Why is the flag at half mast?

I go past the U.S. Post Office in Chelsea nearly every day. When the flag is at half mast, I often wonder for whom we are paying our respects. Today, I found on the Michigan.gov website a resource to answer that very question. It is a web page from Governor Granholm's Office called Flag Honors, where you can read the governor's proclamations of when, why and how long to lower the flag.

Today, the flag has been lowered to honor Army Private First Class Casey P. Zylman of Coleman, Michigan, who died on May 25, 2007 in Iraq.

It's very sobering to see the long list of Michigan residents who have lost their lives in the name of duty just this year so far. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to their family and loved ones.

Link: Why the flag is at half mast in Michigan - from Michigan.gov Office of the Governor's website