Signed Iraq Flag

[otter42]

Bought this, but no idea whos it was, some neat cartoon characters. What i found is this flag dates from 2004-08.

[mcmike]

You'd think something like that, with so many memories, would not be let go. But I guess sometimes memories turn sour, and the emotinal value of a souvenir like this leaves. I really like items like this, and that seems to be a very good example!

[otter42]

Thanks, who knows why someone would let it go, will probably regret it years from now.

[jumpy1111]

Sad that someone would let that go, even if it had some bad memories. Still a cool flag though.

[ScottG]

This is the flag that was adopted post Saddam era, so as you said 2004-2008. These were made and sold by local vendors and were even available at the AAFES Exchanges for $5-10. The signatures are really cool and make it special, but given that it was almost certainly just purchased as a souvenir, it isn't so hard to see why the vet let it go. I think you are right though, and some day this will be a sought after item just like signed German and Japanese flags. Scott

[MS Collector]

Another possibility is that it could be a divorce situation. On other forums over the years, I've seen vets complain about an ex-wife selling/gifting/throwing away their war souvenirs. Specifically, I've seen an Iraq war vet make some very emotional pleas for return of his souvenir Iraq battle flag that his now ex-wife sold while they were separated . . . he knows it went to a dealer/vendor of military surplus type items and was later sold by the dealer to unknown persons.

[badash5946]

Another possibility is that it could be a divorce situation. On other forums over the years, I've seen vets complain about an ex-wife selling/gifting/throwing away their war souvenirs. Specifically, I've seen an Iraq war vet make some very emotional pleas for return of his souvenir Iraq battle flag that his now ex-wife sold while they were separated . . . he knows it went to a dealer/vendor of military surplus type items and was later sold by the dealer to unknown persons.

 

That is so sad. As a collector and vet there is no way I would not get that back to the original vet who brought it back.

 

[GIKyle]

Neat that a lot of them put their nicknames below their names - if you wanted to do some detective work, you can probably find some of them through Facebook and ascertain the unit/ and timeframe of this piece.

[PacificGunner]

Another possibility is that it could be a divorce situation. On other forums over the years, I've seen vets complain about an ex-wife selling/gifting/throwing away their war souvenirs. Specifically, I've seen an Iraq war vet make some very emotional pleas for return of his souvenir Iraq battle flag that his now ex-wife sold while they were separated . . . he knows it went to a dealer/vendor of military surplus type items and was later sold by the dealer to unknown persons.

Very sad to hear a story like that, to say the least. One of my relatives had a similar experience like this where his ex wife sold all of his stuff after they divorced. It is unfortunate that situations like this present themselves but I always like reading the stories where collectors find lost or stolen ID'd items and return them to the vet or the family. Hopefully more of these items can be returned to their rightful owners.