Lot 608

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Description:

BATTLE-DAMAGED JAPANESE BATTLE FLAG FROM OKINAWA
Rare Japanese national flag carried at the head of a suicidal "banzai" charge at Naha Beach on Okinawa, likely bullet-struck and blood-stained. The 31" x 30" flag is the Japanese national flag, with a single red "sun" in the center of a white field. It appears to be of silk construction. The flag bears several scattered holes with loss of fabric and which are inconsistent with tearing or insect damage. There is also a good deal of uneven black and dark brown staining, not typical of age-toning but more resembling damage or staining by liquid, perhaps blood. Original ties remain attached at the reinforced corners along the hoist, though it appears they have been cut. The flag is set within a modern black frame, and at lower right appears an original 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" of two dead Japanese soldiers lying in a clearing or on a beach, several pieces of their equipment obviously having been struck by bullets. The flag is accompanied by a 2009 letter of provenance from Joseph F. Wargo, USN, radio operator and anti-aircraft gunner aboard LSM-301 which was in support of the Marine landings at Okinawa. The letter reads, in part: "...This Jap battle flag was picked up by me...on Naha beach battlefield, Okinawa. This was a last-ditch charge and the flag carrier was hit several times. The holes in the flag are bullet holes, the pole was shattered. I picked this up after the battle and sent it home. Years later I found this in my sea bag...". Also present is an original photo of LSM-301 in drydock, copies of Wargo at his 20mm AA gun, another image of his ship, and Wago in later years posing with a banner offered elsewhere in this sale. While Japanese battle flags are readily available, flags which led large groups, and especially attacks, are great rarities.

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December 19, 2017 10:00 AM EST
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000