Governor orders flags at half-mast for Frazier

Published 10:39 am Friday, November 27, 2009

Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm has ordered United States flags throughout the state of Michigan and on Michigan waters lowered for one day Monday in honor of Army Sgt. Daniel A. Frazier, of St. Joseph, who died Nov. 19 in Zabul province, Afghanistan, alongside one of his comrades while on active duty supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.  Flags should be returned to full-staff Tuesday.

Frazier, 25, died from injuries suffered when a suicide car-bomber attacked his unit.  He was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. Frazier had previously served in Afghanistan from January 2007 to April 2008.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Monday at Michiana Christian Embassy in Niles, with burial in Arlington National Cemetery.

Under Section 7 of Chapter 1 of Title 4 of the United States Code, 4 USC 7, Granholm, in December 2003, issued a proclamation requiring United States flags lowered to half-staff throughout the state of Michigan and on Michigan waters to honor Michigan servicemen and servicewomen killed in the line of duty.  Procedures for flag lowering were detailed by Granholm in Executive Order 2006-10 and included in federal law under the Army Specialist Joseph P. Micks Federal Flag Code Amendment Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-41).

When flown at half-staff or half-mast, the United States flag should be hoisted first to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff or half-mast position. The flag should again be raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day.

When a member of the armed services from Michigan is killed in action, the governor will issue a press release with information about the individual(s) and the day that has been designated for flags to be lowered in his or her honor. The information will also be posted on Granholm’s Web site at www.michigan.gov/gov in the section titled “Spotlight.”