Soldier with Whidbey connection dies in Afghanistan


November 20, 2012 · 3:58 PM

Gov. Chris Gregoire directed that flags at all Washington state agency buildings be lowered to half-staff today, in memory of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Matthew H. Stiltz of Spokane. Stiltz was killed Nov. 12 when insurgents attacked his unit with artillery fire in Afghanistan.

He is the nephew of Jack Stiltz, owner of Bay Printing in Oak Harbor.

Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business today or first thing Wednesday morning.

Congress amended the U.S. Flag Code to give governors the authority to lower flags when a state resident in the military is killed in the line of duty. Other government entities, citizens and businesses are encouraged to join this recognition.

 

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.