Pearl Harbor Japanese Downed Pilots' Good Luck Flag

**Timeinhistory** · 07-31-2022, 04:31 PM

Several months ago I obtained from an estate auction a veterans photo album and Japanese naval pilots good luck flag. (photos below) The vet was stationed at Pearl Harbor and his photo album shows before the attack photos and after the attack photos and the flag was brought home by him. The flag has spattered blood stains on it indicative of a traumatic event, ie a crash.. With that said, the circumstantial evidence points to the flag being from one of the 55 KIA Japanese aircrew of the 29 planes that were shot down. The problem I have is substantiating this. I obtained from Japan a complete list of all the Japanese Airman that participants in the raid. If I could find the owners name on the flag, I can compare it to the list and if his name is on it VOILA! But that is my dilemma, finding that owners name on the flag. I also tried to get in touch with the family that put this into the auction to get the story about it. But the auction company is not being cooperative.
Looking for your thoughts or suggestions.

Pearl Harbor Japanese Downed Pilots' Good Luck Flag

**HARRY THE MOLE** · 08-05-2022, 09:21 PM

The problem you have is that there is nothing to prove the flag comes from one of the downed aircraft at Pearl Harbor, unless of course that is the only place the veteran served throughout the war. All you have is a story with a possible link, and we all know the advice that is often given out... buy the item and not the story.

Cheers,
Steve

**SHEMP H** · 08-05-2022, 11:35 PM

by HARRY THE MOLE

The problem you have is that there is nothing to prove the flag comes from one of the downed aircraft at Pearl Harbor, unless of course that is the only place the veteran served throughout the war. All you have is a story with a possible link, and we all know the advice that is often given out... buy the item and not the story.

Cheers,
Steve

+1

**RussM** · 08-28-2022, 03:52 AM

This will be extremely difficult to prove. Have you already had the flag translated? If so, and there's nothing that is helpful, you just have a flag, whether the story is true or not.

**RussM** · 08-28-2022, 04:11 AM

A couple of other things that strike me as unusual, are that he documented the coconuts he sent home on the back of a photograph but he didn't document the story of a flag taken from the cataclysmic event which brought the US into the World War? Also, I'd probably expect the flag to show a lot of water damage or evidence of fire, if it was from a shot down aircraft. But it appears in very good condition. If this information existed, it would have been presented at the auction I would imagine. If the auction company isn't being helpful, that speaks volumes unfortunately as well.