Gov. Mike DeWine ordered flags in Ohio to fly at half-staff on May 25 in honor of Memorial Day, with the directive covering public buildings and grounds across the state from 12:01 a.m. until noon.

The order, issued by DeWine’s office, applies to the United States and Ohio flags on land. On nautical vessels, such as a naval ship, the equivalent position is called half-mast.

The Memorial Day display is one of the best-known uses of the lowered flag, and it is tied to a broader practice in which the American flag is lowered when the country or a state is in mourning, according to USA.gov. Governors, the president and the mayor of the District of Columbia can issue such orders, and they often mark a death, a national tragedy or a day of remembrance such as Memorial Day or Patriot Day.

In this case, the order is not about a single loss but a statewide observance meant to honor the holiday itself. The timing matters: the flags will be lowered before sunrise and returned to full staff at noon on May 25, 2026, giving the morning hours the formal tribute usually associated with Memorial Day in Ohio.

That means the symbolic pause will be brief but statewide, and it will end before midday, exactly as directed. For people passing public buildings and grounds in Ohio that morning, the lowered flags will be the day’s clearest public sign of remembrance.