ATLANTA – State Representative Rhonda Burnough (D-Riverdale) sponsored House Resolution 723 during the 2017 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly recognizing Thursday, November 9, 2017, as Gold Star Father Day in Georgia. HR 723 was adopted by the Georgia House of Representatives on Friday, March 24, 2017.
“No parent should outlive their child,” said Rep. Burnough. “As the daughter of a U.S. Marine and the wife of a Marine and Vietnam Purple Heart Veteran, my wish is that this legislation will provide some level of comfort to fathers who may have felt overlooked. Plans are already underway to honor Georgia’s Gold Star Fathers for the first time, much in the same way Gold Star Mothers have been honored for decades.”
Grace Darling Siebold founded American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. after her son was killed in action during World War I in an effort to comfort mothers who had also lost their children to military service and to care for hospitalized veterans. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Gold Star Fathers Act of 2015, which provides fathers of fallen or previously disabled service members with the same benefits shown to mothers.
The gold star represents a family member who has died in the line of duty while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Gold stars may be seen on service flags or Gold Star Lapel Buttons awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense. Gold Star fathers, mothers, and families are honored throughout the country year-round.
For more information on HR 723, please click here.
To submit a Gold Star Father’s information, please visit the event’s website at www.georgiagoldstarfathers.com or contact Rep. Burnough at rhonda.burnough@gmail.com or (770) 907-2301.
For more information, please contact Kimberly Allen at (404) 668-5856 or kim@kallencommunications.com.
Representative Rhonda Burnough represents the citizens of District 77, which includes portions of Clayton County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2016, and currently serves on the Governmental Affairs, Higher Education, and Small Business Development committees.
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