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Michigan soldier who died Christmas day honoredJan. 3, 2008 LANSING, Mich.--By order of Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, U.S. flags on all campuses of Western Michigan University and throughout Michigan will be lowered for one day, Friday, Jan. 4, in honor of Army Sgt. Peter C. Neesley of Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., who died Dec. 25 while on active duty in Iraq. Neesley, age 28, died of an undetermined cause in a non-combat environment in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga. 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 first states to honor its fallen sons and daughters by lowering flags. More than 20 states now follow the practice in some form, including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and West Virginia. Media contact: Thom Myers, (269) 387-8400, thom.myers@wmich.edu WMU News |
