New York To Now Lower Flags When Its Warriors Killed
ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. David Paterson has ordered flags on state buildings across New York flown at half-staff to honor service members from New York who are killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A spokesman for the governor says the new policy began Wednesday, when the flag was lowered for three Fort Drum soldiers killed in Iraq on June 4 near Sharqat. On Monday, flags will be lowered again for Staff Sgt. Tyler Pickett, who was killed in action in Kirkuk Province in Iraq on June 8.
Although the four dead soldiers were from other states, they were all assigned to the 10th Mountain Division and stationed at Fort Drum in northern New York. Spokesman Morgan Hook says Paterson believes even if service members are from another state, if they are serving with a New York-based unit, that makes them New Yorkers.
So far, 176 New Yorkers have died fighting in Iraq. Fort Drum has suffered 151 dead in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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