Flags Lowered in Oregon to Honor Missing Navy Commander Gabriel Edwards
Flags at public institutions in Oregon will be flown at half-staff on July 29 to honor U.S. Navy Commander Gabriel Edwards, who went missing after an emergency helicopter landing in the Arabian Sea on July 1. Edwards, an Oakland, Oregon native, commanded Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 and was deployed aboard the USS George H.W. Bush. Despite a 102-hour search covering over 14,000 square miles, he was not found. Governor Tina Kotek ordered the flags lowered, recognizing Edwards' nearly two decades of service and his embodiment of duty, honor, and courage. 
