2/13/15 7:34 PM

We have this flag that an elder member of our family felt we should have a long time ago.

I assume it is names, but would like to know. My concern is that this will insult or hurt someone that is Japanese being it must be a WWII war spoil presumably. This concern is no less a concern here asking someone to look at it.

Trying to figure out the best eventuality for the item is. I am not comfortable displaying or giving it to one to my kids to display if... well, I think we all know potentially the what ifs may be.

I am perfectly willing to destroy or donate to a Japanese Museum etc.

Or maybe better yet if there is any stateside Japanese folks that could see it get back to the family of the person who was the owner. I recall seeing something very similar, a flag hanging in a display in the USS Massachusetts Battleship Museum.

2/13/15 8:13 PM

Sparky- I can't read it but I can tell you the pic is upside down. I took 5 semesters of Japanese but I've forgotten most of the reading and writing. If you have no luck here I can ask a Japanese girl I know or my teacher.

2/13/15 8:55 PM

Googling seems to indicate it is a battle flag. Which was our understanding...

We are here: http://obon2015.com/english/


OBON 2015 is a 501(c)3 non-profit affiliate organization with the mission to return all of the good luck flags to their families in Japan by August 2015, which marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the war.

2/13/15 10:08 PM

Big bunch of names (except the big bold ones).

2/13/15 10:32 PM

The hinomaru yosegaki was traditionally presented to a man prior to his induction into the Japanese armed forces or before deployment. Generally, relatives, neighbors, friends, and co-workers of the person receiving the flag would write their names, good luck messages, exhortations, or other personal messages on the field of the flag. The writing usually flowed out sideways in a rayed pattern away from the red sun.


Elaine started googling earlier got us to OBON

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Thank you for contacting OBON 2015.

OBON 2015 is an independent, non-profit, humanitarian movement dedicated to returning personal items back to their families. There is no charge for our service.

This is a very interesting flag picture you sent us. (It was upside down by the way, but no problem).

LOL

2/13/15 10:52 PM

If you are interested in what a return look like, we will give you links to three very short YouTube videos we made….
The first two are items returning to family….to a brother and to a daughter…the third video is an overview of the history behind these personal items known as Yosegaki Hinomaru.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLxA97yQX-M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-1Z-pJByQQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R27BG5sXVso

2/14/15 7:31 AM

My family as a Japanese type 38 Mauser my grandfather picked up and brought home from Okinawa. It has kanji burned on the stock which I had translated by a coworker's wife. It was the unit and rack number for the rifle. There are no names on it. She stated it was a traditional text and not the modern form they use now. My family has the rifle incased in a museum quality glass and oak case. I also have the bayonet. My grandfather would never say anything other than he took it from the hands of a Japanese soldier. We all assume he killed the owner in close combat because of his looks when asked to elaborate.

2/14/15 8:17 AM

quote:

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My family as a Japanese type 38 Mauser..

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2/14/15 10:38 AM

I have a type 99 Ariaka in the family. My father brought it home after the war. I also thought Mauser was made in Germany.

2/14/15 3:38 PM

You are most likely right. For some reason the 38 sticks in my head though. I may be the year it was made. I don't have it handy and have not looked at the paperwork I made up for it when I researched it about 10 years ago.

I did check this page, my memory may not be that bad.
http://world.guns.ru/rifle/repeating-rifle/jap/arisaka-3-and-99-e.html

Seems the 38 was also a popular rifle with them. I do know it is a POS and should never be shot. It is not rusted but does have a nice brown patina to the metal.

2/14/15 5:14 PM

quote:

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I do know it is a POS and should never be shot.

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2/14/15 6:49 PM

The one my family has is not safe to shoot. Bore is rusted, the receiver and bolt are crap metal. It was a last ditch navy issue rifle, most likely made via Chinese or Korean slave labor. The rifle still has all the symbols on it including a navy anchor stamp on the heel of the pistol grip of the stock.

The bayonet is scary and has NO rust. We were told it was worth more than the rifle.

2/14/15 9:41 PM

We will be going in March to their first state side turn over in Astoria, OR... About 50 miles from us.

There are arrangements being made with military color guards, retired generals, etc. Also, NTV from New York is sending a film crew out to cover this.

We decided to go to this and hand over our flag in person rather than mail it to them.

They have a donor in NJ they said buys these when and where he can, and sends 2-3 a month to them for the purpose.

