The room was awash in cheery shades of yellow as members of the Gold Star Wives gathered last Saturday for their annual three-day regional conference.
As the women, most wearing marigold jackets or buttercup sweaters, geared up to address pertinent military concerns from benefits to fund-raising, one challenge was evident simply by walking into the room.
The North Central and Midwest Region of Gold Star Wives of America Inc., this year meeting in Bloomington, encompasses six states, including Minnesota. But only 13 women were present.
Shrinking ranks worry leaders, many in their 60s, 70s, even 80s. While normal attrition is part of the reason -- the most robust participation was among World War II widows -- they know they must reach out quickly to younger women, most of whom are unaware of the unique support they offer, or who are reluctant to join an organization that, really, nobody would choose willingly.
"When was yours killed?" one woman asks another during a morning break.
Gold Star Wives are widows (and some widowers) whose spouses died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, or as a result of that service. Their philosophy is that "only a service spouse understands the sorrow and problems of another service spouse."
Aside from offering emotional support, the nonprofit organization founded in 1945 makes donations, volunteers at veterans hospitals and advocates on Capitol Hill. One pressing concern currently is fairness around military pensions.
Operation Desert Storm, and thousands of deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq have opened up the list of potential members. But newly stringent privacy laws are making it harder to gain access to their names.
