SALEM -- Gov. John Kitzhaber has ordered flags lowered to half-staff on Saturday in honor of an Oregon soldier killed in Afghanistan.
In a statement Wednesday, Kitzhaber called Private First Class Andrew Keller of Tigard "a proud Oregonian and a dedicated solider." The governor said Keller's death is tragic but his legacy will not be forgotten, and he asked Oregonians to pause Saturday to recognize Keller's sacrifice.
The 22-year-old soldier died Aug. 15 when enemy forces attacked his unit. He was based at Caserma Ederle, an Army post in Vicenza, Italy.
Kitzhaber's order applies to flags at public institutions from sunup to sundown on Saturday.
A memorial in Keller's honor was scheduled for Saturday morning at Sunset Presbyterian Church on Northwest Cornell Road. An Honor Ride will follow the procession afterward from the funeral service to Willamette National Cemetery.
