January 06, 2010
Flags lowered to honor war casualty
Under a proclamation signed by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, the United States flag and the Illinois flag are to be at half-staff at all State of Illinois facilities in honor of a U.S. Army soldier killed last month while serving in the war in Afghanistan.
Flags are to be flown at half-staff beginning Thursday, Jan. 7, until sunset, Saturday, Jan. 9, in honor of U.S. Army Sgt. Albert D. Ware.
Reports indicate that Ware, 27, of Chicago, died Dec. 18 from injuries received when an improvised explosive device hit his vehicle in an attack in Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan.
Reports say Ware, a 2002 graduate of Corliss High School, initially joined the Illinois National Guard in 2003 and then joined the U.S. Army in 2006. He was serving his second deployment in Afghanistan.
Ware was born in war-torn Liberia, and came to the United States when he was 12. Reports say he decided to serve his adopted country after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
He was assigned to the 782nd Combat Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, based out of Fort Bragg, N.C.