BELLEVILLE, Ill. – Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has ordered the U.S. and Illinois flags to be half-staff Thursday in honor of a fallen metro east marine. Captain Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Leabau Cooke returns to her home in Belleville.
The marine died in a military aircraft crash during a training exercise in Australia last month. The cause is still under investigation. The flagman’s mission needs volunteers to help set up a thousand flags along the funeral procession route Thursday afternoon.
They’ll meet at 4:00 p.m. at 200 West Harrison Street in Belleville. Visitation is Friday and the funeral is Saturday. On Sunday, they need volunteers again to pick up the flags.
