Healey Orders Flags Lowered for Pvt. Gala
Massachusetts flags will fly at half-staff Thursday as Private Joseph A. Gala of Lynn is laid to rest at Pine Grove Cemetery.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Military
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey ordered state and national flags flown at half-staff on November 5, 2026, honoring Private Joseph A. Gala of Lynn. Gala's remains are being interred at Pine Grove Cemetery 80 years after he was reported killed in action.
Why it matters
The order marks the formal state recognition of a Massachusetts soldier whose remains were recovered and returned to his home region decades after his death. Flags at all state buildings and facilities are lowered from sunrise until sunset on the day of interment.
Private Gala was reported killed in action on July 14, 1944, and his interment occurs 80 years later on November 5, 2026. The source does not detail how his remains were recovered or identified after that time.
The players
Maura Healey
Maura Healey is the Governor of Massachusetts, who ordered state and national flags lowered in honor of Private Gala.
Joseph A. Gala
Joseph A. Gala was a United States Army private from Lynn, Massachusetts, who served with Merrill's Marauders and was killed in action in 1944.
The details
Private Gala served in the United States Army with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), known as Merrill's Marauders. Flags at all Massachusetts state buildings and facilities are lowered to half-staff from sunrise until sunset on the day of interment.
Timeline
July 14, 1944: Private Gala is reported killed in action.
Nov. 5, 2026: Flags are lowered to half-staff and Gala is interred at Pine Grove Cemetery.
Historical Context
Gala served in Merrill's Marauders, the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) that fought in the Burma campaign during World War II. His November 2026 interment places a formal Massachusetts honor on a soldier from that unit more than eight decades after his reported death.
Flags at Massachusetts state buildings and facilities will be lowered from sunrise until sunset on November 5, 2026. Residents can observe the half-staff order at state facilities on that day.
The takeaway
Half-staff orders are a formal way for the state to mark the service and sacrifice of an individual soldier. Flags typically fly at half-staff when the country or a specific state is in mourning.
Further reading
Explore more Massachusetts military news for context on state observances and veterans honors.
More information
Learn more about federal flag protocols on the General Services Administration website.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Cape Cod Times.
