LANSING: On Dec. 27, 2006, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm ordered that United States flags throughout the state of Michigan and on Michigan waters be flown at half-staff on Friday, December 29, 2006, in honor of Army Specialist Andrew P. Daul of Brighton, who died December 19 while on active duty in Iraq. 

When flown at half-staff, the United States flag should be hoisted first to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff or half-mast position.  The flag should again be raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day.

When a member of the armed services from Michigan is killed in action, the governor issues a press release with information about the individual(s) and the day that has been designated for flags to be lowered in his or her honor.  The information is posted on Granholm’s website at www.michigan.gov/gov  in the section titled ‘Spotlight.’

Members of the U.S. armed forces with known Michigan ties who died in 2006, to date, while supporting military operations in Iraq:

• Marine Lance Cpl. Jason T. Little, 20, of Climax, died Jan. 7, 2006, in Ferris, when his tank was attacked with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

• Army Spc. Walter B. Howard II, 35, who grew up in Macomb County's Clinton Township, died in Balad, on Feb. 2, 2006, of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device exploded near his M1 Abrams tank earlier in the day in Ashraf. Howard was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

• Marine Cpl. Ross A. Smith, 21, of Wyoming, died Feb. 9, 2006, from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Fallujah. Smith was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

• Army Staff Sgt. Curtis T. Howard II, 32, of Ann Arbor, died Feb. 22, 2006, along with two other soldiers when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

• Army Pfc. Allan A. Morr, 21, of Byron, died Feb. 22, 2006, near Hawijah, along with three other soldiers when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. All were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky.

• Army Sgt. Joshua V. Youmans, 26, of Genesee County's Flushing Township, died March 1, 2006, at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. Youmans was injured Nov. 21, 2005, when an improvised explosive device went off near his vehicle in Habbaniyah. Youmans was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion with the 125th Infantry Regiment in Saginaw.

• Army Cpl. Nyle Yates III, 22, of Lake Odessa, died March 16, 2006, in Bayji, when he came under small arms fire. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ky.

• Army Spc. Andrew K. Waits, 23, of Oakland County's Waterford Township, died April 13, 2006, after an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ky.

• Army Sgt. 1st Class Richard J. Herrema, 27, of Hudsonville, died April 25, 2006, when his unit came under enemy fire during combat in Baghdad. Herrema was born in Grand Rapids and graduated from Unity Christian High School in Hudsonville, according to the Army Special Operations Command based at Fort Bragg, N.C., where he was assigned.

• Army Sgt. Matthew A. Webber, 23, of Stanwood, died on April 27, 2006, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Webber was injured Nov. 21, 2005, when an improvised explosive device went off near his vehicle in Habbaniyah. He was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion with the 125th Infantry Regiment in Saginaw.

• Army Cpl. Brock Bucklin, 28, of Grand Rapids, died May 31, 2006, in an equipment accident in Balad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division in Fort Carson, Colo.

• Army Cpl. Alexander J. Kolasa, 22, of Oakland County's White Lake Township, died May 31, 2006, of non-hostile injuries in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 704th Main Support Battalion, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, at Fort Hood, Texas.

• Marine Lance Cpl. Brandon Webb, 20, of Swartz Creek, died June 20, 2006. The Arizona-born Webb worked for almost a year as a Swartz Creek firefighter before going on military leave. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, First Marine Expeditionary Force, in Camp Pendleton, Calif.

• Marine Staff Sgt. Raymond J. Plouhar, 30, of Lake Orion, died June 26, 2006, of wounds received while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar province. Plouhar was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, First Marine Expeditionary Force, in Camp Pendleton, Calif.

• Army Spc. Joseph P. Micks, 22, of Rapid River, was among three soldiers who died July 8, 2006, in Ar Ramadi, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations. He was assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, Warner Barracks, Bamberg, Germany.

• Army Sgt. Duane Dreasky, 31, of Novi, died July 10, 2006, at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. He was injured Nov. 21, 2005, when an improvised explosive device went off near his vehicle in Habbaniyah. Dreasky was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion with the 125th Infantry Regiment in Saginaw.

• Army Sgt. Al'Kaila Floyd, 23, of Grand Rapids, died July 13, 2006, at a hospital in Germany of injuries he received July 8 when a makeshift bomb detonated near his vehicle in Ramadi. Floyd was assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade in Bamberg, Germany.

• Army Staff Sgt. Michael A. Dickinson II, 26, of Battle Creek, died July 17, 2006, when his patrol was hit by small arms fire in Ramadi. He was assigned to the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, 4th Psychological Operations Group, Army Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, N.C.

