MA State Order · Half-Staff
Flags at Half-Staff for Joseph A. Gala
November 5, 2026
Private Joseph A. Gala of Lynn, Massachusetts, served in Company E, 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), known as Merrill's Marauders, in Burma during World War II. He was reported killed in action on July 14, 1944, at age 21. His remains were identified through DNA technology, and he is being laid to rest at Pine Grove Cemetery in Lynn. Governor Maura Healey ordered flags lowered in his honor.
Flag protocol
Flags on all state buildings in Massachusetts, including the United States flag and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts flag, are to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Thursday, November 5, 2026.