What does a small white flag with a blue 5-pointed star on it mean?

Question

This was displayed in a friend's casket recently. We guessed it was because she had lost a son in the service. What does it mean really?

Answer 1

It's called a Blue Star Service Flag.  The blue star represents a living service member who is a member of the armed forces during wartime.  If a service member dies during wartime, the blue star is replaced with a gold one.

Answer 2

converse

Answer 3

Yes the number of stars indicate the number of children serving in the military.

When a family member dies in the war, the blue star is replaced with a gold star.