Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 192, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1918 — Service Flag Regulations [ARTICLE]

Service Flag Regulations

No Official Rriot But Thh Plan Hat the Approval of the Adjutant I General of tbe Army

While there are no official rules or regulations covering the use of the service flag, because the service flag itself is unofficial, the following, prepared in the judge advocate general’s departinent, has the approval of the adjutant general of the army: “Entitled to a Star—All officers end enlisted men of the regular army, the regular army reserve, the officers’ reserve corps, and the enlisted reserve corps; of the National Guard and National Guard reserve recognized by the militia bureau of the war department; of the navy, the marine corps, and the coast guard; of the naval militia, naval reserve force, marine corps reserve, and national naval volunteers recognized by the navy department; officers only of the public health service, detailed by the secretary of the treasury for duty either with the army or with the navy; personnel of lighthouse service and of coast geodetic survey transferred by the president to the service and jurisdiction of war or navy department; members of the nurse corps, army field clerks, field-clerks of the quartermaster corps, civilian clerks and mili- ’ tary employees on duty with military forces detailed for service abroad in accordance with the provisions of existing law; members of any other body who have heretofore or may hereafter become a part of the military or naval forces of the United States. , „ “The term ‘military service* as used in this definition, shall signify active —service In any branch of service heretofore mentioned or referred to, but reserves and persons on the retired list shall not be included in the term persons in military service’ until ordered to active service. “Men attending officers’ training camps of the United States army or navy at cantonments, camps or forts are in the active military service. “While it is not intended to minimize the work done by persons connected with, or of assistance to the military or naval service, but not a part of it, members of the Red Cross, Y. M. C. A., K. C., Jewish welfare board, and like organizations are not to be represented on the service, flag. “No objection is seen to extending the service flag honor to those in the service of our allies. '“Meaning of the stars—(a) A blue star is used to represent each person, man or woman, in the military or naval service of the United States. “(b) For those killed in action a gold star will be substituted for the blue star, or superimposed on it, entirely covering it. 1 “(c) For those wounded in action a silver star will be substituted for the blue star, or superimposed on it, entirely covering it Use of this star would be limited to those entitled to the official wound chevron, which is awarded to those receiving wounds in action with the enemy or disabled by a gas attack, necessitating treatment by a medical officer. “(d) For those who subsequently die from such wounds or gas disablement the gold star will be superimposed on the silver, leaving a margin of silver around the gold. »' “(e) For those disabled or invalided home by injury or disease incurred in line of duty, a silver star will be superimposed on the blue, leaving a margin of blue around the sliver. “(f) For those who subsequently die as a result of such accident or disease contracted in line of duty, a gold star will be substituted for this silver star, or superimposed on it, covering the silver star entirely, but leaving the margin of blue. / • “(g) Men reported missing are presumed to have been taken prisoner and should continue to be represented by the blue star. “(h) Men discharged, not for the good of the service or on request or resignation, but from wounds or physical Incapacity contracted In the line of duty, shall continue to be represented by the silver star. When discharged for other causes they would appear to be thereafter no more entitled to representation than others not in the'military service.”