Original Item: One-of-a-Kind. This is an extraordinary original Imperial Japanese WWII Navy Vice Admiral's Rising Sun flag, measuring roughly 102 x 153 inches, or 8 ½ x 12 ¾ feet, accompanied by a typewritten provenance note identifying it as the last Japanese flag to fly over Wake Island before its return to American control on September 4, 1945. According to the note, the flag was obtained by Colonel Walter L. J. Bayler, USMC, and personally presented to Sergeant Ernie Harwell, a Marine Corps correspondent for Leatherneck Magazine, following the historic raising of the American flag on Wake Island. Particularly significant is the flag's distinctive eight-ray Rising Sun design with a red horizontal stripe along the upper edge, identifying it as the rank flag of an Imperial Japanese Navy Vice Admiral, rather than the more commonly encountered naval ensign. The enormous flag retains its dyed fabric construction, original rope halyards, and unusual reinforced corners. Although the specific circumstances of its removal and presentation have not been independently established, the accompanying note identifies two men whose participation in the September 1945 return to Wake Island is historically documented.

The flag measures approximately 102 inches high by 153 inches long, making it an exceptionally substantial surviving example of Japanese naval insignia. Its dimensions correspond closely with the large 6 幅 (6-fuku) size category associated with Japanese flags of the period, measuring approximately 13 feet in length.
Attached to the top left corner of the flag is a typewritten note, reading:

Last Jap Flag to fly over Wake Island. September 1945
Personal Gift of Colonel Walter L.J. Baylor U.S.M.C.
Col. Baylor was the Last American to leave the Island
In 1941 and the First to return in September 1945.
Colonel Baylor gave me this on 4, September after
The photo shoot of Raising the US Flag

(Signature)
E. Harwell Sgt. U.S.M.C.
LEATHERNECK
MAGAZINE

This would identify the recipient as Sergeant Ernie Harwell, a Hall of Fame sportscaster who served as a U.S. Marine sergeant and correspondent for Leatherneck magazine during World War II. In September 1945, Harwell was part of the 20-to-25-man U.S. landing party—alongside Colonel Walter Bayler—that arrived on Wake Island following the official Japanese surrender aboard the USS Levy (DE-162) on September 4, 1945. During his time on the island, he toured the former Japanese garrison and documented the aftermath. Ernie Harwell framed the entire span of World War II in the Pacific as lying between two flagpoles on Wake Island.

Walter L. J. Bayler was a Marine Corps communications officer who had been stationed on Wake Island during the opening stages of the conflict. He departed the island on December 21, 1941, aboard one of the final American aircraft to leave before the Japanese capture. Bayler consequently became known as the last American military officer to leave Wake Island before its fall.

Wake remained under Japanese occupation for the remainder of WWII. Although American forces conducted repeated air and naval attacks against Japanese installations, the island was bypassed during the broader Allied advance across the central Pacific. The Japanese garrison became increasingly isolated as American naval and air power disrupted supply routes and communications.

By the summer of 1945, Japanese forces on Wake Island had endured prolonged shortages, extensive bombardment, and deteriorating conditions. Following Japan's announcement of its acceptance of Allied surrender terms in August and the formal surrender aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, arrangements were made for the surrender of isolated Japanese garrisons throughout the Pacific.

On September 4, 1945, American representatives arrived at Wake Island aboard the destroyer escort USS Levy (DE-162) to accept the surrender of the Japanese garrison. The ceremony formally restored American control over the atoll, nearly four years after the original Marine defenders had been overwhelmed.

Among those accompanying the American party was Colonel Walter L. J. Bayler, whose participation held special significance because of his departure from the island shortly before its capture in December 1941. Upon returning in September 1945, Bayler became the first American to step ashore during the reoccupation, providing a symbolic connection between the original defense and the final restoration of American authority.

Also present was Sergeant Ernie Harwell of Leatherneck Magazine, who accompanied the American landing party as a Marine Corps correspondent. Harwell was among approximately 20 to 25 Americans who went ashore following the surrender proceedings. His assignment allowed him to document the historic occasion and examine the former Japanese installations.

During his visit, Harwell observed the remains of the wartime garrison and the extensive damage that had accumulated during nearly four years of Japanese occupation. The American party encountered a landscape marked by military fortifications, destroyed equipment, and the physical evidence of prolonged isolation and bombardment.

One of the most important moments of the American return was the raising of the United States flag over Wake Island, symbolizing the restoration of American control. The ceremony was photographed and documented, preserving a powerful visual reminder of the island's place in the history of the Pacific War.

Harwell later reflected upon the significance of two flagpoles on Wake Island. The first represented the American defenders of December 1941, while the second marked the raising of the American flag in September 1945. In his account, the distance between the two flagpoles symbolized the entire course of the Pacific War, from the early American defeats to Japan's final surrender.

It was following this historic flag-raising ceremony that the accompanying provenance note states Colonel Bayler presented this Japanese Vice Admiral's flag to Sergeant Harwell. According to the inscription, the flag was the last Japanese flag to fly over Wake Island, having been removed as American control was restored.

This attribution is especially compelling because of the flag's unusual naval rank designation. Given that Wake Island was under Japanese naval command, it is reasonable to consider whether a senior officer's rank flag might have been flown at a prominent installation or command position.

The flag design is an eight-ray Rising Sun design and a distinguishing red horizontal stripe at the top, denoting the IJN Rank of Vice Admiral. The flag itself is in great condition considering its age and size, but there are some minor holes in spots across the flag. This will need to be professionally preserved or framed, or possibly displayed with the provenance tag easily discernible. An interesting detail is the stylized corner reinforcements which appear like leaves or flowers. The flag is dyed, not multi-piece, and has held up very well over the past 80 years.

This Imperial Japanese WWII Navy Vice Admiral's Rising Sun flag is an unusually substantial surviving military textile with an important association to the September 1945 surrender of Wake Island. Its distinctive eight-ray design and upper red stripe identify its naval rank designation, while the original dyed construction, rope halyards, and reinforced corners preserve important physical evidence of its manufacture and use. Most significantly, the attached provenance note attributes the flag to Colonel Walter L. J. Bayler and Sergeant Ernie Harwell, both of whom were present during the historic American return to the island. Although the claim that this was the final Japanese flag flown over Wake and subsequently presented to Harwell remains unverified, the note provides a specific and historically plausible account worthy of further investigation. The flag's remarkable dimensions, surviving condition, and documented historical context make it an important object for collections focused on the Imperial Japanese Navy, the United States Marine Corps, Wake Island, and the conclusion of WWII in the Pacific.