• Army Spc. Dennis K. Samson Jr., 24, of Hesperia, was killed by small arms fire July 24, 2006, in Taqaddum. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade Troop Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, at Fort Campbell, Ky.

• Army 1st Sgt. Aaron D. Jagger, 43, of Hillsdale, was among three soldiers who died Aug. 9, 2006, in Ar Ramadi, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. He was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany.

• Army Sgt. Gabriel G. DeRoo, 25, of Paw Paw, died Aug. 20, 2006, in Mosul from injuries suffered when he was hit by small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, at Fort Lewis, Wash.

• Navy Chief Petty Officer Paul J. Darga, 34, of Alpena, died Aug. 22, 2006, in Al Anbar province when his explosive ordnance disposal team was struck by an improvised explosive device while responding to a previous strike. He was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Two, serving with the 1st Marine Logistics Group.

• Army Staff Sgt. Eugene H.E. Alex, 32, of Bay City, died Sept. 2, 2006, in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of injuries suffered Aug. 30 when he was wounded by small-arms fire in Baghdad. He was a cavalry scout assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

• Army Sgt. Ralph N. Porras, 36, of Merrill, died Sept. 2, 2006, in Yusufiyah, when enemy mortar fire hit his unit. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg, N.C.

• Army Pfc. Jeffrey P. Shaffer, 21, of Harrison, Ark., died Sept. 13, 2006, when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle during a combat operation in Ramadi. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division of Bamberg, Germany. He once lived near Flint and his father, Paul Shaffer, is a Greenville resident.

• Marine Capt. Justin D. Peterson, 32, of Davisburg, died Oct. 1, 2006, from a non-hostile vehicle accident in Anbar province. He was assigned to 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, in Twentynine Palms, Calif.

• Marine Lance Cpl. Clifford R. Collinsworth, 20, of Chelsea, was one of four members of a unit from Camp Lejeune, N.C., who died Oct. 21, 2006, during combat in Anbar province. He was a member of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Division.

• Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Manoukian, 22, of Lathrup Village, was one of four members of a unit from Camp Lejeune, N.C., who died Oct. 21, 2006, during combat in Anbar province. He was a member of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Division.

• Marine Lance Cpl. Troy D. Nealey, 24, of Eaton Rapids, died Oct. 29, 2006, during combat in Anbar province. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, in Lansing.

• Marine Cpl. Gary A. Koehler, 21, of Ypsilanti, died Nov. 1, 2006, during combat in Anbar province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

• Marine Lance Cpl. Min Hee Kim, 20, of Ann Arbor, died Nov. 1, 2006, during combat in Anbar province. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, in Lansing.

• Marine Sgt. Bryan K. Burgess, 35, of Wayne County's Canton Township, died Nov. 9, 2006, during combat in Anbar province. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division at Perrysburg, Ohio.

• Army Staff Sgt. Gregory McCoy, 26, who grew up in Webberville, died Nov. 9, 2006, after his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 410th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas.

• Army Sgt. William Samuel Jackson II, 29, of Saginaw County's Saginaw Township, died Nov. 11, 2006, following a blast from a roadside bomb in Ramadi. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, in Giessen, Germany.

• Army Spc. Brad Shilling, 22, of Stanwood, died Nov. 18, 2006, in Baghdad of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized) in Big Rapids.

• Army Sgt. 1st Class James D. Priestap, 39, of Hardwood, died Nov. 23, 2006, in Baghdad from small-arms fire while on duty at a checkpoint. He was assigned to the 46th Military Police Company in Kingsford.

• Marine Maj. Joseph T. McCloud, 39, of Grosse Pointe Park, died Dec. 3, 2006, when the CH-46 helicopter he was in crashed in Anbar province. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

• Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas P. Echols, 20, who spent his childhood in St. Clair and moved to Sault Ste. Marie as a teenager, died Dec. 4, 2006, during combat in Anbar province. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

• Marine Lance Cpl. Brent E. Beeler, 22, of Jackson, died Dec. 7, 2006, while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, in Lansing.

• Army Spc. Andrew P. Daul, 21, of Brighton died Dec. 19, 2006, in Hit, Iraq, from an improvised explosive device that went off near his tank. He was with the 1st Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, based in Friedberg, Germany.

• Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan J. Burgess, 21, of Midland County's Hope Township, died Dec. 21 during combat in Al Anbar province. The 2003 graduate of Meridian High School was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force based at Twentynine Palms, Calif.

• Army Sgt. Curtis L. Norris, 28, of Ingham County's Ingham Township, died Dec. 23 in Baghdad after an improvised explosive device went off near his vehicle. Norris was part of the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), based at Fort Drum, N.Y.