Gold Star Honor Roll to Remember UW-Madison’s Fallen Soldiers
The Gold Star Honor Roll Program will commemorate UW-Madison soldiers who passed away while in active duty. In this photo, student cadets march down State Street in 1917. Courtesy of the UW Digital Collections.
Have you ever wondered how Memorial Union got its name?
A little-known fact is that the building was dedicated as a memorial to UW-Madison’s Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War I service members. The Gold Star Honor Roll Program will honor these fallen soldiers and tell their stories.
The names of UW-Madison fallen servicemen and women were engraved in wood on the second floor of the Memorial Union.
The symbolism of the “gold star” dates back to World War I. A family that had a family member in the service displayed a card with a blue star in the window of their home. If the service member passed away in active duty, a card with a gold star replaced the blue. This tradition continues today.
When Memorial Union was originally built, names of UW-Madison fallen service personnel were engraved in wood surrounding the entrance to Memorial Hall on the second floor of MU. With the reopening of MU next fall, there will be the addition of an interactive electronic kiosk updated to display the original names as well as those UW-Madison service personnel who died in active duty through the current conflicts. Like a gold star in a window, it will serve as a physical reminder of their service and sacrifice.
Did one of your family members or friends attend school at UW-Madison and die while in active duty? The Union wants to know. Complete this form to submit a service member to the Gold Star Honor Roll.
A new interactive electronic kiosk is slated to open next year to share the stories of fallen UW-Madison soldiers.
