Why Are Flags Half-Staff on Saturday?

Governor Charlie Baker has ordered that the United States flag and the Commonwealth flag be lowered to half-staff at all state buildings from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, Dec. 12, in honor of Waltham’s Sergeant Robert Dakin, United States Army, who was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on December 12, 1950, and later declared Killed In Action.

The Sergeant was be buried in Waltham, MA, with full military honors on Dec. 12, 2015.

This gubernatorial order applies to:

1. The main or adminstration building of each public institution of the Commonwealth, e.g. town and city halls
2. Other state-owned or state-controlled buildings
3. All state military installations