Item:
ON1832

Original U.S. WWII Battle of Guadalcanal Captured Japanese Flag in Frame with Written Provenance

Item Description

Original Item: One-of-a-kind.This notarized letter, which is included with the purchase of this magnificent framed captured flag, from the Veteran's son perfectly describes rarity of this flag.

This letter is to commemorate my Dad, Frederick Louis Lochbihler and his service to our country in World War II. 
My Dad entered active duty in 1941 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, 132 Infantry, CO. H. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in 1942. In 1943, my Dad was promoted to Captain and ended up a Major in 1945. He continued in the Illinois National Guard and retired as a full Colonel. 
He served in the Pacific Operation and in 1942 received with his unit, the Presidential Unit Citation for their actions at Guadalcanal. This is where he captured the flag that is displayed. The 132nd also received commendation for the capture and holding of Hill 27, he was also awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge for his participation in the Battle of Guadalcanal. 
My Dad receive the Bronze Star Medal (Oak Leave Cluster) in 1944 as a Captain in action at Bougainvillea, Solomon Islands. "During attacks by his unit against the enemy, Captain Lochbihler constantly exposed himself to intense enemy fire to coordinate effectively the movement of advancing troops, and by his aggressiveness, initiative, and personal example, he inspired his troops with confidence and the offensive spirit vital to the success of the operations". 
As I was growing up, my Dad never talked to us about his experiences during the war. I will always remember though my Dad on his deathbed (from cance) in 1984 crying about his buddies he grew up with in Chicago who never got to lead a full life. It was the only time I saw my Dad cry. 

Vince Lochbihler

The flag was professionally mounted in a high quality wood frame with plexiglass that measures 48 x 42 inches. It contains the flag, a wartime colorized photo of Lochbihler holding this very flag and a brass plaque that reads:

Japanese Flag
Captured during the Battle of Guadalcanal by
Lt. Frederick Lochbihler

 

Also included is a binder that contains a wartime elevation map of Guadalcanal, multiple original wartime photos of Lochbihler, the notarized letter from his son, and copies of his Bronze Star Citation, wartime orders and much more.

This is one of the most impressive, best researched and concrete provenance Guadalcanal items we have ever encountered.

The Good Luck Flag, known as hinomaru yosegaki in the Japanese language, was a traditional gift for Japanese servicemen deployed during the military campaigns of the Empire of Japan, though most notably during World War II. The flag given to a soldier was a national flag signed by friends and family, often with short messages wishing the soldier victory, safety, and good luck.

The Japanese call their country's flag hinomaru, which translates literally to "sun-round", referencing the red circle on a white field. When the hinomaru was signed, the Japanese characters were usually written vertically, and radiated outward from the edge of the red circle. This practice is referenced in the second term, yosegaki, meaning "sideways-writing". The phrase hinomaru-yosegaki can be interpreted as "To write sideways around the red sun", describing the appearance of the signed flag. This particular example completely unique is written in old KANJI the writing are mainly Japanese names of this soldier's family and friends with quotes and phrases.

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