Staff Reports
Gov. Rick Scott on Monday ordered flags at half-staff for Marine Sgt. Joseph J. Murray of Jacksonville, who died last month with 15 others in a military plane crash in Mississippi.
“As a mark of respect for Sgt. Murray, I hereby direct the flags of the United States and the State of Florida to be flown at half-staff at the City Hall in Jacksonville, the County Courthouse in Duval County, and at the State Capitol in Tallahassee, from sunrise to sunset on Tuesday, August 15,” Scott said in a statement.
Murray was on a Marine Corps refueling plane that crashed and burned in a soybean field in the Mississippi Delta, killing all 16 military members aboard. The wreck scattered debris for miles and sent a pillar of black smoke rising over the countryside. It was the deadliest Marine crash — in the U.S. or abroad — since 2005.
In a statement last month, Scott said, “Ann and I join Americans across the nation in praying for the families and loved ones of the sixteen U.S. service members who lost their lives in this week’s tragic plane crash, including Marine Sgt. Joe Murray from Jacksonville.
“Sgt. Murray was well known as a beloved husband, father, son, and man of faith and service. We are heartbroken by this loss. Sgt. Murray and his fellow fallen service members will now be honored and remembered across our country as heroes. We pray that this legacy of heroism will bring Sgt. Murray’s family some comfort during this unimaginably difficult time.
“This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers our service members face each day as they selflessly protect our families and our freedom. The State of Florida is proud to be the home of brave heroes of like Sgt. Murray and we will continue to pray for the safety of all our service members at home and abroad.”
(The Associated Press contributed to this post, reprinted with permission.)
