Flags are at half-staff in Massachusetts today. Here's why

Yahoo

8 hours ago

Gov. Maura Healey announced that state and national flags will fly at half-staff in Massachusetts today, June 7 to honor Staff Sergeant Loring E. Lord of Somerville.
SSG Lord served in the U.S. Army Air Forces 642d Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Division, 9th Air Force, during World War II. On March 21, 1945, while on a mission to Duelmen, Germany, SSG Lord was killed in action when his aircraft was shot down. His service was honored with the Air Medal and the Purple Heart. After being missing for almost 80 years, Somerville sargeant was recently identified.
In honor of SSG Lord and his service to the country, flags at all Massachusetts state buildings will be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, June 7, the day when his remains will finally be laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett.
According to the official website of the U.S. General Services Administration, flags typically fly at half-staff when the country or specific state is in mourning. Observances include national tragedies, days of remembrance and deaths of government or military personnel.
The president, the state governor or the mayor of Washington, D.C., can order flags to fly at half-staff.
While half-staff refers to lowered flags on land, half-mast refers to those at sea. Both refer to a flag being flown beneath the top of its staff as a sign of respect.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Why are flags at half-staff in Massachusetts today? What to know