Honoring Senator Robert C. Byrd — Historical Half-Staff Proclamation, 2010

Historical notice: this observance has ended. This independent FORTISVEX resource preserves a past presidential directive; it is not a government notice.

A tribute with a specific Independence Day instruction

Proclamation 8540 honored Senator Robert C. Byrd's memory and longstanding service, identifying his position as President pro tempore of the Senate. President Obama ordered a period of half-staff display, but the proclamation also contained a second instruction that matters when reading this historical notice: the flag was to be at full staff on Independence Day, July 4, 2010.

That exception is part of the presidential document itself. A summary that gives only the interment-day endpoint would miss an express direction governing a day within the remembrance period. The full text below preserves both instructions together.

Locations, endpoint, and the July 4 exception

The half-staff order applied at the White House, public buildings and grounds, military posts and naval stations, and federal naval vessels in the District of Columbia, throughout the United States, and in its territories and possessions. It extended the same period to United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

The endpoint was sunset on the day of Byrd's interment. The proclamation does not specify the interment’s calendar date or a clock time for sunset. For July 4, 2010, the President expressly directed full-staff display at the locations specified in the second paragraph, including United States facilities abroad.

June 30 is the formal proclamation date. Federal Register publication followed on July 6. Those dates serve different purposes: the later publication date does not replace the document date or remove the July 4 instruction. This archive records the historical directive and is not a current order to lower or raise a flag.

Full official proclamation text

Proclamation 8540 of June 30, 2010 — Death of Senator Robert C. Byrd, President Pro Tempore of the Senate
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

As a mark of respect for the memory and longstanding service of Senator Robert C. Byrd, President pro tempore of the Senate, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset on the day of his interment. I further direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same period at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

I also direct, that in honor and tribute to this great patriot, that the flag of the United States shall be displayed at full-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and Naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions on Independence Day, July 4, 2010. I further direct that on that same date, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at full-staff at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

Official federal proclamation text from Federal Register page 38911. Page headings and line wrapping are omitted for readability; the signature is represented by the name above.

Verify the official document

Read or download the official proclamation PDF from GovInfo · Read the Federal Register record

Find related historical directives in the Presidential Half-Staff Archive.

Signature page from the official published proclamation

Select the published page to open the official PDF.

Preparing a remembrance display

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