Blue Star Memorial Highway
Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia
Marker Inscription
Blue Star Memorial Highway. A tribute to the Armed Forces that have defended the United States of America. SPONSORED BY Laurel District, Garden Clubs of Georgia, Inc. IN COOPERATION WITH Garden Clubs of the Marietta Garden Council AND Veterans of Foreign Wars
Erected by Garden Clubs of the Marietta Garden Council
The Story
Blue Star Memorial Highways trace their name to the blue-star service flags that families hung in their windows during World War II, one star for each loved one in uniform. Begun by garden clubs in 1945 and carried across the country in the decades after, the program lines American roadsides with living tributes to those who have served. This Marietta marker was placed by Georgia garden clubs in cooperation with the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Why it matters
The Blue Star network turned ordinary highways into a coast-to-coast memorial, a grassroots way for civilians — especially the women of America's garden clubs — to honor military service.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum13.9 mi away · 1440 Spring Street Northwest, Atlanta
- Center for Puppetry Arts14.0 mi away · 1404 Spring Street Northwest, Atlanta
- Robert C. Williams Paper Museum14.1 mi away
- Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)14.3 mi away · 1315 Peachtree Street Northeast
- High Museum of Art14.3 mi away · 1280 Peachtree Street Northeast, Atlanta, GA
- Woodruff Arts Center14.3 mi away · 1280 Peachtree Street Northeast, Atlanta, GA
Attractions
- Sweet Eloise3.0 mi away
- Vape Ape8.9 mi away
- Governor's Mansion10.9 mi away · 391 West Paces Ferry Road Northwest, Atlanta, GA
- Six Flags Over Georgia12.7 mi away · 275 Riverside Parkway, Austell, GA
- Paradise Island12.8 mi away
- Trail Sign - White-tailed Deer13.8 mi away
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
Own a business near here? Add it to the map.
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Unknown Soldier
Cobb County, GA
This memorial marks the resting place or remembrance of an unknown United States soldier. Markers to unknown soldiers stand for those who fell in service but could not be identified, a practice that grew as American communities sought to honor every casualty of war. In this part of Georgia, such graves and memorials are often tied to the region's role as a major theater of the Civil War.
Blue Star Memorial Highway
Atlanta, GA
The blue star of these markers recalls the service flags of World War II, when families hung a blue star for each loved one in uniform. Garden clubs launched the Blue Star Memorial Highway program in 1945 and expanded it nationwide in partnership with state transportation departments. This Atlanta marker was placed by the Garden Club of Georgia with its Dogwood District.
Blue Star Memorial A tribute to the Armed Forces
DeKalb County, GA
The Blue Star Memorial program grew from a 1945 New Jersey highway planting honoring World War II troops into a coast-to-coast tribute to every branch of the armed forces. Here in DeKalb County, the county Federation of Garden Clubs worked with the Redbud District and the Garden Club of Georgia to place the marker. Its blue star recalls the service flags hung in the windows of homes with loved ones at war.
Blue Star Memorial
Decatur, GA
Blue Star Memorials date to 1945, when New Jersey garden clubs lined a road with blue-star dogwoods to honor World War II service members; the idea spread nationwide as a tribute to all who have served. This Decatur marker was sponsored by the DeKalb County Federation of Garden Clubs' Redbud District with the Garden Club of Georgia. The blue star echoes the service banners families once displayed for relatives in uniform.