By Rob Daniel
Iowa City Press-Citizen

Wally "Bleu" Galbreath's family has been one of service to the United States military stretching back generations.

The Coralville man served in the Navy from 1972 to 1975 during the waning days of the Vietnam War. Both his father and grandfather served in the Navy as well, he said.

Today, four of his eight children are serving their country, all in Iraq. John Anthony Owens is with the Army, while Blake, Breahna and Ashlee Galbreath are in the Navy.

Coralville American Legion Post 721 honored Galbreath on Monday night with the Blue Star Banner. The banner, introduced in 1917 during World War I, was designed to be a symbol of a child in the service, Post Commander Ken Krizan said.

Galbreath received the red banner with four blue stars on a white field. Each star represented each of Galbreath's children currently serving in the military, Krizan said.

"This is a physical symbol you have four children in (the service)," he said to Galbreath during the ceremony. "May God bless them."

Galbreath, whose family was among the founders of the American Legion in 1919, said he was deeply honored by being presented the banner.

"It's beyond special to me," he said. "This is everything I can imagine."

The banner is designed to hang in the home of the parent to show their pride until the children return home from overseas, according to the Legion. However, Galbreath said he wanted to donate the banner to the Coralville Legion Post.

"The kids want it here," he said. "May they all come home."

Krizan said the banner would be displayed in the Legion's meeting room, and each of the children could claim a star upon their return home.