Casket flag with "gold" stars.

[NAVA1974]

We have discussed this phenomenon numerous times on this forum, with visitors insisting that their late relative's casket flag was specially made with gold or golden stars. I have maintained that the flags looked like any other 48-star flag at the time of manufacture. The golden stars were formerly white stars, looking the same on the obverse and reverse of the canton, but only the stars on one side discolored over time. In an attempt to test this theory, I bid on one such flag on eBay:
Vintage WWII Gold Star Burial Flag - 48 Stars - US/USA/United States | eBay
This link will die, eventually, so I posted one of the photos, plus a few more that I took, on flickr:
Flickr: Search nicka21045's photostream
I believe the look and feel of the golden stars v the white stars support my theory that the gold color comes from the discoloration of the stars on the obverse due to the starch / sizing chemical applied to them to keep them stiffer while they were arranged on the front of the flag, while a sheet of plain, untreated cotton was quite sufficient to make the stars on the reverse.
As can be seen from the distinct "shadows" on the white stripes that had been folded next to the obverse of the canton for decades, the discoloration affected not only the stars themsleves but any fabric in contact with the stars. It is noted, however, that the sewing thread did not appear to suffer the same discoloration as the stars. Indeed, the stitching protected the white stripes from being discolored by the stars.

Comments, questions, and/or discussion would be welcome.

Nick A
Columbia Maryland

[Peter Ansoff]

Nick (and all),

As we briefly discussed at the last CBFA meeting, I think that there is a need for a definitive article on the subject of these gold-star flags. It seems to me that there are a few threads (so to speak!) of research that need to be pulled. E.g.: Is there any documentation on WWII-era flag manufacturing techniques that would support the sizing-on-one-side theory? Do the existing examples all seem to be from the WWII era? Are there *any* known actual references to manufacture of gold-starred flags (all I've ever heard is variants on " . . . someone told me that . . .")? We have a few NAVA members like Laura Kidd who are professional textile conservators -- perhaps they could provide some insight. Another challenge would be to untangle the historiography of the gold-star-flag story -- how long has it been around, and where did it start?

I don't think I'm qualified to write an article like this, but I'd be interested in helping to research and organize it, and to get it published in Raven or NAVA News.

Peter Ansoff

[APS221]

I found an article online about a gold-star casket flag. The article seems to indicate that the flag always had gold stars, rather than turning gold with age.
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/artic...sey=nav%7Chead

[Peter Ansoff]

Unfortunately, this article is just more conjecture: "it seems possible" and "it seems likely." The whole scenario about European flag manufacturers hearing about the gold star mothers' flags and deciding to put gold stars on US flags strikes me as very unlikely. I think it's telling that the researchers were unable to find a single actual document or even first-hand oral account of this happening, despite talking to the Flag Research Center, the Naval Historical Center, and other authoritative sources.

Peter Ansoff

[APS221]

I also found this 2005 article about gold-casket flags online: World War II flags found with gold stars | CJOnline.com

The article cites another article which quotes Harold Langley from the Smithsonian. Langley speculates about French flagmakers, and I suspect he may be the origin of the French flagmaker theory many others have cited. The article also quotes Whitney Smith. He doesn't totally dismiss the theory, but notes the lack of official documentation and the fact that many "gold" stars are actually khaki or light tan.

I agree with Nick's theory that the "gold" stars are a result of the sizing used in the fabric. Occam's Razor would suggest that the simplest theory with the fewest assumptions is the most likely.

[csaanv]

I wonder what evidence Mr. Langley was basing his speculations on? You got to realize France was pretty tore up then and I find it hard to believe it was just business as usual after the Germans politely withdrew. I guess it is possible that the Americans could have helped setup a factory and supplied it with cotton, wool bunting, canvas, machines, electricity, and grommets. I am sure the French made some US flags during that time to sell to GIs but 500 G-spec internment flags? Do we know for a fact that there was such a factory or was Mr. Langley whom I have a great deal of respect was just speculating?

[NAVA1974]

I have one of the 48-star internment flags in its original box as shipped from France. The flag looks identical to US made flags of the era. I suspect that the Army sent the flags from the US to be used when burying our soldiers and then returned by mail to the grieving families. They could, of course, have been made in France to US specifications, but I have not heard of any such operation in Europe.
Nick A
Columbia MD

[csaanv]

Nick,
I agree, it is possible that there could have been an outsourcing operation but as you said there is no paper trial. Surely someone who handled such things for the Army would have stepped up by now. It is not like it was a shameful secret. Who knows, maybe Le Annin had a factory setup outside of Paris?

[APS221]

I think U.S. Flags could have been produced in France, but the lack of documentation on the subject makes it unlikely. Flag production was pretty important back then, especially during war. Most of French flag production was probably found close to the north and south coast near port cities. Under German occupation, they were probably forced to produce ensigns and jacks for the Kriegsmarine, and war flags for military posts and government buildings across German-occupied Europe. I think France's flagmakers may have made it through the Second World War intact, but I don't believe they are the source of gold star casket flags.

The articles about the casket flag of U.S. Navy Corpsman William Winfield Colgan:
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/artic...sey=nav%7Chead
One of Us: Navy hospitalman's casket flag was golden to his sister | jacksonville.com

First, the article states that Colgan was killed in action on October 4th, 1944 during the Battle of Peleliu. He was killed in the Pacific Theater of Operations, not the European Theater of Operations. I don't think U.S. Flags were being produced in France at this time, since it would be six weeks before the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge. It seems likely that his casket flag came from California or Hawaii.

Next, the articles mention that a Marine Corps Honor Guard brought his casket to Carteret, N.J. in 1948 and the family noticed the stars were gold. At this time, the flag could have been three or four years old. This could have been enough time for the sizing on the stars to turn "gold."

In the 2005 article I posted earlier:
World War II flags found with gold stars | CJOnline.com

Harold Langley from the Smithsonian only speculates that the gold-star flags came from a flagmaker in France, and they were only made in small numbers. In the later article, it seems Andre Sobocinski of the Office of Medical History accepts the speculation as fact.

The earlier thread on this topic:
Flag with gold stars?
Much of this was discussed, and some posters included pictures of the gold star casket flags. It seems to me that Nick's sizing theory makes sense when you consider that:
- There is currently no documentation from the U.S. Government or a flagmaker about the production of gold star flags.
- The gold star flags are not limited to a branch of service or theater of operations.
- On some flags all 48 stars in the union are gold, on some a few rows or random stars are gold.
- The gold stars are often found on the "front" of the union, but not the "back."
- The stars aren't yellow, but rather a light brown/tan/khaki/buff color.
- On some flags, the gold has left a star-shaped imprint where folded.
- The thread used to sew the stars is still white.
I, for one, like the idea that the stars turn gold with age. After all, the Flag Code states, "the flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing." It's nice that through a happy accident of chemistry, the white stars on a casket flag turn gold with age.

[csaanv]

Excellent summation APS221