Why are flags in Texas, and across the country, lowered to half-staff?
Flags across Texas, and the U.S., are lowered to half-staff in honor of former Vice President Dick Cheney, who died at 84 years old on Monday, Nov. 3.
Cheney died from cardiac vascular disease and complications of pneumonia, according to a statement issued by his family Nov. 4. Flags will stay lowered in his honor until Friday, Nov. 14.
After he served as Wyoming’s singular congressman for five consecutive terms from 1979 to 1989, he was nominated by President George H.W. Bush to serve as his Secretary of Defense from 1989 to 1993.
Cheney is more widely remembered for his terms as President George W. Bush’s vice president from 2001 to 2009.
“History will remember him as among the finest public servants of his generation — a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position he held,” Bush said in a statement Tuesday.
When are flags lowered to half-staff?
American flags are lowered on the day of and day after the death of a United States senator, representative, territorial delegate or the resident commissioner from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico at all federal buildings, facilities, grounds and naval vessels in the Washington, D.C.. area and in the state, congressional district, territory or commonwealth where the official is from, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
Flags are also always lowered from sunset until noon on Memorial Day, per federal law.
According to the Texas government code, Texas flags should be flown at half-staff for the same time on Memorial Day, Peace Officers Memorial Day (May 15) and for the death of a person.