BELLINGHAM - The public is invited to line streets of the motorcade route Saturday afternoon, Jan. 28, to honor a Ferndale man who died in Afghanistan last week.
A procession for Capt. Daniel B. Bartle, 27, who died in a helicopter crash, is tentatively scheduled to start about 1 p.m. Saturday, when his body is expected to arrive at Bellingham International Airport.
From there the procession will move south to the Interstate 5 Bakerview onramp and leave the freeway at the Northwest Avenue exit. The motorcade will move down Northwest Avenue until it changes to Elm Street and then turn right onto Broadway, ending at Westford Funeral Home, 1301 Broadway.
Gov. Chris Gregoire has ordered all flags on state agency buildings to be lowered to half-staff Tuesday, Jan. 31, to honor Bartle, a helicopter pilot in the Marines who graduated valedictorian from Ferndale High School in 2002. His helicopter crashed Jan. 19 in the Helmand province, leaving six Marines dead.
Flags on Whatcom County buildings had previously been ordered to half-staff through Monday evening for Bartle.
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