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Long may they wave: Risco celebrates completion of flag project
RISCO, Mo - While towns are raising their American flags for the Fourth of July, one small community in New Madrid County proudly keeps them waving every day.
Since Memorial Day, Risco has lined Highway 62 with the red, white and blue banners. There are two more flags in front of the community’s fire station and a large flag flies directly in front of city hall.
“I’ve heard many comments about our flags and they all have been positive about how the people feel about them,” said Marsha Pearson, a driving force behind the community’s flag project. “But I think one resident summed it up the best when she said, ‘They just make me feel happy’.”
Pearson also expressed her thanks to the New Madrid County Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7183, which not only funded the project but joined residents in placing the flags throughout town. Earlier this month Pearson and other members of the Risco community celebrated by raising the flag in front of city hall and officially thanking the VFW members.
During the ceremony, Pearson explained a year ago she approached retired Col. James Russell, commander of VFW Post 7183, about providing flags for Risco. After conducting a survey of the community, Russell presented a request to the Post’s council then to the Risco City Council. Both readily agreed to the idea, Pearson said.
Then the waiting began, she continued. Shipping delays, COVID and wintry weather kept the work from being completed until this May.
Pearson said over the Memorial Day weekend, members of the VFW and local volunteers began the work to place the 22 flags on the poles, each with its own solar light.
“It took many hands but many hands make light work. Risco is appreciative of those many hands,” Pearson said. “In less than a year from our request the VFW made it happen. We thank them so much.”
According to Russell, the members of the VFW enjoyed assisting the community on the project.
“What brought a smile to all our faces was working with the volunteers from Risco,” he said. “It was just a pleasure to be working with them and watching the bantering go back and forth among longtime friends.”
The commander noted not only was it one of the longest projects tackled by the Post due to the multiple delays, but it was also the most expensive single project they have funded, costing over $6,000.
“Why did we do it? The VFW is about supporting our veterans but we are also about supporting our community,” Russell said. “We are the New Madrid County Memorial VFW and Auxiliary. We happened to be located in Lilbourn but we are not the Lilbourn post; we cover all the towns and all the communities in this great county of ours. We are your post as well as our post.”
In addressing the community members, Russell explained the flag stands for freedom, equality, justice and hope. These are also things that the VFW stands for, he said.
“There is no way better in our opinion than to achieve this than by working with a community, putting up these flags and marking it as a truly great American city,” he said.
Also speaking was Risco Mayor Paul Hayes, who explained the flag project was just one of several projects developed through the town’s Community Involvement Team.
“There are a lot of projects that have been accomplished and more coming, please get involved,” he urged residents. “There is a sense of accomplishment in being a part of that team that gets things done.”
Hayes went on to point out the American flag has many meanings.
“When we see the flag it makes us think of our family, our friends, our home and the people who serve. You think of all the freedoms we have in the United States that a lot of countries don’t have,” he said. “It touches everything in our lives.”
It is something Hayes said he hopes that those driving through Risco might think about when they see the flags flying.
For Pearson it is about patriotism.
“I can’t speak for everyone but for the majority of us it definitely does,” she said. “We are proud to be Americans.”
