Blue Star Memorial By-way (Niles, Michigan)
Niles, Berrien County, Michigan
Marker Inscription
Blue Star Memorial By-way A tribute to the Armed Forces of America Four Flags Garden Club 2019 National Garden Clubs, Inc.
Erected by National Garden Clubs, Inc.
The Story
The Blue Star Memorial, named for the service flags families hung during World War II, began as a 1945 garden-club tribute and grew into a nationwide network of roadside markers. This by-way marker in Niles was placed in 2019 by the Four Flags Garden Club under the National Garden Clubs program. It honors the armed forces of America.
Why it matters
A marker raised decades into the program shows the Blue Star tradition still active, with local garden clubs continuing to add to the national memorial.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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