TAMPA, Fla. — Flags are set to fly at half-staff on Saturday across the state of Florida in honor of Colonel Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. who passed away on Dec. 9, 2022. The cause was lung cancer.
The 94-year-old man was born and raised in Florida and "accomplished many aviation achievements throughout his life," a news release from the Florida governor's office explains.
"He dedicated [29] years of service to the United States Air Force, serving three tours during the Vietnam War," the release reads in part. "Kittinger spent eleven months as a prisoner of war in a North Vietnamese prison after shooting down a Vietnamese jet fighter."
Kittinger received multiple military awards including two Silver Stars, two Purple Hearts and a POW Medal.
Even after his time in the military, the veteran broke a number of aviation records.
He held the world record for the highest skydive from 1960 until 2012. And in 1984, he became the first man to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon.
"Colonel Kittinger accomplished much in his life and will be remembered for his dedicated service to our country and the notable legacy he left behind," the governor's office says in a statement.
To honor the memory of Kittinger and his service to the country, flags in Florida are directed to be flown at half-staff at the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford, the City Hall of Altamonte Springs and at the State Capitol in Tallahassee from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, Jan. 28.
