Inverted Stars - Sons in Service window flag

[GI_JIVE]

I found this recently and am lost regarding the purpose of having these stars inverted. Any ideas? BTW, notice the lower one has remnants showing it was originally upright. Thanks for any help.

 

 

[spectre]

That's odd that one was put on opposite of the others, production mistake most likely. I would only guess that they sewed the white panel in upside down by mistake, it just wasn't their day.

 

Or, since they look like gold stars for KIA, they may have put the stars point down for the fallen??

 

Alan

[collectsmedals]

Navy and Marine Corps personnel generally wear campaign stars on their ribbons with the points down, and the line officer stars for a Navy officer have their points facing down. Maybe it came from one of those?

[jayhawkhenry]

The point of a star being down usually is for MIA (missing in action) or captured. Here is more information.

 

To elaborate on what Nick Artimovich and Nathan Bliss wrote about this flag, I have a book entitled "The Flag of the United States -- Your Flag and Mine" by Harrison S. Kerrick (Champlin Printing Co., Columbus, Ohio; 1925) that states (pg. 114):

 

"The State of Massachusetts, by resolution of its House of Representatives, May 28, 1918, established a new form of recognition of service under the U.S. Flag, based upon the practice that arose during the World War of displaying in the home office, club, or factory, a blue star (loyalty, sincerity, justice) upon a white field (hope, purity, truth) each star representing a member of the family or organization in service, by adding thereto certain emblems symbolizing events of service as indicated on opposite page."

 

The illustration shows nine different emblems, all based on the blue 5-pointed star (pointing up). It is entitled "The Star of Service - For the Flag, for Liberty, for Justice.":

 

1. A Blue Star - "Service in Army or Navy."

2. A Blue Star with a Gold Greek Cross in the Center - "Wounded in Service."

3. A Blue Star with a Gold Ring superimposed - "Decorated for Distinguished Service."

4. An inverted Blue Star with both the Gold Greek Cross and the Gold Ring (as in (2) and (3)) - "Missing."

5. An inverted Blue Star inside of a Red Ring - "Captured."

6. An inverted Blue Star superimposed over a Red Pentagon - "Wounded and Decorated for Distinguished Service."

7. A Gold Star bordered Blue with a Gold Ring superimposed on it - "Decorated for Distinguished Service," also seems to indicate the serviceman died, but that is not stated.

8. A Blue Star superimposed over a Red Pentagon with a Gold Greek Cross in the Center and a Gold Ring Superimposed on it - "Wounded, Decorated for Distinguished Service and Missing."

9. A Gold Star bordered Blue with a Laurel Wreath superimposed on it - "Died in Service. Laurel Wreath Optional."

 

Below the illustrations is the following caption:

 

"Gold represents wounds, distinguished service and death. Red, represents missing or captured. If desired, rank may be shown by the proper insignia of Officer or non-Commissioned Officer placed directly above the star. Service in the 'Zone of Advance' and foreign service may be symbolized by a gold chevron placed below the star, one shown for each six months of such service."