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Gold Star Father or Family

GOLD STAR FATHER OR FAMILY -  At the conclusion of World War II, Congress established the Gold Star Lapel Button to provide an appropriate means to identify widows and widowers, children, parents, brothers and sisters of members of the Armed Forces of the United States who lost their lives in the defense of democracy and freedom during the World Wars I and II; and any subsequent armed hostilities in which the United States became engaged.

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American Gold Star Mothers (AGSM)

AMERICAN GOLD STAR MOTHERS -  American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. (AGSM), is a private nonprofit organization of American mothers who lost sons or daughters in service of the United States Armed Forces.  It was originally formed in 1928 for mothers of those lost in World War I, and it holds a congressional charter under Title 36 § 211 of the United States Code.   Its name came from the custom of families of servicemen hanging a banner called a Service Flag in the windows of their homes.  The Service Flag had a star for each family member in the Armed Forces.

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Eagle Scout

EAGLE SCOUT -  Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).  The designation "Eagle Scout" was founded over one hundred years ago.  Only four percent of Boy Scouts are granted this rank after a lengthy review process.  The requirements necessary to achieve this rank take years to fulfill.  Since its founding, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than two million young men.

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Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)

WOMEN'S AIRFORCE SERVICE PILOTS (WASP) -  The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), called "Women's Army Service Pilots" in some sources, was a paramilitary aviation organization.  The WASP's predecessors, the Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) and the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) organized separately in September 1942.  They were the pioneering organizations of civilian female pilots, employed to fly military aircraft under the direction of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.

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American Legion Auxiliary

AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY - Founded in 1919, the American Legion Auxiliary is the world’s largest women’s patriotic service organization.  With a membership of nearly 1 million, local American Legion Auxiliary units have a strong presence in more than 9,000 communities nationwide.  The American Legion Auxiliary’s mission to serve veterans, the military and their families is carried out through its hundreds of outreach programs delivered by its members, volunteers and national headquarters.

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Knights of Malta (Masonic)

KNIGHTS OF MALTA (MASONIC) -  This degree is universally associated with the Masonic Knights Templar.  In the York Rite system it is conferred before the Templar Degree; in the 'stand-alone' tradition it is conferred subsequently to the Templar Degree.  It is known by varying degrees of formality as the Order of Malta, or the Order of Knights of Malta, or the Ancient and Masonic Order of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes, and Malta.  In practice this last and fullest version of the name tends to be reserved to letterheads, rituals, and formal documents.

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4 Directions Wheel (Lakota Sioux)

4 DIRECTIONS WHEEL -  When the Lakota people pray or do anything sacred, they see the world as having four directions.  From these four directions come the four winds.  Each direction has a special meaning and color associated with it.  The cross symbolizes all directions.

Paramedic

PARAMEDIC (EMS) - A paramedic is a healthcare professional, predominantly in the pre-hospital and out-of-hospital environment, and working mainly as part of emergency medical services (EMS), such as on an ambulance.  The scope of practice of a paramedic will vary between countries, but generally includes autonomous decision making around the emergency care of patients.  

Odd Fellow Veterans Jewel

ODD FELLOW VETERAN JEWEL -  This is a Veteran's Jewel for a continuous membership in the Odd Fellows.   A brother with 25 or more years of continuous membership is entitled to this jewel, with the number in the center set to the number of years of membership in the Order.   The available numbers are 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70 or 75. 

Sign Language "I Love You"

I LOVE YOU (SIGN LANGUAGE) -  The ILY is a sign from American Sign Language which, as a gesture, has moved into the mainstream.   Seen primarily in the United States and other Americanized countries, the sign originated among deaf school children using American Sign Language to create a sign from a combination of the signs for the letters I, L and Y (I Love You).  The sign is an informal expression of any of several positive feelings, ranging from general esteem to love, for the recipient of the sign. 

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