Christofersen, Sun City resident

By Rusty Bradshaw
Twitter: @SunCitiesEditor

Veterans Day was Nov. 11 as a special day set aside to honor those serving in the U.S. military, but some residents find ways to honor them throughout the year.

Sun City resident Maureen Lake discovered a little known remembrance that she believes should be brought to light. To recognize those who have lost family members, she lined her neighborhood street with luminaries Sept. 29 for Gold Star Families Day.

Sun City resident Rande Christofersen remembers his father’s military service, which took him to a different path than most soldiers during World War II — the musical realm rather than combat.

Maureen Lake

It wasn’t until her son, Ryan, joined the U.S. Marine Corps that Ms. Lake discovered Gold Star Families Day.

“I heard about it through the Marine Parents organization,” she said. “What Gold Star families have gone through, it is a shame this commemorative day is not more well known.”

Aside from her son, a nephew in the Marines and two uncles who served in the military, Ms. Lake has no other close family members who served in the military. But she believes they should be honored, along with their families. Starting shortly after 9/11, she began pulling her children from school twice per year to welcome soldiers who were returning home from overseas service.

“That really stuck with them,” she said.

Gold Star Families Day is also referred to as Gold Star Mother’s Day and was created by American Gold Star Mothers, a nonprofit organization of American mothers who have lost a son or daughter in the U.S. Armed Forces.

It was originally created in 1928 for mothers who lost a child in World War I. Its name came from the custom of families hanging a service flag in their windows. The flag would contain a star for each family member serving in the military — blue star for a living service member and a gold star for those who lost their lives in battle.

During World War II,  and the nation’s involvement in Korea and Vietnam, Gold Star Mothers would present gold stars placards to families who have lost a son or daughter during the war, and those gold stars were prominently displayed in the window of the family’s home.

For this year’s Gold Star Families Day, she paid for all the luminaries for her neighborhood street. She and her son, visiting her while on leave, placed them throughout the neighborhood.

“I got all my neighbors to agree to have them in front of their homes,” Ms. Lake said. “I would love to see all of Sun City lit up with them on future Gold Star Families Days.”

Ryan is in infantry school at Camp Pendleton in California. Ms. Lake said he wants to be a mortar man and wants to eventually serve on an honor guard.

In addition to Veterans Day, Ms. Lake said there is another milestone next week. The anniversary of the Marine Corps is Sunday, Nov. 10.

More than 2,600 people participated in the Luminary Initiative for Gold Star Families Day this year, according to information on the Marine Parents website, marineparents.com.

The initiative, started in 2007, is a major contributor toward honoring Gold Star families. The mission is to urge individuals, families and organizations to light luminaries at dusk the last Sunday in September, Gold Star Family Day,  annually.

Robert Christofersen

A son’s pride in his father’s military service has no special day, according to Rande Christofersen.

“I am so proud of him for his service to the country, and for his musical talent,” he said.

The elder Mr. Christofersen served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was trained in air traffic control. When he arrived in England in August 1943 he was assigned a control tower operator for a service base that was responsible for eight surrounding fields. He marveled at the punishment American bombers took.

“I don’t see how they did it with two engines out on one side or half the tail shot off,” he stated in a 2012 newspaper story.

Mr. Christofersen’s time in the tower was cut short soon after famed band leader Glenn Miller arrived in England. Mr. Miller was in such demand that shoot-off bands were formed and entertainment officials scoured the American bases for musicians to fill them. Mr. Christofersen was placed in Band B and that took him out of his military duties.

A trumpet player, he first started with a military issue instrument. But he wanted to use the new Buescher True Tones trumpet his mother bought him for $300 in 1941.

“They got hold of the Red Cross and contacted my mother,” Mr. Christofersen stated. “She sent the horn to me at the base.”

He met Mr. Miller and was photographed with him in 1944, with Mr. Miller holding Mr. Christofersen’s new trumpet.

“He wanted to see this trumpet that they’d gone to all that trouble to bring over there,” Mr. Christofersen stated.

Two weeks later, the popular band leader was killed when a plane taking him to France crashed in the English Channel.

Mr. Christofersen’s son said his father’s service was just as important as those who served in combat positions.

“There was a demand for entertainment for the men overseas, and he helped provide that,” the son said. “Without that, morale among the troops would not have been as good as it was.”