DC – Flag Law Honors Fallen Soldiers

Washington, DC

A new law backed by AFSCME and signed in June, requires all federal government agencies in a state to comply with a governor's proclamation to fly the national flag at half-staff to honor fallen military service members. The law was named in honor of Army Specialist Joseph P. Micks of Michigan, killed in Iraq in July 2006. When some federal officials in his state ignored the governor's request to lower flags on their facilities in Micks' honor, U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) wrote to Pres. George Bush, asking for a directive to ensure a governor's half-mast request is carried out consistently. Bush did not respond, prompting Stupak to introduce his bill.

AFSCME members took up the mantle, signing an on-line petition to amend the U.S. Flag Code to have flags lowered for a day each time an American service member dies at war. The "Honor the Fallen" campaign, which ran in May, generated 7,143 signed petitions to 343 members of Congress.

"We owe it to the memory of all the soldiers who have lost their lives in this war to lower the flag each time one of them dies for his or her country," AFSCME Pres. Gerald W. McEntee stated at the union's Leadership Conference in June. "When we bury the dead, we must not bury the memory of their sacrifice."

The mayor of Washington, D.C., will have the same right as a governor to order U.S. flags lowered on federal buildings, including at the White House.