IA 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. J. RES. 65 
Designating November 9th of each year as ‘‘Gold Star Father’s Day’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 25, 2023 
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia (for himself and Mr. FERGUSON) submitted the fol-
lowing joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight 
and Accountability 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
Designating November 9th of each year as ‘‘Gold Star 
Father’s Day’’. 
Whereas thousands of men and women have laid down their 
lives to defend the liberty and soul of our Nation, and 
families of fallen members of the Armed Forces have lost 
their loved ones in service to our country; 
Whereas families of members of the Armed Forces dem-
onstrate a different kind of heroism, supporting children 
and family members while loved ones are deployed, sacri-
ficing holidays with members who are serving overseas, 
and facing each day knowing their loved one might be in 
danger and could never return home; 
Whereas, before the Iraq war, the United States had lost over 
1,300,000 members of the Armed Forces during wartime, 
and, since October 2001, over 4,400 members of the 
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Armed Forces have lost their lives serving this country, 
leaving thousands of family members behind; 
Whereas, in 2015, the Gold Star Fathers Act was signed into 
law to ensure Gold Star Fathers were eligible for the 
same benefits guaranteed to mothers of fallen or perma-
nently disabled members of the Armed Forces, honoring 
their sacrifice and loss, but this legislation did not des-
ignate a Gold Star Father’s Day; 
Whereas, in 1936, Congress designated the last Sunday in 
September as Gold Star Mother’s Day; 
Whereas President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. designated Sep-
tember 25, 2022, as Gold Star Mother’s and Family Day, 
President Donald Trump designated September 24, 
2017, as Gold Star Mother’s and Family Day, and Presi-
dent Barack Obama proclaimed September 25, 2016, as 
Gold Star Mother’s and Family Day; 
Whereas, on March 24, 2017, the Georgia House of Rep-
resentatives adopted House Resolution 723, recognizing 
November 9 as Georgia Gold Star Father’s Day; 
Whereas Father’s Day honors and celebrates fatherhood and 
the unique bonds between a father and his children; and 
Whereas the goals of ‘‘Gold Star Father’s Day’’ on November 
9 are to— 
(1) honor and celebrate fathers who have lost chil-
dren in service to the United States; 
(2) honor fathers of fallen members of the Armed 
Forces and recognize that they, as parents, have experi-
enced extraordinary and unimaginable loss; 
(3) recognize the need to support families of mem-
bers of the Armed Forces throughout the United States; 
and 
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(4) honor the courage of fathers who understand the 
true price of freedom and now face Father’s Day without 
their child or children: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
That Congress supports the designation of ‘‘Gold Star Fa-
ther’s Day’’. 
Æ 
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