It’s been two weeks since former president Ronald Reagan died. However, flags around here are still flying at half staff. This seems to be the longest period of mourning I can recall. When will flags return to full staff?
For a President’s death, the law calls for a full thirty days of half-staff, so I’ll guess they’ll go back up on July 4th.
DeVena
June 18, 2004, 4:28pm
3
According to the press release…
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, in honor and tribute to the memory of Ronald Reagan, and as an expression of public sorrow, do hereby direct that the flag of the United States be displayed at half-staff at the White House and on all buildings, grounds, and Naval vessels of the United States for a period of 30 days from the day of his death. I also direct that for the same length of time, the representatives of the United States in foreign countries shall make similar arrange-ments for the display of the flag at half-staff over their Embassies, Legations, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and stations.
So 30 days of mourning with the death of a past President. I work for a State agency and we will be flying our flags half-staff for 30 days as well.
In the rare event that two former presidents should die within a 30-day period (say one dies 15 days after the first), does anyone know if the flags would be flown half-staff for 60 days (30 for each president), or would they just be flown for 45 days with an “overlap” in between?
gfloyd
June 18, 2004, 4:50pm
5
While I was by no means alive at the time, LBJ and Truman died within a few weeks of on another, ie, with in the 30 day window, I believe. Does anyone who was around then remember what they did about flags?
Interestingly enough, state governors can also decide that the national flag should fly at half-staff. From the US Code, Title 4, Section 7m:
In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United States, the Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff.The flag shall be flown at half-staff 30 days from the death of the President or a former President; 10 days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress.
Oops. That should be US Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 7m.
Thanks!
For some reason, I remember flags staying at half stall for only a few days after Nixon died.
Nixon resigned in disgrace. That may have had something to do with the truncated “half staff” time period in his case.
Actually, I remember the flags flying for a full 30 days when Nixon died. I remember thinking, “Aren’t we overdoing it a bit?”