The Gold Star Wives of America was formed before the end of World War II to provide support for the spouses and children of those who lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. The first meeting was on April 5, 1945, when four young widows met in Marie Jordan's apartment on West 20th Street in New York City. One week later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died. Shortly thereafter, Eleanor Roosevelt, the widow of the Commander-in-Chief, joined the organization. Mrs. Roosevelt was most helpful in the early days of the organization. She attended meetings, wrote about the organization in her My Day column, entertained children of Gold Star Wives at a picnic at her home in Hyde Park, served on the first board of directors, and was one of the original 15 signers when the organization was chartered as a non-profit organization in the State of New York in December 1945. The group holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code under Public Law 96-497.
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“But not gold in commercial quantities,
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And marriage rings of those who owned the farm.
What gold more innocent could one have asked for?”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
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—Paul West (b. 1930)