NE State Order · Half-Staff
Flags at Half-Staff for Robert Keuchel
May 15, 2026
Governor Jim Pillen announced that all U.S. and Nebraska flags are to be flown at half-staff on Friday, May 15, to honor WWII airman Robert A. Keuchel. The remains of Staff Sergeant Keuchel were found and identified in July 2025 by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency after being killed on March 22, 1945. He and fellow crewmembers were aboard a B-17G Flying Fortress conducting a bombing run over Poland when the aircraft was damaged during an enemy attack, forcing the crew to bail out. Of 10 crew members, eight were killed due to enemy fire during their parachute descent, including Keuchel.
Flag protocol
Flags must be raised briskly to the top of the pole before being lowered to half-staff, and remain at half-staff until sunset when the process is reversed.
Source: flagsexpress.com