Trooper Jonathan McDonald was responding to a call about a wreck when his patrol car crashed into a Highway 84 culvert south of Post Monday night. The United States Honor Flag was flown in to pay tribute to him.
"It’s a great honor to come here and show support for trooper McDonald's family. To come here and exemplify the sacrifice he gave for the state of Texas and for the United States; it's a great honor," said Highway Patrol’s Daniel Hawthorne.
The flag was flown in from Florida on American Airlines. It travels with the pilots with an exquisite level of reverence, and then transferred to the Honor Guards from the Texas State Troopers. It’s verified for authenticity, then escorted from the terminal.
"Since 2001 this particular flag has honored over 1,000 fallen American heroes in Iraq, Afghanistan, and all over the nation. The commercial flight that we've taken since 2007, this flag has been on over 145 different flight missions just moving around place to place," said president of the Honor Network, Chris Heisler.
Heisler said McDonald is the only previous honor guard member who has died and been honored himself.
"It's used to remind people of the sacrifice that our men and women in uniform as well as the military, police, and fire what sacrifice means. How much it means to American citizens that these people go out everyday and risk their lives to keep the rest of us safe," said Hawthorne.
The flag will be included in McDonald's funeral procession, scheduled for Friday afternoon.
Authorities are advising drivers to find alternate traffic routes during the procession. It is expected to begin at about 3 p.m. following 2 p.m. services at First Baptist Church. The procession will run west down Broadway, south on University, and west on 19th, to Resthaven Funeral Home.
