JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Gold Star Wives of America descended on Anchorage, Alaska for their 71st National Convention July 13 to 17.
Gold Star Wives of America, an organization created in 1945 to provide support for spouses and children of those who sacrificed everything in the service of the United States military, hosted their annual convention in Anchorage to discuss new legislation and upcoming changes to the organization.
“One of the many discussion points we will have this year is a name change, it’s no longer 1945 where the majority of those who served in the Armed Forces were male. Women now go to war too,” said Tamra Sipes, Gold Star wife and Gold Star Wives of America member at large. “We hope to change the name to Gold Star Spouses because today’s military is very diverse and calling all of us wives is no longer a good representation of our demographic.”
Besides a name change and several proposals for new legislation, one of the most important topics the Gold Star Wives of America will address is how to get their message heard by those who need help.
“It’s very hard for us to inform spouses about our organization, we are a non-profit and do not have access to names or addresses due to privacy laws. So, that makes it very hard to notify new Gold Star spouses that we are here to help,” Sipes said. “Spouses have a lot of benefits and programs available to them, and it wasn’t until I really started getting involved a few years ago that I knew these programs even existed … and I lost my husband almost 20 years ago.”
Created to provide support during World War II, Gold Star Wives of America has evolved to help spouses cope and adjust in every conflict since. That support was clearly evident at the Fort Richardson National Cemetery on July 15, 2016, as spouses who lost loved ones in Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan were present to show their appreciation and remembrance of loved ones.
“We have spouses here in their early 20s to late 80s and we all have one very important thing in common, so it helps us grieve, have fun, and move forward,” Sipes said. “They are all very tough and entertaining women.”