All Star Flags December, 2012 | All Star Flags - Part 2

American Flags to fly at half-staff throughout the United States Friday, December 14th through Tuesday, December 18th in respect and honor of those victims of the school shooting in Newton, Connecticut.

According to the Office of the President:
A PROCLAMATION
As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, December 18, 2012. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
BARACK OBAMA
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American Flags and Wisconsin Flags to fly at half-staff Saturday, December 15th in the State of Wisconsin in honor of Fire Chief Steven Fritz of the Village of Rothschild Fire Department.
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American Flags and Virginia Flags to fly at half-staff Saturday, December 15th at the Capitol complex in Virginia in honor of Former State Senator Honorable William B. Hopkins.

Flags are also authorized for display at half-staff in the County of Roanoke, the City of Roanoke and in any other locality as deemed appropriate.
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American Flags and North Dakota Flags to fly at half-staff Thursday, December 13th in North Dakota in honor of North Dakota National Guard Spc. Tyler Orgaard. Spc. Orgaard was killed in action December 3rd in Afghanistan.
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American Flags and Montana Flags to fly at half-staff Monday, December 10th through Tuesday, December 11th in the state of Montana in honor of US Army Sergeant First Class Darren Linde. SFC Linde died December 3rd in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
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American Flags and New York Flags to fly at half-staff Monday, December 10th in the state of New York in honor of US Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony Denier.

According to the office of the governor:
Lance Cpl. Anthony J. Denier died while conducting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan on December 2, 2012. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, which is based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
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American Flags to fly at half-staff throughout the United States Friday, December 7th in honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

According to the following Presidential Proclamation:
On December 7, 1941, our Nation suffered one of the most devastating attacks ever to befall the American people. In less than 2 hours, the bombs that rained on Pearl Harbor robbed thousands of men, women, and children of their lives; in little more than a day, our country was thrust into the greatest conflict the world had ever known. We mark this anniversary by honoring the patriots who perished more than seven decades ago, extending our thoughts and prayers to the loved ones they left behind, and showing our gratitude to a generation of service members who carried our Nation through some of the 20th century’s darkest moments.

In his address to the Congress, President Franklin D. Roosevelt affirmed that “with confidence in our Armed Forces — with the unbounding determination of our people — we will gain the inevitable triumph.” Millions stood up and shipped out to meet that call to service, fighting heroically on Europe’s distant shores and pressing island by island across the Pacific. Millions more carried out the fight in factories and shipyards here at home, building the arsenal of democracy that propelled America to the victory President Roosevelt foresaw. On every front, we faced down impossible odds — and out of the ashes of conflict, America rose more prepared than ever to meet the challenges of the day, sure that there was no trial we could not overcome.

Today, we pay solemn tribute to America’s sons and daughters who made the ultimate sacrifice at Oahu. As we do, let us also reaffirm that their legacy will always burn bright — whether in the memory of those who knew them, the spirit of service that guides our men and women in uniform today, or the heart of the country they kept strong and free.

The Congress, by Public Law 103-308, as amended, has designated December 7 of each year as “National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.”

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim December 7, 2012, as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I encourage all Americans to observe this solemn day of remembrance and to honor our military, past and present, with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I urge all Federal agencies and interested organizations, groups, and individuals to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff this December 7 in honor of those American patriots who died as a result of their service at Pearl Harbor.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
BARACK OBAMA
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American Flags and Kentucky Flags to fly at half-staff Thursday, December 6th in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in honor of US Army Sgt. John R. Jones.

According to the office of the governor:
US Army Sgt. Jones’ remains were recently identified after he was considered missing in action from the Vietnam War.

On June 4, 1971, Jones was part of a U.S. team working with indigenous commandos to defend a radio-relay base, known as Hickory Hill, in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. When enemy forces attacked the site, Jones and another serviceman took up a defensive position in a nearby bunker. The following morning, Jones was reportedly killed by enemy fire and the other soldier was captured and held as a POW until 1973. From 1993 to 2010, joint U.S.-Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), conducted several investigations, surveyed the site and interviewed multiple witnesses, including those involved in the battle. During that time, analysts from JPAC and DPMO evaluated wartime records and eyewitness accounts to determine possible excavation sites. In 2011, another joint U.S.-S.R.V team located human remains in a bunker suspected to be the last known location of Jones. For the identification of the remains, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as dental records and mitochondrial DNA that matched Jones’ mother and brother.
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American Flags and Minnesota Flags to fly at half-staff Wednesday, December 5th in the State of Minnesota in honor of Police Officer Thomas Decker.

According to the office of the governor:
Police Officer Decker was 31 years old and a six-year veteran of the Cold Spring, Minnesota Police Department. Officer Tommy Decker died a hero on November 29, 2012, after being shot in the line of duty. Officer Tommy Decker was an exemplary police officer, and was admired and respected by his colleagues. He received the Cold Spring Police Department’s Special Commendation for heroism.
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American Flags and Illinois Flags to fly at half-staff Tuesday, December 4th through Thursday, December 6th in the State of Illinois in honor of Timothy Jansen of the Santa Fe Fire Protection District.
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