October 01, 2008

Flags lowered to honor war casualty

Under a proclamation signed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the United States flag and the Illinois flag will fly at half-staff at all State of Illinois facilities in honor of an Illinois man killed last month while serving in the military in the war in Iraq.

The flags are to be flown at half-staff from Thursday, Oct. 2, until sunset, Saturday, Oct. 4, in honor of U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel M. Eshbaugh.

Reports indicate that Eshbaugh, 43, of West Chicago, was killed Sept. 18, when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was riding in crashed 60 miles west of Basra, Iraq. Eshbaugh, a flight crew member with the Oklahoma National Guard, was among seven Guardsmen to die in the crash. Military officials believe the crash stemmed from mechanical problems and not hostile actions.

Eshbaugh, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade in Lexington, Okla., was one of three from the Oklahoma National Guard to die in the crash; the other victims were members of the Texas National Guard.