October 12, 2016                                                                                     

Governor Dayton Orders Flags Flown at Half-Staff in Honor of Army Staff Sgt. Adam S. Thomas on Saturday, October 15, 2016

ST. PAUL, MN – In honor and remembrance of Army Staff Sgt. Adam S. Thomas, 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, from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, October 15, 2016. A public memorial service will be held for Staff Sgt. Thomas on Saturday in Colorado.

Staff Sgt. Adam S. Thomas attended elementary school in the St. Peter area and was a 2007 graduate of St. Olaf College in Northfield. He died on Tuesday, October 4, 2016, from injuries caused by an improvised explosive device in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. He was 31 years old.

Staff Sgt. Thomas was a Green Beret assigned to Company B, Second Battalion, Tenth Special Forces Group (Airborne), at Fort Carson in Colorado. He joined the Army in 2008, and had been deployed twice before, to Iraq and Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Thomas previously was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart Medal, among other commendations.

Staff Sgt. Thomas is survived by his wife, Mackenzie, and his parents, Dr. Will and Candace Thomas of Marshall, Minnesota.

At the direction of the Governor, Minnesota flies its flags at half-staff following the death of Minnesota military personnel killed in the line of duty. A copy of Governor Dayton’s proclamation, ordering flags to be flown at half-staff across our state, can be found here.

Flags at Half-Staff In keeping with appropriate flag etiquette and U.S. Code, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton may order the state flag to be flown at half-staff under very limited circumstances. He may also order the national flag to be flown at half-staff on state property only. A state flag on state property is required by law to be flown at half-staff if the national flag is flown at half-staff.

                           Office of Governor Mark Dayton •  www.mn.gov/governor