Flown Flag Half Staff Government Person President U.S Day

In the U.S., most government buildings have "flagpoles" (tall outdoor metal poles on which a flag is attached and shown) outside of the building. Each morning, a worker in the building will place the American "flag" (piece of cloth with a design that represents a country) on the flagpole and raise it up. Each evening, before "dusk" (time of day when the sun is nearly gone and little light remains), it is "taken down" (removed).

In the U.S., when an important person in government dies, flags are "flown" (displayed) at "half-mast" or "half-staff." Both of these terms are commonly used and mean for a flag to be flown lower on the flagpole.

The President of the United States can issue an "executive order" (command of the President) for a flag to be flown at half-staff to show respect for the person who has died. When the President issues an executive order, all government buildings, including public schools, government offices, and "military bases" (where soldiers live and train) fly their flags at half-mast. A "governor" (highest level leader of a state) can also order that flags be flown at half-mast, but the order only affects his or her state.

The number of days a flag is flown at half-staff depends on the position the person held. For example, for a current or former president, that period is 30 days. For a vice president or a "chief justice" (leader of the highest court in the country), the period is 10 days. For "members of Congress" (officials representing the states), the flag is flown at half-staff on the day of the death and the "following" (next) day.