A man living in New York inherited a “message-written Hinomaru” flag, known as a lucky charm, from his grandfather, who served in the US military during World War II.
In an email to Fox News Digital, Scott Stein said the plan was initially to restore the commemorative flag, but after speaking with experts, they decided to return the flag to its rightful owner.
Her grandfather, Bernard Stein, served in World War II at Camp Croft, South Carolina, from 1942 to 1945 and later in the Philippines with the 38th Infantry Division, known as the “Avengers of Bataan.”
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“This flag flew proudly in my grandfather's house for many years and I was always fascinated by it as a child,” Stein said.
He said that like most veterans, his grandfather never spoke publicly about the war or his wartime experiences.
Scott Stein of New York, pictured above, and his son wanted to return a flag his grandfather won in World War II to the family of its original owner. (Scott Stein)
A lifelong collector who cherishes the past, Stein was in the process of restoring the flag when he saw a news report that a similar flag had been returned to Japan and was encouraged by experts to return it in 2017.
Stein did some research and discovered the Obon Society in Oregon.
It's a nonprofit organization that promotes family reconciliation by returning “non-biological remains,” such as flags, that were taken during wartime.
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As the Stars and Stripes newspaper noted, many Japanese soldiers carried flags inscribed with the names and messages of their loved ones for good luck.
“After initial contact and correspondence with the Obong Society, I learned that their mission was to locate the relatives and family of the original owner, and I sent the flag to them to arrange for its eventual return to Japan,” Stein said.
The family of a Japanese soldier took the flag to the grave of the soldier's mother. (Obon Association)
After a seven-year search, the Obong Society discovered that the flag carried in battle belonged to a soldier named Hiyama Koichi, who died in 1945.
The flag was then given to the fallen soldier's son, who hosted a homecoming ceremony for the entire family.
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The man carried portraits of his father and mother, explaining that his mother had been waiting her whole life for her husband to come home.
She died without ever seeing him again, a representative for the Obong Society told Fox News Digital in an email.
Stein, the grandson of a World War II veteran, helped lead an effort to track down family members connected to the flag his grandfather owned. (Scott Stein, Obon Society)
“The son who received the message board took it to the cemetery and unfolded it in front of his mother's grave to 'show' her that her husband had finally come home.”
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“These flags are considered 'non-biological human remains'… because they evoke the same emotions and connections among the families of the missing in Japan that the return of bones and teeth does for the families of the missing in the United States,” the representative said.
According to Stars and Stripes, it's the only keepsake the son has inherited from his father.
