How a soldier’s homemade US flag made it from a WWII POW camp to the Smithsonian
A US Army private's homemade American flag has an interesting history. The flag was made in a WWII POW camp in Japan. Private Joseph Quintero created the flag with the help of another prisoner.
The flag was made in secret, as discovery by Japanese guards would have had severe consequences. Quintero's motivation for making the flag stemmed from his experiences during the war. Further details about the flag and Quintero's story are available from the source, including his account of watching American flag poles being destroyed by Japanese bombers and his determination to wave the Stars and Stripes in their faces.
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