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Museum looks to return flag to World War II soldier - WTVA.com
Museum looks to return flag to World War II soldier
AMORY, Miss. (WTVA) - It may be hard to believe, but a rare piece of history from World War II has been part of an Amory museum.
It's a Japanese flag that belonged to an enlisted Japanese army soldier named Mr. Husaji Kogure.
Across the top of the flag, are the Chinese characters (Inoru-Buun-Chokyu) which means "We wish you longer good luck in the battlefield."
When David Trojan, a 21 year veteran with the United States Navy, first came across this Japanese Good Luck Flag he knew this item from World War II had very significant meaning.
"I recognized that right away that wow this is an interesting flag," said Trojan. "It's a real personal item. It's hard to emphasize this but its personal good wishes to a soldier who fought in Worl War II."
The Japanese flag had actually been on display at the Amory Regional Museum for about 30 years.
Thanks to the extensive work done by a military historian the plan is to return the flag to Japan to family members of the original owner.
"I have contacted the Japanese embassy in Washington," said Bo Miller, executive director of the Amory Regional Museum. "We're going to start the process of repatriating this flag. There is a bureau in Tokyo that assist with this kind of thing. So we have started that process to get this back to this man's family."
There is a chance the Amory Regional Museum might be able to hang onto the item pending the wishes of the family the flag belongs to.
"The young man I spoke to at the embassy in Washington said there is a chance that his family would not want this flag," adds Miller. "If that were the case, we could keep it in the museum but our first priority is to try and get this back to the man's family."
So for now this rare flag in remarkable shape will remain at the Museum.
The flag is believed to have been given to the Japanese soldier sometime around 1944 or 1945.