Original Item: One-of-a-Kind. This is a very scarce original Gold Star Mother’s Pilgrimage medal issued to Mrs. Ruth Warren of Kansas, whose son, Private Jerry Allen Warren, died of pneumonia while traveling overseas during WWI. This is the first example of one of these named medals that we have offered individually.

During the 1920s, the Gold Star Mothers’ Association lobbied Congress to establish a federally sponsored pilgrimage to Europe for the mothers and widows of American service members who had died overseas during WWI. Although some women had been able to visit their loved ones’ graves independently, the expense of overseas travel made such a journey impossible for many families.

In testimony before Congress, supporters placed particular emphasis on the bond between a mother and her son. The relationship between a wife and husband received less attention during the congressional debates, while fathers were barely considered. The association maintained that the maternal bond was of particular importance and deserved federal recognition.

In 1929, Congress authorized the Secretary of War to arrange pilgrimages to European cemeteries for the mothers and widows of members of the United States military and naval forces who died in service between April 5, 1917, and July 1, 1921. Eligibility was later expanded to include the mothers and widows of men who died or were buried at sea, as well as those whose burial locations were unknown.

The Office of the Quartermaster General determined that 17,389 women were eligible. Each eligible woman received a questionnaire asking whether she wished to participate. By October 31, 1933, when the program concluded, 6,693 mothers and widows had completed the government sponsored pilgrimage.

This medal is serial numbered 4383 and bears the maker’s logo of B.B.B. Co. The upper suspension bar is engraved:

Mrs. Ruth Warren
Kansas

Ruth Warren was the mother of Private Jerry Allen Warren, who served with Company B, 126th Machine Gun Battalion, 34th Division. Private Warren died of pneumonia aboard HMS Arlanza while traveling overseas and was buried at sea on September 25, 1918. Because his remains were committed to the sea, Mrs. Warren became eligible under the expanded provisions of the pilgrimage program.

The medal remains in great overall condition. The ribbon shows some fraying, as illustrated, but is still present and displays well.

Named Gold Star pilgrimage medals are deeply personal pieces of American WWI history. With its engraved recipient information and direct connection to a soldier who died aboard a troop transport and was buried at sea, this example records both Private Warren’s service and his mother’s participation in one of the most remarkable federal remembrance programs of the interwar period.