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Flags at half-staff for 1st Sgt. Aaron Jagger

Aug. 21, 2006

KALAMAZOO--By order of Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, U.S. flags on all campuses of Western Michigan University and throughout Michigan will be lowered for one day, Tuesday, Aug. 22, in honor of Army 1st Sgt. Aaron D. Jagger, who died Aug. 9 while on active duty in Iraq.

Sgt. Jagger, age 43, of Hillsdale, Mich., was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near his armored vehicle during combat operations in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He had previously served in the first Gulf War and in Bosnia and was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Armor Division, Friedberg, Germany.

Flags should return to full-staff Wednesday, Aug. 23.

In December 2003, Gov. Granholm issued a proclamation requiring U.S. flags to be lowered to half-staff throughout the state of Michigan and on Michigan waters to honor Michigan servicemen and servicewomen killed in the line of duty.

Michigan was among the earlier states to honor its fallen sons and daughters by lowering flags. Sixteen states now follow the practice, including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, South Dakota, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

Media contact: Thom Myers, (269) 387-8400, thom.myers@wmich.edu

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