MN State Order · Half-Staff
Flags at Half-Staff for Willibald Bianchi
May 2, 2026
Governor Tim Walz ordered all United States and Minnesota flags to fly at half-staff at all state buildings in Minnesota from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, May 2, 2026, to honor Captain Willibald C. Bianchi, a Medal of Honor recipient from New Ulm. Captain Bianchi was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary courage during the defense of the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines on February 3, 1942, when despite multiple wounds he continued to lead and engage enemy forces. After becoming a prisoner of war and dying in captivity in 1945, his remains were identified through DNA analysis more than 80 years later and returned home for burial with full military honors.
Source: flagsexpress.com