‘During Wartime, It Stays Up’––

Confusion, Criticism Over Lowered Flag

By Dottie Evans

Flags throughout Newtown have been lowered to half-staff for 11 days at the request of Governor John Rowland to honor the first Connecticut soldier, Marine Gunnery Sgt Phillip Jordan of Enfield, killed during the war with Iraq March 23 during an ambush outside Nasiriyah.

Eight other marines were killed alongside Sgt Jordan.

Another Connecticut marine, Kemaphoom Chanawongse from Waterford, who was part of an amphibious vehicle unit based in Camp Lejune, N.C., was declared missing on that same date.

Funeral services for Sgt Jordan were held Wednesday, April 2, and the governor asked that flags be raised at sundown following the ceremony.

According to the governor’s press office, American flags will remain raised throughout the war “from now on” despite any further casualties suffered by soldiers who are Connecticut residents.

“Usually, the governor considers each case as it occurs. For example, we lowered the flag for Senator Paul Wellstone. We lowered it for the Challenger astronauts,” said Chris Cooper, the governor’s press secretary.

In response to some confusion and even criticism regarding the lowering of the American flag during wartime, the governor’s press secretary, Chris Cooper, made the following statements.

“Lowering the flag for Staff Sgt Phillip Jordan was a way of honoring him as well as his family, who are longtime residents of Enfield. The reason it was down for ten days was that it took that long from when we received the news until he could be brought home for the funeral service,” he said.

Asked whether there is an iron-clad policy about when flags should be lowered throughout the state, Mr Cooper said the governor was “sensitive to each case as it happens.”

“He felt that recognizing the first Connecticut casualty was appropriate. Of course, we hope there won’t be more,” he added.

In a phone interview, a member of the governor’s press staff, who declined to give her name, commented that once the flag is raised after Sgt Jordan’s services, “it will stay up.”

She attributed the lowering of the flag for Sgt Jordan as more of a “knee-jerk reaction” to what had happened rather than a policy issue. After some deliberation and after receiving mixed reactions throughout the state, the governor had decided that only when the war is over would he lower the flag in honor of any or all Connecticut soldiers who may have died.

Local Reaction              Was Mixed

In Newtown, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal responded to the governor’s request by lowering the flag in front of Edmond Town Hall.

But like many, he wondered how long it would stay down. And what if the war were prolonged? Did this mean the flag would be going up and down periodically if there were other Connecticut casualties?

“I had been under the opinion that in time of war you don’t lower the flag. I do know from my time in the navy that during burials at sea, the flag is lowered. I don’t ever remember the governor lowering the flag during Viet Nam or even the Persian Gulf War,” Mr Rosenthal said.

When the flag is lowered to half-staff, it happens according to the chain of command, he said.

“The governor makes the call if certain state officials have died. In town, we try to limit it, lowering the flag only when the governor or the president gives the order. Sometimes we would lower it for the death of a borough or town official or a person who had served a number of town capacities,” he added.

State statutes dictate that on orders of the chief executive of any municipality, the schools and other public buildings must follow suit.

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 308 Commander Ernest Ingram said Tuesday he also was unhappy about seeing the flag lowered during time of war, though he sympathized with the family of Sgt Jordan and could see why the governor took the action he did.

Other town residents were incensed when all the town’s flags did not come down immediately.

One individual called the first selectman’s office to complain that the Hawleyville Fire Department flag was still up when others in town had been lowered to half-staff.

“She was really upset and demanded we get it down right away,” said office administrator Mary Kelley, adding, “I told her we needed to get a fire truck up there to do the job and it took time to organize that.”