Iowa flags – Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered U.S. and state flags across Iowa to fly at half-staff Friday, May 15, for Peace Officers Memorial Day. The observance runs from sunrise to sunset at the Capitol and on public buildings.
When the Capitol doors open Friday morning, the flags outside will be lowered—not just as a formal gesture, but as a public reminder of officers who have died or been left permanently changed by the job.
Gov.. Kim Reynolds ordered all U.S.. and state flags around Iowa to be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day, Friday, May 15.. The order applies from sunrise to sunset at the Capitol and on public buildings. grounds. and facilities across the state. while individuals. schools. businesses. and government subdivisions are encouraged to do the same.
The move is tied to President Donald Trump’s proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week, an annual period dedicated to recognizing law enforcement members killed or injured in the line of duty.
Reynolds framed the observance as a question of service and sacrifice. “Duty is a virtue embodied by the fallen peace officers our nation honors on this day,” she said in a news release. “There truly are no greater public servants than those who wear the uniform and give their lives for it.”
Peace Officers Memorial Day traces back to a decision by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, when he designated May 15 to recognize fallen and disabled federal, state, and local law enforcement officers.
For Iowa, the numbers reflect a long history of loss. There have been between 198 and 223 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty in Iowa dating back to the mid-18th century, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page and the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial.
The most recent was former Des Moines police officer Phoukham Tran, who died in November 2023 from injuries sustained in 2011 after he was struck by a drunk driver while directing traffic at the Iowa State Fair.
Even the flag terminology carries meaning.. “Half-mast” is used when a flag is flown from a flagpole. typically on ships. and it means the flag is raised two-thirds up between the top and bottom.. “Half-staff” is the term for flags flown on land in the United States. describing a flag raised halfway between the top and bottom of the pole.
For Iowa residents stepping past public buildings on Friday, the order is simple: let the flags hang at half-staff for the day—and treat it as more than a moment on the calendar.
Iowa Kim Reynolds half-staff flags Peace Officers Memorial Day Police Week Phoukham Tran Des Moines police
Good. Flags at half-staff always gives me chills, even if people forget tomorrow.
So is this like Veterans Day but for cops? I saw the headline and just assumed it was some new Trump thing.
I keep mixing up half-mast vs half-staff, like why do we need two terms lol. Also that officer Phoukham Tran story is heartbreaking, but I feel like the drunk driver angle gets lost in the whole flag thing.
Half-staff is nice and all, but I’m confused because the article says “half-staff” then talks about ships and half-mast like it’s the same thing? Then it says it’s from sunrise to sunset at the Capitol only… but also on public buildings statewide? Make up your mind. Either way, it’s sad what happened to that Des Moines guy, but I wish they’d spend more time actually preventing the injuries instead of just lowering flags.