Letter | Government agencies should show more respect, lower their flags

Published 8:30 am Thursday, May 26, 2016

Last week, Governor Inslee announced that all flags in the state were to be lowered to half staff to honor a National Guard Officer who died while on active duty in Iraq, who was also a Washington State Patrol Trooper.

Sadly, not one of the flags in North Bend at either the U.S. Post Office, the Forest Service Ranger Station nor Fire Station 87 were lowered to half staff. Each of these agencies and its employees (should) receive official notifications of when and why to lower their flags, but failed to comply.

The Army Specialist Joseph P. Micks Federal Flag Code Amendment Act of 2007 gives the state governors authority to order flags to be lowered for any military service member who dies while serving on active duty. When the governor of a state issues a proclamation, the national flag shall be flown at half-staff at any federal installation or facility in the area covered by that proclamation.

Having served in the military for over 28 years and the State of Washington for 21 years I am saddened to see this lack of respect in our town. These government agencies need to show more respect for those who have died while serving our country.

Art Farash

North Bend