During World War I and II, families of soldiers displayed small banners, such as the one to the right, in a front window of their home. These small banners, lovingly made of white cloth trimmed in red, held a blue star in the center representing a son or daughter serving in the war. In the event that the son or daughter died, the star was changed to gold.

As people walked through neighborhoods, they could see the banners in the windows of soldier's homes.

This symbolic tradition was also used by churches and civic clubs to denote the service of their members in the wars.