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SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Gary Herbert has ordered the lowering of flags on Saturday when Maj. Brent Taylor, the North Ogden mayor killed in Afghanistan, will be laid to rest.
"When I think of the service and sacrifice of Major Brent Taylor, I am humbled by his incredible preparation and his courage to willingly serve community and country. Where so many wait until asked, Brent volunteered," Herbert said in a news release.
"He didn't need to go to Afghanistan this year, but he saw that his country and the people of Afghanistan needed him, so he willingly stepped away from civilian life and put himself in harm's way to protect the freedom of others."
Flags at state facilities and public grounds will fly at half-staff from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, and the governor asked that residents and businesses do the same.
In addition, North Ogden officials have asked residents to show support for veterans by replacing their porch light with a green lightbulb during the national "Greenlight A Vet" campaign this week "as the Taylor family prepares to lay Major Taylor to rest."
The city hopes to turn the gesture into a tradition to take place from Nov. 3 through Nov. 11 every year, according to a flyer distributed to residents.
The funeral will take place Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Dee Events Center, after which Taylor will be laid to rest in the Ben Lomond Cemetery in North Ogden.
Taylor, 39, took an unprecedented one-year leave of absence from his post as mayor for his deployment in January.
Taylor volunteered for a NATO mission to train members of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. While on a foot patrol on Nov. 3, an Afghan commando shot and killed Taylor. Other Afghan commandos immediately killed the attacker. Another U.S. service member was injured in the attack.
