Original Item: One-of-a-kind. Between late February and early April 1945, the Allied forces, primarily consisting of the United States Army's 33rd Infantry Division, with assistance from regiments of the Philippine guerrilla force United States Army Forces in the Philippines – Northern Luzon, advanced towards Baguio. By late March, the city was within range of American artillery. President José P. Laurel of the collaborationist Second Philippine Republic, having moved to Baguio from Manila in December 1944, departed Baguio on 22 March, reaching Taiwan on 30 March; the remainder of the Second Republic government in the Philippines, along with Japanese civilians, were ordered to evacuate Baguio on 30 March. Yamashita and his staff relocated to Bambang. A major offensive to capture Baguio did not occur until mid-April, when United States Army's 37th Infantry Division, minus the 145th Infantry Regiment, was released from garrisoning Manila to launch a two-division assault into Baguio from the west and south.

During the Allied drive towards Baguio from the west, a six-day battle was fought at Irisan Gorge and the nearby Irisan River. This battle involved one of the last tank-versus-tank engagements of the Philippines campaign, between M4 Shermans of the U.S. Army's Company B, 775th Tank Battalion and Type 97s of the IJA's 5th Tank Company, 10th Tank Regiment.

In mid-April, 7,000 civilians, including foreign nationals, made their way from Baguio to American lines. Among them were five cabinet members of the Second Republic; Brigadier General Manuel Roxas was "freed", the other four were captured as collaborators. On 22 April, Major General Noakata Utsunomiya, who had been left in command of the defense of Baguio by Yamashita, ordered a withdrawal from Baguio. On 24 April, the first Allied forces – a patrol of the 129th Infantry Regiment – entered Baguio.

This incredible flag measures 26 x 40 inches is of cotton construction and is signed by 29 soldiers in the 33rd Infantry Division who fought in the Battle of  Baguio during WWII. The flag has a 33rd Infantry Division insignia patch sewn to the center and an infantry crossed rifles pin back badge to the center. The flag is in overall very good condition with an area with small holes due to it being folded for so many years. The list of names in ink all in different handwriting is as follows:

Lee A. Barker
1515 38th ave
San Francisco, Cali

Courtney R. Shirley
410 Church St
Borz Alabama

Raul R. Ashmore
Philadelphia
Mississippi
“Rebel”

Edwin O. Lanko
Utica, Michigan

Howard Chircol [sp?]
Box 73
Aitkin, Minnesota

Leonard E. Dupras
Box 432
Moosup, Conn

John J. Dusenberry [sp?]
Perir[SP]

Oliver E. Green
6142 Hecla St.
Detroit, Mich

Lee G. Morley
2100 Farrrand St.
Port Huron. Mich

Donald R. Wertz
Bay City, Texas

Dwight C. Martin
Greenwood, Maine

Herbert S. McDowell
320 Delaware Ave
Landsdale, Pa

Howard H. Hood
1528 Houston Ave
Bremerton, Wash

Raymond Wilde
917 N. Burris Ave
Compton, Calif

Norman Knhpp
411 Beauregard
Charleston, W. Va.

Wm P. Crenshaw Jr.
1119 Reeder Circle
Atlanta, GA

When you're getting some of that American “stuff”-
Think of your replacement -
and give her one for me!
Russ Marks,
Forest Hills, N.Y

Doug. Branham
Rout 3
Henderson, Texas

Allen Eagar
6 N Ogdem
Chicago, ILL

Wilbur H. Crump
1570 Lamar St.
Memphis, Tenn

Leonard Kramnatti [sp?]
4822 Los Campaw [sp?]
Detroid, Mich

Leonard B. Labroida [sp?]
1637 Pattengill Ave
Landsing 10, Mich

John Valenti
200 Hamilton St
Rochester, N.Y

Nick Valentine [sp?]
3129 Illingist St [sp?]
Detroid, Mich

George Adrian
Danville, Ohio

Sanford I. Wolff
5346 Cornell Ave.
Chicago Ill

Frank C. Vranh
Okla. City
Oklahoma

Joseph C. Alvarez
1408 E. Buffalo Ave
Tampa, FLA

Michael Torhan
647 E. Grant
Olyphant, Pa