
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 10USC1126]

 
                         TITLE 10--ARMED FORCES
 
                    Subtitle A--General Military Law
 
                           PART II--PERSONNEL
 
                   CHAPTER 57--DECORATIONS AND AWARDS
 
Sec. 1126. 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--
        (1) who lost their lives during World War I, World War II, or 
    during any subsequent period of armed hostilities in which the 
    United States was engaged before July 1, 1958;
        (2) who lost or lose their lives after June 30, 1958--
            (A) while engaged in an action against an enemy of the 
        United States;
            (B) while engaged in military operations involving conflict 
        with an opposing foreign force; or
            (C) while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an 
        armed conflict in which the United States is not a belligerent 
        party against an opposing armed force; or

        (3) who lost or lose their lives after March 28, 1973, as a 
    result of--
            (A) an international terrorist attack against the United 
        States or a foreign nation friendly to the United States, 
        recognized as such an attack by the Secretary of Defense; or
            (B) military operations while serving outside the United 
        States (including the commonwealths, territories, and 
        possessions of the United States) as part of a peacekeeping 
        force.

    (b) Under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, 
the Secretary concerned, upon application to him, shall furnish 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 furnished 
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) The term ``widow'' includes widower.
        (2) The term ``parents'' includes mother, father, stepmother, 
    stepfather, mother through adoption, father through adoption, and 
    foster parents who stood in loco parentis.
        (3) The term ``next of kin'' includes only children, brothers, 
    sisters, half brothers, and half sisters.
        (4) The term ``children'' includes stepchildren and children 
    through adoption.
        (5) The term ``World War I'' includes the period from April 6, 
    1917, to March 3, 1921.
        (6) The term ``World War II'' includes the period from September 
    8, 1939, to July 25, 1947, at 12 o'clock noon.
        (7) The term ``military operations'' includes those operations 
    involving members of the armed forces assisting in United States 
    Government sponsored training of military personnel of a foreign 
    nation.
        (8) The term ``peacekeeping force'' includes those personnel 
    assigned to a force engaged in a peacekeeping operation authorized 
    by the United Nations Security Council.

(Added Pub. L. 89-534, Sec. 1(1), Aug. 11, 1966, 80 Stat. 345, 
Sec. 1124; renumbered Sec. 1126, Pub. L. 89-718, Sec. 9, Nov. 2, 1966, 
80 Stat. 1117; amended Pub. L. 98-94, title XII, Sec. 1268(8), Sept. 24, 
1983, 97 Stat. 706; Pub. L. 100-26, Sec. 7(k)(5), Apr. 21, 1987, 101 
Stat. 284; Pub. L. 103-160, div. A, title XI, Sec. 1143, Nov. 30, 1993, 
107 Stat. 1757.)


                               Amendments

    1993--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-160, Sec. 1143(a), struck out ``of 
the United States'' after ``armed forces'' in introductory provisions, 
redesignated cls. (i) to (iii) of par. (2) as subpars. (A) to (C), 
respectively, and added par. (3).
    Subsec. (d)(7), (8). Pub. L. 103-160, Sec. 1143(b), added pars. (7) 
and (8).
    1987--Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 100-26 substituted colon for dash at end 
of introductory provisions, inserted ``The term'' in each par., and 
substituted periods for semicolons in pars. (1) to (4) and period for 
``; and'' in par. (5).
    1983--Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 98-94 substituted ``who'' for ``Who''.
