GRAVETTE — As required by state law, Arkansas flags throughout the state are lowered to half-staff each time a member of the Armed Forces of the United States from Arkansas is killed in action while on active duty.
When the Governor of Arkansas receives such notification, he issues the order “that all public buildings should lower all of their Arkansas flags to half-staff.”
The order never states the town in which the service person lived.
A most recent order was issued Aug. 30 when the flags were lowered in honor of U. S. Army PFC Bryn T. Raver.
The action is authorized by Arkansas Code Annotated Section 1-4-128 and applies only to Arkansas flags and for a service member who was a resident of Arkansas at the time of death.
Staffs at the city hall and police department fly the Arkansas flag below the American flag. Both locations are entities of the state and its political subdivisions.
Gravette Mayor Bill Howard, right, lowers the Arkansas flag at Gravette City Hall to honor a serviceman. The Governor issues an order each time a member of the Armed Forces from Arkansas is killed in action while on active duty.
For the Record, Pages 8 on 09/08/2010