World War II Battle Flag To Be Returned to Japan

It was over 60 years ago that Kihachi Imaizumi lost his life as a Japanese soldier during World War II. The battle flag he brought with him has remained--and up until today was located at Chattanooga's Medal of Honor Museum.

Now, it will soon be making a trip back home to Imaizumi's family in central Japan.

Museum volunteer Hitoe Engelbrekt, who herself is a Japanese citizen, first noticed the flag in the museum's archives, and successfully appealed to the Museum's Board of Trustees to release the flag to the Imaizumi family.

Engelbrekt has been working on returning the flag for the past few months, and even enlisted help from her friends and others in her native Japan in translating all the writing on the flag. The writing contained messages to the soldier, as well as names of his friends and family.

Engelbrekt says she plans to make the trip herself to Kiryu City in a mountainous part of central Japan to deliver the flag personally to the family.

She says she'll be making that trip later on this month.