Corbin Garden Club to dedicate Blue Star Memorial Marker

The Corbin Garden Club is dedicating a new Blue Star Memorial Marker at the Kentucky Welcome Center on Monday.

The marker pays tribute to the men and women who have, are now, or will serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Carcille Burchette, President of the Garden Club of Kentucky, said the plaques were initially installed in communities throughout the country to honor World War II Veterans.

Designed in 1917 by an Ohio man who had two sons serving in the U.S. Army, the blue star flags became common throughout the country during World War II. One blue star adorned the flag for each member in the service.

In 1944, the Garden Club of New Jersey began work to have 1,000 flowering Dogwood trees planted along five miles of highway which the New Jersey state legislature would designate Blue Star Drive.

The National Council of State Garden Clubs took the program nationwide in 1945 and the national marker was designed in 1947.

The markers are permitted on highways and highway rest areas.

This marks the second Blue Star Marker that the Corbin Garden Club has dedicated.

In 2016, the garden club dedicated a marker outside of Corbin City Hall.

At the time, Burchette said the club wanted to install another marker where it would be visible to more visitors and had begun the effort to raise the funds needed to purchase the plaque.