Illinois Governor Pritzker Orders U.S. Flags to Fly Half-Staff on Saturday

When you're driving around the Land of Lincoln on Saturday (8/8) and notice flags lowered to half-staff, here's the reason it was ordered by Governor Pritzker.

Pritzker Orders Flags Lowered Across Illinois

In honor and remembrance of U.S. Army Corporal Jackie Lee Thurman, U.S. and Illinois flags covered by the Illinois Flag Display Act will be lowered to half-staff from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, August 8, 2026.

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If you're in a building occupied by agency personnel or other entities covered by the Act, flags should be lowered to honor this Illinois soldier whose family has waited 75 years for him to come home.

Norris City Soldier Missing Since Korean War Lied About Age

When Thurman was still at Norris City High School, he lied about his age to enlist in the Army; he was only 15, according to a report from WFIE.

Jackie Lee Thurman was 19 years old when he went missing during the Korean War.

On September 3, 1950, Thurman was declared missing in action after North Korean forces attacked United Nations defense positions in South Korea.

After more than seven decades, his remains were recently identified, according to his family and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory.

A Long-Awaited Return Home

In a report from the Lansing Journal, Thurman's brother Ronnie said their mother, who lived to be 100, never stopped waiting for Jackie to return.

Jackie Lee Thurman will now be buried beside his mother at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery in Norris City.