American Flags on National Mall raised back to full staff with private funds from the Trust for the National Mall

There are 128 American Flags on the National Mall in Washington that have all been at half-mast since George H. W. Bush passed away on November 30, 2018. It was specified that they would be returned to full staff one month later on the 30th of December by sundown.

Due to the Government Shutdown, there was no funding to pay for National Park Service employees to respectfully return the flags to full staff. The Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service that stewards private funding for projects on the National Mall, was called to make a donation to the division to support payment to the employees. The employees worked early in the morning on Sunday, December 30th to return all flags to full staff.

“We felt it was an important part of the memorial service protocol to return the flags to full-staff at the date and time designated in honor of George H. W. Bush,” Catherine Townsend, President & CEO of the Trust for the National Mall said in a statement. “It’s the right thing to do, and we’re honored to provide the support to the National Park Service for the American flags on the National Mall.”