January 11

Flags fly at half-staff to honor Maine Guardsman

The Associated Press

AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage has ordered that U.S. and state of Maine flags be flown at half-staff at Maine National Guard facilities in honor of a longtime Army National Guard officer who died without warning this week at the age of 44.

Lt. Col. Michael Backus died Monday while performing regular duties at Camp Keyes in Augusta. The Medical Examiner's Office says autopsy results are inconclusive pending further study.

LePage has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff from sunrise Friday to sunset Sunday.

Backus' funeral is scheduled for Sunday at the University of Maine at Farmington.

Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form

Send question/comment to the editors




Further Discussion

Here at KJonline.com we value our readers and are committed to growing our community by encouraging you to add to the discussion. To ensure conscientious dialogue we have implemented a strict no-bullying policy. To participate, you must follow our Terms of Use.

Questions about the article? Add them below and we’ll try to answer them or do a follow-up post as soon as we can. Technical problems? Email them to us with an exact description of the problem. Make sure to include:
  • Type of computer or mobile device your are using
  • Exact operating system and browser you are viewing the site on (TIP: You can easily determine your operating system here.)


Most…

More »