Gov. Gregoire orders flags flown at half-staff - Flag lowering honors fallen sailor from Arlington

For Immediate Release: September 22, 2008

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire has directed that flags at all Washington state agency buildings be lowered to half-staff Monday, Sept. 22, in memory of U. S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Eichmann Strickland of Arlington, who was killed in action in Panwar Province in Afghanistan on Sept. 9.

Flags should remain at half-staff until sunset Monday or first thing Tuesday morning, Sept. 23.

Last year, Congress amended the U.S. Flag Code to give governors the authority to lower flags when a state resident in the military is killed in the line of duty. Other government entities, citizens and businesses are encouraged to join in this recognition.

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