State of Maine Gold Star Recognition

Maine's Gold Star Recognition program was kicked off at a dedication ceremony on August 7, 2006 at the State House Hall of Flags. Governor John E. Baldacci and Major General Bill Libby started off the medal presentation by first dedicating a Gold Star Medal to all the Mainer's lost in Combat Operations since Maine became a State on March 15, 1820 to September 10, 2001.

This medal will be displayed in a memorial at Camp Keyes. Medal presentations were then made to families whose service members had died since September 11, 2001.

Medal Description

  • Finish: Antique Bronze
  • Diameter: 1.50 inches
  • Thickness: .144 inches
  • Die: Full sculptural medallic relief
  • Ribbon: Full drape with color ribbon the same color as the blue in the American Flag
  • Designed by: Local Artist, Gary Cooper of Fayette, Maine
  • Struck by: Medalcraft Mint, Inc of Green Bay, WI

The medal would not be possible without Governor's Baldacci's legislative and financial support in conjunction with the support of the 122nd Legislature that gave the authority to the Director of the Bureau of Veterans' Services to strike medals, coins and certificates to honor Maine's veterans.

The event on September 11, 2001 has changed our nation. The recognition of men and women from Maine who have made the "ultimate sacrifice" in defense of our nation and fought for our citizen's freedom is extremely significant and important. While our current efforts focus on recognizing those men and women who recently died while deployed, our goal is to recognize all those Mainer's who have given their lives in suport of combat operatins since World War I. We will continue to work to reach our goal and recognize those individuals.

In addition, Maine recognizes the loss suffered by Maine families of service members from other states who also made the "ultimate sacrifice".

Eligibility:

Members of the Armed Forces of the United States who served in time of war and meet the following criteria may receive award of the Maine Gold Star Honorable Service Medal. Only one medal will be issued to the next-of-kin per qualifying individual.

Criteria:

  • Resident of Maine upon entry on active duty and
  • Killed-in-Action or died of non self-inflicted causes while deployed in support of combat operations on or after December 7, 1941.

Application:

Families of qualifying individual's applying for the award must complete application form and forward the request along with a copy of DD Form 1300, Casualty report attesting to the fact that an Honorable Discharge was granted and the veteran was a resident of Maine at the time of entry on active duty. In addtion, your request must include a copy of proof of relationship as father, mother, husband, wife, son, daughter, brother or sister. This proof may be copies of birth, marriage, baptismal certificates which clearly show relationship, or a notarized certificate.

If you meet the criteria for this award and would like to apply to receive it, please click the application link below. This application does require that your compuer have Acrobat Reader installed. A free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader may be obtained by clicking Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Maine Gold Star Honorable Service Medal Application Form (PDF)

Presentation:

Once eligibility has been verified, Maine Veterans' Services will contact primary next-of-kin and schedule a presentation ceremony.

A listing veterans for which Gold Star Honorable Service Medals have been awarded is available in an Adobe Acrobat Reader format and may be accessed by clicking the following link:

Maine's Gold Star Honorable Service Medal Recipients

Gold Star Family License Plates

Maine offers Gold Star families the opportunity to pay tribute to their fallen service member through customized Gold Star license plates. Please click here for full details about the program, including an application.