# Who died? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2017, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-died/789600 "2017-06-22T11:39:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-died/789600/1 "2017-06-22T11:39:26Z")
Way back in 1969, I was on a four hour bus trip when I noticed that flags were at half mast. Wow! Somebody important must have died. Without a smart phone, I had no way of finding out until I reached my destination. It turned out to be President Eisenhower. Today, we might as well leave them at half staff because they lower them for anyone. About a month ago, a USPS flag was at half staff. I asked the clerk, “Who died?” She didn’t know and I never found out. I drove by three flags at half staff yesterday, but I have no idea who died, nor do I care anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-died/789600/2 "2017-06-22T11:59:53Z")
I saw one yesterday as well. I assumed it was for the sailors on the USS Fitzgerald, but i was in the Boston Seaport District at the time, so I may have just had ships on my mind. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-died/789600/3 "2017-06-22T18:39:37Z")
I too have noticed the honor inflation and I’m not entirely thrilled with it. Massachusetts is currently lowering the flag for a state representative named Gailanne Cariddi for four days. Four days for a state representative seems excessive when sitting US senators and representatives traditionally get only two days. You can follow the latest federal sand state flag-lowering alerts here: [https://www.flagsexpress.com/HalfStaff\_s/1852.htm](https://www.flagsexpress.com/HalfStaff_s/1852.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-died/789600/4 "2017-06-22T18:54:38Z")
[This](http://halfstaff.org/) is another site that explains why flags in particular states are at half-staff. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-died/789600/5 "2017-06-22T19:42:03Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > [https://www.flagsexpress.com/HalfStaff\_s/1852.htm](https://www.flagsexpress.com/HalfStaff_s/1852.htm) That is an unfortunate domain name. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-died/789600/6 "2017-06-22T20:27:08Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > That is an unfortunate domain name. 😛 I’m sure half-staff is an important topic to be addressed by the Flag Sex Press. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-died/789600/7 "2017-06-22T22:50:55Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > I too have noticed the honor inflation and I’m not entirely thrilled with it. Massachusetts is currently lowering the flag for a state representative named Gailanne Cariddi for four days. Four days for a state representative seems excessive when sitting US senators and representatives traditionally get only two days. You can follow the latest federal sand state flag-lowering alerts here: [https://www.flagsexpress.com/HalfStaff\_s/1852.htm](https://www.flagsexpress.com/HalfStaff_s/1852.htm) I like the term “honor inflation.” It’s causing problems now. Arlington National Cemetery is running out of room, and yet many elected officials are being buried there without ever having served a day in the military. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-died/789600/8 "2017-06-23T03:23:40Z")
> [@CelticKnot](#): > > I like the term “honor inflation.” It’s causing problems now. Arlington National Cemetery is running out of room, and yet many elected officials are being buried there without ever having served a day in the military. If you are [selected government officials](http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Funerals/Scheduling-a-Funeral/Establishing-Eligibility/Ground-Burial), you can be interred at Arlington without having served in the military. Specifically, [5 U.S.C. 5312](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/5312) and [5 U.S.C. 5313.](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/5313)