When matters of national importance comes around the U.S. Flag is flown at half-staff, also known as half-mast in the Navy, here’s why and how to do it properly.

On many memorializing holidays, the Red, White and Blue will be flying just below the middle of the flagpole to honor and salute those who have sacrificed for their country or lost their lives in extraordinary circumstances.

“I hereby direct that Washington State and United States flags at all state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff on Monday, May 25, 2015, in recognition of Memorial Day,” Gov. Jay Inslee directed of government organizations. “This federal holiday is in remembrance of the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces.”

For Memorial Day, the flag is flown half-staff at least until noon, though sometimes throughout the whole day, and from noon to sunset the flag should be flown at full-staff or full-mast. State and local agencies may dictate that the flag should be flown at half-staff for longer than the federal government requires on these holidays.

To get a flag to half-staff, the flag must first travel all the way to the top of the pole and then come back down to the halfway point.

According to USFlag.org, when [the US flag is] flown with flags of states, communities, or societies on separate flag poles which are of the same height and in a straight line, the flag of the United States is always placed in the position of honor (to its own right), the other flags may be smaller but none may be larger, and the flag of the United States is always the first flag raised and the last to be lowered.

Most critically, no other flag ever should be placed or flown above the US Flag, if flown in the US or on US sovereign territory.

This may seem like a lot of etiquette for raising a flag, however it’s because the flag itself and what it represent is steeped in tradition, honor and respect for those who have fallen to defend it. A very apt lesson given the holiday.