Honoring the Victims of the Tucson Tragedy — Historical Half-Staff Proclamation, 2011

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

A national mark of respect for Tucson's victims

President Obama issued Proclamation 8622 the day after the acts of violence in Tucson, Arizona, on January 8, 2011. The brief document honored the victims through a national flag observance. Its language focused on respect and remembrance, followed by the places covered and the date on which half-staff display would end.

Although the tragedy occurred in Arizona, the directive's reach was broader than that state. The President ordered half-staff display at the specified federal locations throughout the United States and its territories and possessions, and at United States facilities abroad.

Where the order applied and when it ended

The order named the White House, public buildings and grounds, military posts, naval stations, and naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the country and its territories and possessions. The same period applied to United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

Its endpoint was sunset on January 14, 2011. The document supplied a calendar date for that endpoint, rather than tying it to an unspecified funeral or interment. It did not give a numerical clock time for sunset or a separate numerical start time.

Three dates should be kept distinct: January 8 was the tragedy, January 9 was the formal proclamation date, and January 12 was Federal Register publication. The date displayed on this historical article is January 9, following the document itself. The full official text below records the precise tribute and instruction without adding names, casualty figures, or claims about motives that do not appear in the proclamation.

Full official proclamation text

Proclamation 8622 of January 9, 2011 — Honoring the Victims of the Tragedy in Tucson, Arizona
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on Saturday, January 8, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order 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, January 14, 2011. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time 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 ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

Official federal proclamation text from Federal Register page 2241. 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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