LA State Order · Half-Staff
Flags at Half-Staff for William Pershing "Billy" Butler
October 16, 2026
Technician Fourth Grade William P. "Billy" Butler, a Louisiana soldier with the U.S. Army Air Forces, was captured after the Japanese invasion of the Philippines and took part in the Bataan Death March. He died on December 27, 1942, at age 22, as a prisoner of war at the Cabanatuan camp. His remains were identified more than 80 years later, and he will be laid to rest in Bastrop on October 16, 2026. Governor Jeff Landry ordered flags lowered in his honor.
Flag protocol
Flags of the United States and the State of Louisiana are to be flown at half-staff over the State Capitol and all state buildings on Friday, October 16, 2026, from sunrise to sunset.