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Flags lowered for servicemen killed in Iraq

Jan. 4, 2007

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 six days, Thursday through Tuesday, Jan. 4-9, to honor six Michigan servicemen killed between Dec. 21 and Dec. 25 while on active duty in Iraq.

Thursday, Jan. 4, flags will be lowered to honor Army National Guard Spc. Chad J. Vollmer of Grand Rapids. Spc. Vollmer, age 24, died Dec. 23 from injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Salman Pak, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry, Big Rapids, Mich.

Friday, Jan. 5, flags will be lowered to honor Army National Guard Spc. Bobby Mejia II of Saginaw. Specialist Mejia, age 20, died Dec. 23 from injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Salman Pak, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry, Big Rapids, Mich.

Saturday, Jan. 6, flags will be lowered to honor Army Pvt. First Class Andrew H. Nelson of Saint Johns. Pvt. Nelson, age 19, died Dec. 25 of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 9th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Sunday, Jan. 7, flags will be lowered to honor Army Sgt. Curtis L. Norris of Dansville. Sgt. Norris, age 28, died Dec. 23 of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive devise detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

Monday, Jan. 8, flags will be lowered to honor Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan J. Burgess of Sanford. Lance Cpl. Burgess, age 21, died on Dec. 21 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Tuesday, Jan. 9, flags will be lowered to honor Army National Guard Spc. Wilson A. Algrim of Howell. Spc. Algrim, age 21, died Dec. 23 from injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Salman Pak, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry, Big Rapids, Mich.

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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