"As far as I know, this is the first time something like this has happened anywhere."
The U.S. Government provided fully escorted ( by Army officers and nurses ) pilgrimages overseas for 6,693 women ( Gold Star Mothers or widows only ) - completely at government arrangement and expense - by trains and First-Class on trans-Atlantic ships ( the "most desirable cabins" were reserved ) and road ( no aircraft ) in the early 1930's ( At the height of The Great Depression ) The trips were over a month long, and didn't cost the mom's a penny from door to door! The army took care of passports, customs, tipping waiters, bellboys, maids, drugs and medicines, interpreters, laundry service, and other such incidentals along the way. The army officers took care of the baggage. If the ladies wished to purchase little gifts and souvenirs during their sight-seeing tour of Paris, that was at their own expense.
So many thoughtful things to list. It was a large expenditure of public funds for the relief of private grief:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txmatago/gsm_kelly_pil_intro.htm
http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1999/summer/gold-star-mothers-1.html
http://www.will.uiuc.edu/pressroom/goldstarhistory.htm
http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/akins3.htm
http://books.google.ca/books?id=CQARf7boqkYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=gold+star+mothers+1930%27s+letters&source=bl&ots=hCTptGxcfE&sig=FGjx5qF2CZBbGPKe8BGrSEu7CJ0&hl=en&ei=98ZtS4XTGsTp8QaQjZmNBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false
http://www.qmfound.com/war_mother.htm