August 27, 2018                                                                                     

Governor Dayton Orders Flags Flown at Half-Staff in Honor of Senator John McCain

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.

A copy of Governor Dayton’s proclamation is available 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