Greene Courthouse gets new flags donated
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Several flags were donated by Ben Picou to be put up above the rotunda in the Greene County Courthouse. They included two American flags, two Illinois flags, two POW flags and a joint service flag. Left to right, Picou, Security Officer David McCollum and Circuit Clerk Shirley Thornton. (Carmen Ensinger/Greene Prairie Press)
By Carmen Ensinger
Walking into the Greene County Courthouse, when one reaches the rotunda, take a look up and notice the new addition – six flags donated by a Greene County resident.
Ben Picou, who is running for Sheriff, said it was Circuit Clerk Shirley Thornton who motivated him to purchase the flags.
“Shirley was up in the attic looking for something and she ran across the olds flags that used to hang up there,” Picou said. “I don’t know how long they have been down, but when I was Sheriff from 1974 to 1982, I remember seeing them up there and I wanted to see them back again, especially since the United States will be celebrating her 250th anniversary in 2026.”
Picou purchased all of the flags and staffs and donated them to the county. The flags are three foot by five foot and consist of two POW flags, two State of Illinois flags and two American flags. There is also an additional flag depicting all of the emblems of the various military branches, such as Navy and Air Force, etc.
“Shirley is the one who thought of putting the flags back up,” Picou said. “I said I would help with it because I have access to get the flags because I was a Division Commander for the American Legion. So, I purchased the military flag and the two POW flags and I ordered the rest of them.”
Picou also bought the materials to redo the staffs that the flags hang from and made new staffs for the American flags.
“When I bought the materials, I bought ¾ inch rods for the flags,” he said. “Well, they won’t fit in the holders that are up there so I had to make an adapter for it to fit down in that slot.”
The next hurdle to battle was actually getting the flags placed in the holders.
“It is a long way up there and we weren’t sure how we were going to get them placed,” Picou said. “The ladder wouldn’t reach all the way up there so we decided to try to place them in the holders from the second floor, which we managed to do.”
Picou was aided in placing the flags by security officer David McCollum, who braved the heights on the huge ladder to make sure the flags were securely placed in the holders from Picou who had gone up to the second floor and was leaning over the railing with the flags.
“With next year being the 250th anniversary of the formation of the United States, we thought re-hanging the flags would be appropriate,” Picou said. “I don’t know when they took down the old ones, but it was time they were put back.”
