Volunteers needed in Belleville, Illinois to plant flags along Marine’s funeral route

BELLEVILLE, Ill. – Volunteers are needed to help set up 1,000 flags along the funeral procession route for a fallen Marine from Belleville.

Captain Elanor ‘Ellie’ Leabeau Cooke died piloting a helicopter during a training exercise in Australia last month. The cause is still under investigation. The flagman’s mission is asking volunteers to meet at 200 West Harrison Street in Belleville at 4:00 p.m. Thursday.

Visitation for the Marine takes place Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at ‘George Renner and Sons Funeral Home.’ The funeral is at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Cathedral of St. Peters.

On Sunday, volunteers will be needed again to remove the flags.