Korean War Chit with the Flags of the U.S, Korean and U.N.
This is a "Blood Chit" made in the theatre of war during the United Nations-led efforts to counter the invasion of South Korea by Communist North Korea. It is printed in two languages and bears the flags of the United States, the United Nations and South Korea, 1951 to 1953.
These chits became ubiquitous during WWII beginning with the American Volunteer Group in China.. American airmen serving in the China- Burma-India Theatre copied them and added the United States flag and a China-Burma-India insignia.
It is often thought that the idea for such chits as these originated with the "Flying Tigers" but this type of flag was actually already in use in Asia by Western aviators and they are thought to have originated with British pilots flying in Mesopotamia during the First World War.
Due to both the size and the duration of the conflict, chits from the Korean War are scarce.
Provenance: Acquired by purchase in 2008 at the Bay Area Militaria Show, San Jose, California.
ZFC Important Flag
Sources:
Baldwin, R.E., & Thomas W. McGarry, Last Hope: The Blood Chit Story, Schiffer Pub Ltd, Atglen, 1997.
Blood Chits, Wikipedia, 19 Amy 2012, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_chit
Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection
