President Trump and Governor Dayton Order Flags Flown at Half-Staff in Honor of Senator John Sidney McCain III
From the office of President Trump:
As a mark of respect for the memory and longstanding service of Senator John Sidney McCain III, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same period at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.
DONALD J. TRUMP
From the office of Governor Dayton:
ST. PAUL, MN – In honor and remembrance of United States Senator John McCain, Governor Mark Dayton has ordered all U.S. flags and Minnesota flags to be flown at half-staff at all state and federal buildings in the State of Minnesota, beginning immediately, until sunset on the day of Senator McCain’s interment on Sunday, September 2, 2018.
Senator McCain, eighty-one years of age, dedicated his life to public service, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States Senate for nearly 36 years. The Arizona Senator served as Chairman of the Senate Committees on Indian Affairs, Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Armed Services. He also served as the Republican Party nominee for President in the 2008 election.
Senator McCain passed away on Saturday, August 25, 2018. He had been receiving treatment for a malignant brain tumor since its discovery in 2017.
Prior to his career in public office, Senator McCain dedicated 22 years of service to the United States Navy. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1958 and served as a Navy aviator. In 1967, Senator McCain was taken as a prisoner of war in a bombing mission over North Vietnam, and imprisoned until his release in 1973. Senator McCain retired from the U.S. Navy in 1981, having earned through his heroic service a Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, the Legion of Merit, and the Distinguished Flying Cross honors.
Senator McCain is survived by his wife, seven children, and five grandchildren. He will lie in state at the United States Capitol on Friday, August 31, 2018. Senator John McCain will be ultimately laid to rest at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Maryland on Sunday, September 2, 2018.
Governor Dayton’s proclamation reads as follows:
WHEREAS: On August 25, 2018, Senator John Sidney McCain III died at the age of 81; and
WHEREAS: Senator John McCain’s remarkable record of leadership embodies his unwavering, lifetime commitment to public service; and
WHEREAS: The son and grandson of distinguished Navy Admirals, Senator McCain graduated from the Naval Academy in 1958, and served as a Naval aviator for 22 years, including in North Vietnam during the Vietnam War; and
WHEREAS: He was held as a prisoner of war, and subjected to torture for nearly six years; and
WHEREAS: When he was finally released and able to return home, Senator McCain continued his service by regaining his navalllight status. His last Navy.duty assignment was to serve as the naval liaison to the United States Senate; and
WHEREAS: Senator McCain retired from the Navy in 1981 with naval honors, including the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and the Distinguished Flying Cross; and
WHEREAS: Senator McCain was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona in 1982, and elected to the United States Senate in 1986. He was the Republican Party’s nominee for President in the 2008 election; and
WHEREAS: Senator McCain bravely and faithfully served the United States of America for over sixty
years.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, MARK DAYTON, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby order all U.S. flags and Minnesota flags be flown at half-staff at all state and federal buildings in the State of Minnesota immediately until sunset on the day of his interment on Sunday, September 2, 2018, in honor and remembrance of Senator John McCain.