Nearly eight years ago, an American flag was raised above Libertyville Town Hall in honor of a Covington County man who gave his life for his country.

Tuesday, it took five men, including Mayor Byron Dozier, his two brothers and two Covington Electric Cooperative employees, to hoist the new testament to John Wesley Hutto’s sacrifice — all 15-by-25-feet of red, white and blue.

The old flag, which topped a 75-foot flagpole next door to the town hall, was removed about a year ago, Dozier said.

“We had to replace the cable and do some maintenance on the pole,” he said. “But now, it’s flying high and looks great.”

Hutto, an Andalusia native, served as a private first class in the U.S. Army and was deployed as part of Operation Desert Storm. Hutto was one 260 servicemen and women who lost their life during the war when, on Feb. 27, 1991, he was struck and killed by a U.S. 120mm tank round from an M-1 from the 24th Division during the attack on Jalibah Air Base one day before the war’s ceasefire.

“I know the Hutto family,” Mayor Dozier said. “I went to school with (Hutto’s) mother. This flag means a lot to them and to the people of Libertyville. It was dedicated to (Hutto’s) honor July 4, 1991, and we thought it was only fitting that the new flag be up in time for Fourth of July.”

The flag is the second largest flying in the county — the largest is flown by Massey Automotive.