Illinois Governor Pritzker Orders All U.S. Flags Lowered This Monday (10/28)

Flags Lowered Across Illinois to Honor Fallen Korean War Hero

Governor J.B. Pritzker has ordered that flags in Illinois be lowered to half-staff in honor of U.S. Army Corporal Eriverto Ortiz, whose remains are finally being returned home after more than 70 years.

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According to a press release from the Illinois Governor's Office, the flags will be lowered from sunrise until sunset on Monday, October 28, 2024, to pay tribute to Ortiz's service and sacrifice.

Corporal Ortiz's Service and Sacrifice

Corporal Ortiz served with distinction in Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division during the Korean War.

At just 27 years old, Ortiz was killed in action in September 1950 during intense fighting near Pusan, South Korea. His remains were not recoverable at the time, and in 1956, he was declared nonrecoverable by the U.S. Army.

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Through the efforts of the Department of Defense's Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA), Ortiz's remains were identified using dental records, anthropological methods, and mitochondrial DNA analysis.

He will finally be laid to rest with full military honors in Elgin, Illinois, on October 28, 2024.

Statewide Tribute

Under the Illinois Flag Display Act, Governor Pritzker has ordered all entities covered by the Act to fly the United States and Illinois flags at half-staff.

The act requires flags to be lowered in honor of any Illinois member of the armed forces or first responders killed in the line of duty.

Flags will be flown at half-staff from sunrise until sunset on the day of the funeral and the two days preceding.