Blue Star banner, World War I   Save
Ohio History Connection Museum
Description: This flag was hung in the plate glass panel of the front door of the Van Fleet family home in Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally the flag had one blue star when their son, Elmer Hoover Van Fleet enlisted. When Elmer was killed in action, a gold star was sewn over the blue. When another son, Harry, enlisted, another blue star was added. The banner is rectangular, measuring 44.8 by 75 cm. The In Service Flag (Blue Star Banner) was patented by an Ohioan, Colonel Robert L. Queisser of East Cleveland, Ohio, on 6 November 1917. Intended for display by families who have members serving in the Armed Forces, blue star banners are also displayed in shop windows to honor the members of that organization serving. Most flags were homemade by mothers, though they later became mass-produced. Upon death in service the blue star was replaced by a gold one, wounded soldiers were replaced with silver. One of the most famous flags was that of the five Sullivan brothers who all perished on the U.S.S. Juneau. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: H83228_001
Subjects: Ceremonial artifact; Communication artifact; Military flags; Flags--Ohio; World War, 1914-1918; Blue Star Banner;
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)