Honoring Service: Eight Years of the Blue Star Memorial at the T. Boone Pickens Hospice Center

Eight years ago, on October 13, 2017, the T. Boone Pickens Hospice Center in Dallas added a special landmark to its campus – a Blue Star Memorial Marker. The marker is part of the long-standing Blue Star Memorial Program created by National Garden Clubs to honor the men and women who serve or have served in the United States Armed Forces.

The Blue Star tradition began in 1944 when the New Jersey Council of Garden Clubs planted 8,000 dogwood trees as a living tribute to World War II veterans. A year later the National Council of State Garden Clubs, now National Garden Clubs Inc., adopted the effort and expanded it nationwide. Since then, Blue Star Highway markers and memorials have appeared along roadsides, in national cemeteries, at VA medical centers and in civic spaces across the country. Each one is a reminder of the dedication and sacrifice of our military.

When the hospice center dedicated its marker in 2017, guests were invited to pause and reflect on the service and steadfastness of the Armed Forces. The words shared that day still resonate:

“While we go about our daily lives or while we sleep, the men and women in our Armed Forces fly our skies, sail our seas and guard our shores, ensuring our safety. They stand ready at a moment’s notice to defend our country. We must not forget them – and we do not. We remember.”

The dedication went on to describe how gratitude lives in everyday moments: in the steps of the Honor Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in the beat of a drum on the Fourth of July, in the sound of Reveille and in the last notes of Taps as they drift away.

Today the Blue Star Memorial still stands on the grounds of the hospice center as a quiet place to honor those who protect our freedom. For families, visitors, teammates and volunteers, it is a steady reminder of the courage of all who wear our nation’s uniform.

by Wendy Van Bemmel