Veterans Day occurs only once per year, but Wesson’s new BlueStar Memorial is forever.

Erected Wednesday at the corner of Highway 51 and Church Streetat the town’s lone stop sign, the dark cast-aluminum plaquefeatures a bright, blue star surrounded by words of thanks forthose who have served their country. It is intended to be a sign ofappreciation for veterans year ’round.

“It’s a fitting monument – makes me proud,” said Ed Lacey, aveteran of the U.S. Army who served in Korea. “It represents thesacrifice. We need to carry the traditions on.”

The Wesson Garden Club purchased the $1,200 marker with helpfrom the Garden Clubs of Mississippi. It is the 18th Blue StarMemorial in the state, and one of 2,014 standing nationally.

The Blue Star Memorial Program began in 1945, when the NationalGarden Clubs undertook the effort as a way of honoring thoseserving in World War II. The use of the blue star was taken from anAmerican tradition among active servicemen’s families, who hungflags, featuring a blue star for every child serving, in the frontwindows of their homes.

The star itself goes back much further, said Shirlee Lawson,chairwoman of the state Blue Star Memorial Marker Program.

The first use of the blue star was in 400 B.C., when Alexanderthe Great made it the centerpiece of a medal for valor.

In America’s Revolutionary War, Gen. George Washington fashioneda medal for valor featuring the blue star in the middle of a purpleheart. Abraham Lincoln was in the process of tweaking the use ofthe blue star before his assassination.

The use of the blue star on the family flag began in 1917 duringthe First World War and continued into World War II. Garden clubsbegan using it on their memorials before the war ended.

“We’re all touched by our veterans,” said Gay Austin, presidentof the Garden Clubs of Mississippi. “It’s just kind of along-standing appreciation for our vets and what they’ve done forus.”

The vets in attendance Wednesday appreciated the addition of theBlue Star Memorial in town. Austin said vets in other cities havetaken their appreciation for their memorials to great lengths.

After Hurricane Katrina leveled Bay St. Louis in 2005, the localgarden club noticed the city’s Blue Star Memorial was missing.Frantic calls went out to the state chapter and a search came underway, but the marker reappeared two weeks after the storm. A localveteran had unbolted the memorial and taken it home to keep it safefrom the hurricane.

“We were happy to see him,” Austin said.