Stein orders NC flags lowered for VP Dick Cheney. How long they’ll be half-staff

Flags in North Carolina are being lowered to half-staff in honor of former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, who died on Monday at age 84.

Cheney, a Republican, was vice president for both terms of President George W. Bush, from 2001 to 2009.

Democratic Gov. Josh Stein ordered flags at state government buildings to be lowered immediately just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Flags will remain lowered until Cheney is buried.

Stein said in a statement that Cheney “served this country for decades.”

“Anna and I are praying for his family in this time of mourning. May his memory be a blessing,” he said.

Cheney served multiple presidents. He was also secretary of defense from 1989 to 1993 for President George H.W. Bush and chief of staff to President Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977.

Cheney served with Donald Rumsfeld, who was defense secretary under Ford and again under George W. Bush during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rumsfeld died in 2021.

Cheney also served in Congress, as a U.S. representative for Wyoming from 1979 to 1989.

The Department of Administration, a state agency in Stein’s Cabinet, encouraged individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government entities to fly their flags at half-staff as well.

Another flag-lowering announcement will go out when funeral services information is available, the Department of Administration said.