Japan Trophy Flag 82nd Signal Battalion.

Imperial Japan, National Trophy flag taken by U.S. 82nd Signal Battalion, defaced with honors.
This silk Japanese ensign is a war trophy from the Second World War. Surviving WWII Japanese flags are plentiful since almost every Japanese soldier or sailor them. These "hinomaru yosegaki "or Good Luck Flags were carried by individuals, and were a prized trophy for US soldiers, sailors and marines.

Pvt. Louis Viscaino acquired this flag and inscribed it with the locales: Okinawa, Le-Shima, Leyte, Sapporo and Japan. Presumably these were areas in which the 82nd Sig. Bn served during WWII. However, the flag's association with the 82nd is something of a mystery because sources indicate that the 82nd Sig. Bn served in the European Theater of Operations during WWII.

This flag was formerly part of the collections of the Army Ranger Museum of New York City, and while not a flag directly associated with the Rangers, it was a part of the museum's mission to "…Attempt to give veterans a view of the meaning attached to their sacrifices."

Exhibition History:
Army Ranger Museum
New York, New York.
1993 to 1997

Provenance: Acquired at auction, Property of the Army Ranger Museum Auction, 18 November 1997, Butterfields & Butterfields, San Francisco, CA.

ZFC Significant Flag

Sources:

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War trophy, Wikipedia, 11 October 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_trophy

Good Luck Flags (Hinomaru Yosegaki), Nambu World, 8 October 2011, from: http://members.shaw.ca/ursacki/flags2.htm

The Commander's Voice, 82nd Signal Battalion, 11 October 2011, from:
http://82ndsignalbn.com/index.html

82nd Signal Battalion, GlobalSecurity.org, 11 October 2011, from:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/index.html

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection

Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	40
Length of Fly	27.5

Frame
Is it framed?	no

Stars
Are there stars on obverse?	no
Are there stars on reverse?	no

Stripes
Has a Blood Stripe?	no

Crest/Emblem
Description of Crest/Emblem	Sun

Nationality
Nation Represented	Japan

Fabric
Fabric	Cotton

Stitching
Stitching	Machine

Attachment
Comments on Method of Attachmen	Attached to reinforced corners cord with clips
Method of Attachment	Ties

Documentation
Documents	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Drawings	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Research Documents	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Public Copy & Signs	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.

Condition
Condition	Excellent
Displayable	yes