Governor Stein Orders Half-mast Flags for Memorial Day

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein said flags should be at half-mast for Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, as governors across the country issued orders ahead of the federal observance. The nationwide protocol calls for flags to be lowered from sunrise until noon, then returned to full-staff for the rest of the day.

Memorial Day and Dwight D. Eisenhower

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says the flag must be flown at half-staff from sunrise until precisely noon on Memorial Day. After noon, the flag is raised briskly to full-staff, a procedure that follows the U.S. Flag Code requirement that the flag be hoisted momentarily to the peak of the staff before being lowered.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued a presidential proclamation in 1954 establishing uniform federal half-staff guidelines. Memorial Day is the only federal holiday that mandates the flag be flown at half-staff for only a partial day.

Josh Stein's Memorial Day statement

Stein released a statement this week saying, “On Memorial Day, we remember with deep gratitude those patriots who died in defense of our freedom… The heroes who throu”. Officials across the country are encouraging individuals, businesses, and institutions to lower their flags in line with official guidance.

Half-staff observances are generally reserved for periods when the whole nation is in mourning, and the same procedure applies before lowering the flag at the conclusion of the day. The White House is expected to follow with an official presidential proclamation.