Flags lowered to honor war casualty

The United States flag and the Illinois flag are at half-staff at all State of Illinois facilities until sunset, Thursday, April 17, in honor of an Illinois man killed while serving in the military in the war in Iraq, under a proclamation signed by Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich.

The flags are to be flown at half-staff from sunrise Tuesday, April 15, to sunset Thursday in honor of U.S. Army Pfc. Shane D. Penley. Reports indicate that Penley, 19, of Sauk Village, died Tuesday, April 6, at Patrol Base Copper, Iraq, from wounds suffered from a sniper's bullet while on guard duty. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat team, 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Ky.

At the recommendation of a suburban Barrington man, Blagojevich in December 2004 issued a proclamation also directing all State of Illinois facilities to lower their flags to half-staff on the day of a funeral for any Illinois National Guardsman killed in combat. The flags are then raised again to full-staff the following day.

In September, Blagojevich signed legislation requiring all state agencies to fly the U.S. flag, the Illinois flag, and appropriate military flags at half-staff for the death of an Illinois resident killed by hostile fire while a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, or for a law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty.