The event brought families together over a meal, and more than 50 gathered Sunday at Bellevue Mansion for Delaware Gold Star Families Day.

Lt. Gov. Matt Denn, Major Gen. Frank Vavala, Chaplain Major Cavens

Barry Newstadt, on right from the Commission of Veteran Affairs DE going over issues with a guest

The event was held to honor Delaware families of fallen soldiers.

Sen. Tom Carper greeting the Gold Star Family members

Delaware Military Academy Color Guard

Delaware Military Academy Color Guard

Dover Air Force Base Chaplain Major Cavens leads with the invocation prayer

Judy C. Campbell organized the brunch, which featured music, an honor guard from the Delaware Military Academy and speeches by elected officials, including Lt. Gov. Matt Denn, Attorney General Beau Biden and U.S. Sen. Tom Carper. "I can tell you that Delaware, by far, surpasses any state on the commitment to our Gold Star families," said Campbell, who lost her brother, Army medic Keith A. Campbell, in combat 43 years ago.

The Gold Star families event is named for the gold lapel pins given to family members of fallen servicemen and women by the Department of Defense. The pins have been given out since World War I.

Sen. Tom Carper speaking to the audience, especially the Gold Star Family members

Lt. Gov. Matt Denn

Major Gen. Frank Vavala

Major Gen. Frank Vavala reading Governor Jack Markell proclamation of this special day

Attorney General Beau Biden, Sen. Tom Carper, Judy C. Campbell, Lt. Gov. Matt Denn, Major Gen. Frank Vavala

Attorney General Beau Biden addressing the Gold Star Family members

Gold Star Mother Barbara Harmon and her daughter Portia Harmon

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 83 played a big part in this event

Christian Zaal, board member of the nonprofit Families United, brought a kiosk to help family members join an effort to catalog families in the first National Gold Star Family Registry.

Charonda L. Taylor from the National Guard Survivor Outreach Service explains how they provide benefits and services to surviving families to ensure that they feel part of the Army National Guard Family. These benefits and services will be provided for as long as the family desires | http://www.arng.army.mil/familyservices/Pages/SurvivorServices.aspx

The National Gold Star Family Registry is a 21st Century Memorial that utilizes the latest in technology to provide a searchable, scalable database of America’s fallen Heroes since WWII. The Registry is accessible to all Americans from homes, classrooms, libraries, or anywhere with Internet access | http://goldstarfamilyregistry.com