2/15/15 8:28 AM

quote:

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The one my family has is not safe to shoot. Bore is rusted, the receiver and bolt are crap metal. It was a last ditch navy issue rifle, most likely made via Chinese or Korean slave labor. The rifle still has all the symbols on it including a navy anchor stamp on the heel of the pistol grip of the stock.

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2/15/15 9:04 AM

yep, it has the flower. My grandfather picked it up on the island from a dead Japanese soldier. He brought it back in his hands, via ship and train. Those were different times. There are no pick-ups these days.

My grandfather stormed the beach... He came home after healing from a broken leg he got there. I have some pics he took and his short journal that he started after the invasion of the island. Most of it is just a bunch of sweet notes to my grandmother.

2/15/15 11:12 AM

My Dad told me his injuries happened a few days after landing on Normandy. He was shot multiple times ala friendly fire. The guy next to him turned and shot in the direction my Dad was before realizing there was one of his unit standing there. In and out wounds across his biceps and pectorals as he spun and backed out of the line. While @ a field hospital being treated for these gunshot wounds, a German patrol came into the field hospital, killed the field medics and moved all the medical supplies a few hundred feet outside the area. After a while the guys that still could walk went and started moving the supplies back to the wounded. A lone German soldier caught my dad doing this and sprayed his shins with gun fire.

So between the injuries he had taken 11 bullets if I am remembering right. He came home a bit like swiss cheese but came home. My uncle whom I never got to meet is buried in France.

His pecs and bicep on one arm were pretty scared up and muscles a bit deformed, they just patched them up and sent them home I guess. He had no function issue, so all in all 'lucky' really. I do remember as a kid if he hit his shins on something a lot of cursing ensued, and a lot of white scar tissue on his shins.

2/15/15 12:37 PM

My Grandfather was just cut up and such but no GSWs at all. He broke his leg outside of combat.

He NEVER really spoke of the island, but did speak of things outside of the invasion. It was like it never happened but his service did. People deal with things differently. He kept the rifle hidden for MANY years in his closet.

2/15/15 1:52 PM

I should mention, my uncle drown during some R&R, not killing in actual action. Kind of crazy way to go after being in battle where so many where lost...

2/15/15 2:38 PM

Not that unusual.

Approx 39% of alll service deaths in WWII were accidents. The remainder battle deaths.

2/16/15 4:23 PM

My late uncle, Bruce Watkins, served as a Marine officer in the Pacific during WWII. At the age of 71, he wrote a memoir of his experiences titled "Brothers in Battle."

An excerpt is available here: http://brothersinbattle.net/html/peleliu_chapter.html

2/16/15 4:50 PM

My father, who died last August at 101, was a dentist with a combat engineer group that landed in Normandy one week after D Day. . My grade school friends had cool rifle and pistol souvenirs their folks brought home. My dad brought me a nice microscope he found in a salt mine!

3/23/15 6:11 PM

Ceremony in Astoria, OR was today. We are back at the Hotel and I thought I'd follow up on the thread.

Some Army brass which I am not even going to type the 'too long' titles for, but a Brig. Gen Asst. Adjutant highest ranking in attendance. Army, Coast Guard, and Oregon National Guard and local politicians, Astoria Mayor and some staff.. The Counsel General Of Japan to Portland; Mr. Hiroshi Furusawa.

As were two PDX news crews with gear. 5 Flags were given to OBON for the purpose to repatriation. Elaine's Dad's one of those five.

A 6th flag, which was sent back and a video played of a ceremony in Japan. The WWII Vet that gave it back was there and stepped up to to the podium as well as the donators of the 5 flags being turned over.

Two WWII Vets giving flags [of the 5] they have had for decades were some pretty old folks. The respect and gratification in the applause for both the sentiment of the flag repatriation and probably even more so for their service to our country was fully apparent. Including by me, who's Dad is, well.. was a Disabled American Vet.

It was quite the emotional environment. Happy to have had the honor of the experience.

3/24/15 11:47 PM

News Link for those interested:http://koin.com/2015/03/23/oregon-ww2-vets-return-japanese-flags-to-families/

3/28/15 11:28 AM

some more coverage
https://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/03/26/japanese-flags-wwii

3/28/15 3:47 PM

Flag furthest on left is Elaine's dad's flag. 1:07 into the VID above the Vet with the hat is me at the top mid/left side of the screen.

Bud Lewis was a riot. I talked with him for a few minutes before and more after the ceremony.

There was a Radio spot locally that mentioned Elaine and her Dad.