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I ran across a map of Fort Worth from 1950 a few months back and was looking at it. I noticed that 377 was called Blue Star Memorial Parkway all the way from downtown to Denton. I started doing some research and was amazed at what I learned. I'll post the light reading below, but this has turned into a little project of mine. I've been in contact with TXDOT, the local municipalities, and the Texas Garden Club and it looks like we may be able to get the plaque put in place and re dedicate (not rename) 377.
There's a weathered sign near the Texas Visitor Center entrance on Interstate 10 near Orange, Texas few travelers even notice. "Blue Star Memorial Highway," the sign says, "a tribute to the Armed Forces that have defended the United States of America." There's mention of sponsors, the Texas Garden Club, Texas DOT, a local garden club and county commissioners.
Like soldiers who have filled the ranks of America's military over the years the sign blends in to the scenery gathering hardly a nod.
Perhaps a few travelers briefly entertain the question, "what is a 'Blue Star Memorial Highway?'" But who has time to find out?
Blue Star Highways were conceived at a time when the Armed Forces were more a part of American life than they had ever been or ever would be. A stretch of New Jersey blacktop took on the designation in 1944. The Blue Star came from service flags seen in many windows across America during the war, a Blue Star on a white field with a red border, designating a member of the family was serving in the armed forces. Many homes had flags with multiple stars. Too many changed the blue to gold, designating that the soldier or sailor would not be coming home.
After the war the National Garden Club expanded the Blue Star program nationwide, the idea being that it was better to create a more beautiful country to honor America's service men and women than to simply erect stone pillars.
Eventually the effort made its way to Texas. The first highways to be Blue Star memorials were in North East Texas and far West Texas, U.S. 77 from the state line to Denton being the first, along with stretches of U.S. Highways 377, 81, and 85. These designations were made in 1947. Thirty years would pass before more Texas highways picked up the Blue Star.
Texas garden clubs persuaded the Texas Highway Department to designate eight major highways as Blue Star Memorial routes in 1976. Metal markers went up across the state on new highways. They included U.S. 59 from Texarkana to Houston, U.S. 271 Paris to Gladewater, U.S. 287 near Houston, U.S. 385 from Big Bend to the Oklahoma state line, Spur 496 Fort Worth and FM 3188 Trinity County.The 1976 effort was only one of several. Hundreds of miles of highway in Texas and more than 70,000 miles across the U.S. have been given the Blue Star Memorial designation. This includes the stretch of Interstate 10 through Orange County in South East Texas where the Welcome Center sign hails visitors from Louisiana.
The National Remember Our Troops campaign website lists many Blue Star Memorial markers across the nation, including several in Texas. ((link)) Waymarking.com has a page dedicated to the markers as well. Their listing is easiest found on their website by going to the main page and doing a category search. Nobody has a complete listing of signs or designations.
Most every Texas family, like most American families, have members who served in the Armed Forces, especially during the war years 1941 - 1945. Many millions of Americans wear uniforms today and serve their country from Iraq and Afghanistan to far-flung bases all around the globe. Some come home heroes, others return scarred, still others take off the uniform and blend into communities with little fanfare. Most of the time they're not even noticed or hardly recognized. It's only the heroes and fallen soldiers who get honored with plaques and monuments. The millions of honorable veterans are given the nod on Veteran's Day but otherwise they're simply forgotten. The Blue Star Memorial program is one of the few ways we recognize them day to day.
Blue Star Memorial Highways are kind and lasting gestures to America's unsung and unheralded heroes. The Garden Clubs of Texas and the U.S., unlikely sponsors of military memorials, have taken on the task of doing what every citizen should do: saying thank you to America's vets.Travelers through Texas will often run across the Blue Star Memorial signs.
Those who now know more about what those fading markers stand for might take a moment to remember the vets in their own families and thank them for their part in keeping Texas and all of America safe and free all these years.
Here is what the signs look like:
There's a weathered sign near the Texas Visitor Center entrance on Interstate 10 near Orange, Texas few travelers even notice. "Blue Star Memorial Highway," the sign says, "a tribute to the Armed Forces that have defended the United States of America." There's mention of sponsors, the Texas Garden Club, Texas DOT, a local garden club and county commissioners.
Like soldiers who have filled the ranks of America's military over the years the sign blends in to the scenery gathering hardly a nod.
Perhaps a few travelers briefly entertain the question, "what is a 'Blue Star Memorial Highway?'" But who has time to find out?
Blue Star Highways were conceived at a time when the Armed Forces were more a part of American life than they had ever been or ever would be. A stretch of New Jersey blacktop took on the designation in 1944. The Blue Star came from service flags seen in many windows across America during the war, a Blue Star on a white field with a red border, designating a member of the family was serving in the armed forces. Many homes had flags with multiple stars. Too many changed the blue to gold, designating that the soldier or sailor would not be coming home.
After the war the National Garden Club expanded the Blue Star program nationwide, the idea being that it was better to create a more beautiful country to honor America's service men and women than to simply erect stone pillars.
Eventually the effort made its way to Texas. The first highways to be Blue Star memorials were in North East Texas and far West Texas, U.S. 77 from the state line to Denton being the first, along with stretches of U.S. Highways 377, 81, and 85. These designations were made in 1947. Thirty years would pass before more Texas highways picked up the Blue Star.
Texas garden clubs persuaded the Texas Highway Department to designate eight major highways as Blue Star Memorial routes in 1976. Metal markers went up across the state on new highways. They included U.S. 59 from Texarkana to Houston, U.S. 271 Paris to Gladewater, U.S. 287 near Houston, U.S. 385 from Big Bend to the Oklahoma state line, Spur 496 Fort Worth and FM 3188 Trinity County.The 1976 effort was only one of several. Hundreds of miles of highway in Texas and more than 70,000 miles across the U.S. have been given the Blue Star Memorial designation. This includes the stretch of Interstate 10 through Orange County in South East Texas where the Welcome Center sign hails visitors from Louisiana.
The National Remember Our Troops campaign website lists many Blue Star Memorial markers across the nation, including several in Texas. ((link)) Waymarking.com has a page dedicated to the markers as well. Their listing is easiest found on their website by going to the main page and doing a category search. Nobody has a complete listing of signs or designations.
Most every Texas family, like most American families, have members who served in the Armed Forces, especially during the war years 1941 - 1945. Many millions of Americans wear uniforms today and serve their country from Iraq and Afghanistan to far-flung bases all around the globe. Some come home heroes, others return scarred, still others take off the uniform and blend into communities with little fanfare. Most of the time they're not even noticed or hardly recognized. It's only the heroes and fallen soldiers who get honored with plaques and monuments. The millions of honorable veterans are given the nod on Veteran's Day but otherwise they're simply forgotten. The Blue Star Memorial program is one of the few ways we recognize them day to day.
Blue Star Memorial Highways are kind and lasting gestures to America's unsung and unheralded heroes. The Garden Clubs of Texas and the U.S., unlikely sponsors of military memorials, have taken on the task of doing what every citizen should do: saying thank you to America's vets.Travelers through Texas will often run across the Blue Star Memorial signs.
Those who now know more about what those fading markers stand for might take a moment to remember the vets in their own families and thank them for their part in keeping Texas and all of America safe and free all these years.
Here is what the signs look like:
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