Military Moms

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Gold Star Moms

The beige, stone rowhome in Washington’s Dupont Circle neighborhood is a special place to a unique organization. It is a group with certain eligibility requirements – eligibility that comes from tragic circumstances.

A red-and-white banner with a gold star in the center hangs on the door of the rowhome and an iron gold star is in the home’s front garden. To the right of the front door, a plaque reads, “American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.”

This home belongs to a nonprofit organization for surviving mothers of fallen service members. On a street filled with embassies and multimillion-dollar homes, it may seem peculiar for a nonprofit to have a presence in such a distinguished neighborhood.

Candy Martin, the organization’s national president, and her husband, Ed, are staying at the residence for a few days. It is not, however, a vacation in the nation’s capital for the Martins, who live in San Antonio. Instead of viewing historical sites, they are preoccupied with meeting contractors for home renovation projects.

Candy Martin took a break from her busy schedule to give a tour of the home. She wanted to share its history because she knows it is unique.

“It is a headquarters first and a home second,” she said.