Creation Date

Materials

Dimensions

68.58 cm. W x 82.55 cm. L Item (Overall)

Description

White Japanese flag with the red sun in the center. It is covered with writing. Such flags were given to soldiers before they left for war. Friends, family and neighbors would sign the flags for the young men. These were called hinomaru yosegaki, or “rising sun autographs” in Japanese. This particular flag belonged to a man named Hideo Suzuki. Some of the text reads “Defeating US and UK,” “Congratulation going to war,” “Good luck to you on the battlefield,” and “Victory.” The two large characters at the 7 & 8 o'clock position near the orb stand for the word Victory. The translations are from WW2 enthusiasts on the internet. This rising sun flag was often called a "meatball" flag by American soldiers to distinguish it from the flag with rays emanating from the sun. The flag was captured by Julian Stadsvold in the Philippines during World War 2. According to his family, he was stationed near the Lacoma trail where he would go up into the hills to fight the Japanese. On one occasion, when he went up to relive another company, he met Leonard VanVickle from Glenwood on the way down. The next time he was headed to the front, they got word that the Japanese had surrendered. He told his family about his memories of the long line of Japanese soldiers coming down the trail. It was when the Japanese surrendered that he come into possession of this flag. It is 32.5 x 27 inches and has a red stamp near the upper right corner. There are some stains and a few holes. The holes are in the stained areas. The red spot in the center is 15 inches in diameter.

World War 2 / WW2 / World War II / WWII

Related People and Organizations

Contact the Pope County Historical Society for more information