All Star Flags All Star Flags - Part 80

American Flags and Maine Flags to fly at half-staff Tuesday, August 16th, in the state of Maine in remembrance of the Honorable Dan Gwadosky.

According to a release from the office of the Governor of Maine:

“Dan held a long and successful political career for the State of Maine. He served 18 years representing his hometown of Fairfield in the Maine House of Representatives from 1979-1996. Dan was elected Assistant Majority Leader in 1986 and House Majority Leader in 1988 before being elected Maine’s 92nd Speaker of the House. In 1997 he was elected Maine’s 46th Secretary of State and served as President of the National Association of Secretaries of State from 2002-2003. Dan most recently held the position of Director of the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverage and Lottery Operations and served this past year as Chairman of the National Alcoholic Beverage Control Association (NABCA).”

American Flags and Virginia Flags to fly at half-staff Tuesday, August 16th through Monday, August 22nd in the commonwealth of Virginia in honor of those who were killed in the Afghanistan helicopter tragedy on August 6, 2011.

Servicemen assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit:

1. Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, La.
2. Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, Calif.
3. Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34, of Green Forest, Ark.
4. Senior Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Kraig M. Vickers, 36, of Kokomo, Hawaii
5. Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Brian R. Bill, 31, of Stamford, Conn.
6. Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John W. Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, Minn.
7. Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston, 35, of West Hyannisport, Mass.
8. Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason, 37, of Kansas City, Mo.
9. Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas
10. Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist/Diver) Nicholas H. Null, 30, of Washington, W.Va.
11. Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, La.
12. Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson, 34, of Detroit, Mich.
13. Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Darrik C. Benson, 28, of Angwin, Calif.
14. Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Parachutist) Christopher G. Campbell, 36, of Jacksonville, N.C.
15. Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, Utah
16. Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) John Douangdara, 26, of South Sioux City, Neb.
17. Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange, 25, of Philadelphia, Pa.
18. Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) Jon T. Tumilson, 35, of Rockford, Iowa
19. Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Aaron C. Vaughn, 30, of Stuart, Fla.
20. Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jason R. Workman, 32, of Blanding, Utah.

Servicemen assigned to West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit:

1. Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jesse D. Pittman, 27, of Ukiah, Calif.
2. Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Nicholas P. Spehar, 24, of Saint Paul, Minn.

Servicemen assigned to the 135^th and 138th Aviation Regiments:

1. Chief Warrant Officer David R. Carter, 47, of Centennial, Colo; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Aurora, Colo.
2. Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Nichols, 31, of Hays, Kan.; assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.
3. Sgt. Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, of Lincoln, Neb.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Grand Island, Neb.
4. Sgt. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Wash; assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.; and
5. Spc. Spencer C. Duncan, 21, of Olathe, Kan.; assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.

Servicemen assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, N.C.:

1. Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown, 33, of Tallahassee, Fla.
2. Staff Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, Calif.
3. Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, of York Pa.

American Flags and Washington State Flags to fly at half-staff Tuesday, August 16th, in the state of Washington in memory of US Army Sgt Alexander J. Bennett.

Sgt. Bennett died with 29 other service members August 6, in Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when their helicopter crashed.

American Flags and Louisiana Flags to fly at half-staff through Sunday, August 14th in the state of Louisiana in honor of Lt. Com. Jonas Kelsall and Chief Petty Officer Robert James Reeves.

Lt. Com. Jonas Kelsall and Chief Petty Officer Robert James Reeves were among 30 servicemen, a civilian interpreter and seven Afghan commandos killed when their helicopter was shot down last Saturday by insurgents in eastern Agfhanistan.

Labor Day is just around the corner, so be thinking about how to decorate your back yard for that holiday barbecue!  But ever wonder why Labor Day, always the first Monday in September, is the holiday to gather friends and family around the grill for fun and food?  Originally Labor Day was created in celebration of the achievements of American workers as the “workingman’s holiday.”  A street parade was held with much flag waving and fanfare, followed by a festival held for the workers and their families.  Today we still have our own festival of food and fun to pay tribute on Labor Day, so break out your pleated fans and American flags and get those grills fired up!

American Flags and Kentucky flags to fly at half-staff Thursday, August 11th, in the commonwealth of Kentucky in honor of Army Pfc. William F. Stehlin.

According to the Department of Defense, Army Pfc. William F. Stehlin of Dayton, Ky., went missing on Nov. 20, 1944 near Süggerath while his unit conducted a largely successful offensive to capture towns in Western Germany. In 1951, after an extensive search, his remains were determined unrecoverable by U.S. Army Graves Registration personnel.  Stehlin was a member of the 333rd Infantry Regiment, 84th Infantry Division.

In 2009, a German citizen digging in a wooded area near Süggerath, discovered a grave with the remains of two individuals, military-related equipment and identification tags.  Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command laboratory also used dental comparisons in the identification of the remains. 

American Flags and Pennsylvania Flags to fly at half-staff Wednesday, August 10th in honor of US Marine Staff Sgt. Patrick R. Dolphin, Sgt. Christopher M. Wrinkle and US Army Sgt First Class Kenneth Elwell.  Flags are to be at half-staff in the Capitol Complex and in the following counties:  Lackawanna, York and Bucks.

American Flags and New York Flags to fly at half-staff in honor of former Governor Hugh L. Carey.  The flags will remain at half-staff until after the funeral of Governor Carey.

American Flags and South Dakota Flags to fly at half-staff Thursday, August 11th in the state of South Dakota in honor of Rapid City Police Officer Nick Armstrong.

Armstrong died on Sunday, Aug.7, after being critically injured in the line of duty.

“Officer Armstrong’s death compounds this tragic and senseless shooting,” Governor Daugaard said. “These slain officers are grim reminders that those who serve and protect us work in a dangerous occupation and sometimes pay the ultimate price for our safety. My deepest sympathies go out to their families and friends.”

American Flags and Oregon Flags to fly at half-staff Monday August 8, 2011 through the date of interment, in honor of former Oregon Senator Mark O. Hatfield.
Governor Kitzhaber said, “No one has had a more profound impact on Oregon in the last half century than Mark Hatfield.  We’ve lost a true statesman whose legacy lives on in his countless contributions to Oregon’s quality of life.  Senator Hatfield’s moral compass, independence and willingness to reach across the aisle are an inspiration to me and countless Oregonians.”