An Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide gold star lapel buttons for the next of kin of members of the Armed Forces who lost or lose their lives in war or as a result of cold war incidents
PL 89-534 (H.R.3013), enacted 08/11/1966

80 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 89-534-AUG. H, 1966 
345 
Public Law 89-534 
AN ACT 
August 11, 19 66 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide gold star lapel buttons for the 
[H. R. 3oi3] 
next of kin of members of the armed forces who lost or lose their lives in war 
or as a result of cold war incidents. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That chapter 57 of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by adding the following new section at the end thereof: 
''§ 1124. Gold star lapel button: eligibility and distribution 
" (a) A lapel button, to be known as the gold star lapel button, shall 
be designed, as approved by the Secretary of Defense, to identify 
widows, parents, and next of kin of members of the armed forces of the 
United States— 
" (1) Who lost their lives during World War I, World War I I , 
or during any subsequent period of armed hostilities in which the 
United States was engaged before July 1,1958; or 
"(2) who lost or lose their lives after June 30, 1958— 
"(i) while engaged in an action against an enemy of the 
United States; 
"(ii) while engaged in military operations involving con-
flict with an opposing foreign force; or 
"(iii) while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged 
in an armed conflict in which the United States is not a bel-
ligerent party against an opposing armed force. 
"(b) Under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of 
Defense, the Secretary concerned, upon application to him, shall fur-
nish one gold star lapel button without cost to the widow^ and to each 
parent and next of kin of a member who lost or loses his or her life 
under any circumstances prescribed in subsection (a). 
"(c) Not more than one gold star lapel button may be furnished to 
any one individual except that, when a gold star lapel button fur-
nished under this section has been lost, destroyed, or rendered unfit 
for use without fault or neglect on the part of the person to whom it 
was furnished, the button may be replaced upon application and 
payment of an amount sufficient to cover the cost of manufacture and 
distribution. 
"(d) In this section— 
"(1) 'widow' includes widower; 
"(2) 'parents' includes mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, 
mother through adoption, father through adoption, and foster 
parents who stood in loco parentis; 
"(3) 'next of kin' includes only children, brothers, sisters, half 
brothers, and half sisters; 
"(4J 'children' includes stepchildren and children through 
adoption; 
"(5) 'World War I' includes the period from April 6, 1917, to 
March 3, 1921; and 
"(6) 'World War I I ' includes the period from September 8, 
1939, to July 25,1947, at 12 o'clock noon."; and 
(2) By adding the following new item at the end of the analysis: 
"1124. Gold star lapel button: eligibility and distribution." 
SEC. 2. The Act of August 1, 1947 (61 Stat. 710), as amended (36 
U.S.C. 182ar-182d), is repealed. 
'Approved August 11, 1966. 
Armed Forces. 
Gold Star lapel 
buttons. 
10 u s e 1121-
1124. 
Definitions. 
Repeal.