Governor Reynolds Orders Flags Half-Staff to Honor Fallen WWII Sailor
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has issued an order for all flags in the state to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, November 7, 2026. This directive is in solemn remembrance of U.S. Navy Fireman First Class Robert Shove, a World War II veteran who served aboard the USS Canopus in the Pacific Theater. Fireman First Class Shove tragically died as a prisoner of war at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in Luzon, Philippine Islands, at the age of 21. Born in Washta, Iowa, in 1922, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Des Moines. His remains were identified in 2025, bringing closure decades after his death. The funeral service for Fireman First Class Shove is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel in Sioux City, Iowa, followed by interment with military honors at Memorial Park Cemetery. A Celebration of Life event will also be held at the Sioux City Public Museum.