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Japanese Flag with GI Signatures


Vix Steel
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Got this flag in a partial trade. Not really my area of focus but thought it was neat enough to acquire.

 

Unable to read the Japanese but guess its a standard "Prayer" type flag.

Feels like or similar to silk.

Also my picture might be upside down!

 

Has a few interesting GI names written on it. Also someone wrote HIRO.

"I'll never forget short time Charlie" ? must have been an interesting story.

 

I hope everything looks legit.

Assume these names could be researched?

 

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USCapturephotos

Thanks for sharing your flag with us. I really enjoy seeing the signed flags. Seems like usually you see many more signed NSDAP flags and not as many US signed Japanese flags...at least that has been my experience.

Paul

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USCapturephotos

Oh Vix. I forgot to mention that you might be able to find out some info on the soldiers who signed the flag. I have had luck with several names on the GI signed Nazi flags that I own.

Paul

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looks correct; for displaying the Japanese writing in correct orientation you would want to turn it counter clockwise with the leather tabs on right side unless the GI signatures warrant display as you show. You could confirm that that would be the correct orientation and get a partial translation on the warrelics.eu forum; the members are very friendly and accommodating.

Joe

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This to me is not a typical "prayer" flag and I doubt something that was ever given to/worn by a Japanese soldier in war time. The bottom says "eien no yuu" 永遠の友 (eternal friendship), three other people (women) wrote "shinyuu" 親友 and "shinai" 親愛 (good friend, loving friend), one woman writes "gonfutsuu shintsuu" 言不通心痛 (I'll be heart broken if no word from you) which is not something I have ever seen on prayer flags. The upper right (when the flag is in its correct orientation. It's upside down in the photo) also has a non-Japanese name (Andy) written in Japanese (katakana). Directly after the war, during the occupation, there were many GI's who worked closely with the Japanese (both ex military personnel and civilian). My guess is this was a parting souvenir for one of these guys given by Japanese he worked with, friends he made, etc. before being shipped back to the states.

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  • 2 months later...

Hi there, I just happen to live in Greenville, SC where one of the soldiers that signed lives. I'll look up the address if you like.

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I have a flag just like it that I bought from a coworker a few years back. It's not Japanese signed but it is a large silk flag with a few GI signatures and addresses but I haven't struck paydirt yet as to what unit they belonged to.

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It just so happens that the Baldwin st address is right beside the baseball field of Brandon Mill, which is where Shoeless Joe Jackson grew up and played ball. Kinda neat.

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  • 1 year later...

I'm from Greenville, SC but now live in Alabama. Back in SC I knew a man named Bailey Byers. He was in the Army during WWII but I don't think he ever served overseas. His widow gave me his WWII photo album and a picture frame with his dog tags and rank patches, etc. in it. I can't tell what the first name on your flag is, but it appears to be a nickname because it is in quotation marks. It might be him or a relative.

 

Mike

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  • 3 weeks later...
Peyton_Aukland41

I have a Japanese flag signed by around 18 GI's like this. I've contacted multiple families through facebook by putting the last name in the search bar and then putting a location filter to the town and state under the name. I look for people in their 50s or 60s that could be descendants of the veteran and send them a message. The worst they can say is no. Good luck!

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