A tattered, bullet-riddled World War II Japanese flag has been donated to the Plant City Photo Archives & History Center for its collection and display.
The flag was acquired by U.S. Army infantryman Pfc. William Henry Isaac Jr., in January 1943, at the Battle of Guadalcanal. Isaac was in a firefight in jungle terrain and shot a Japanese sniper out of a tree. The fallen soldier had a flag wrapped around him, and Isaac removed it as a reminder.
The Guadalcanal Campaign was noted as the first major offensive by Allied forces against the Japanese forces. After the battle, Isaac, who had been stricken with malaria, turned the flag over to his commander. After the War Department determined the writing on the flag consisted of only notes of best wishes from the Japanese soldier’s friends, the flag was returned to Isaac.
Isaac enlisted in 1939, and landed Dec. 26, 1942, on Guadalcanal as Army divisions reinforced the war-weary Marine divisions. The Battle of Guadalcanal ended Feb. 9, 1943.
Isaac received two campaign stars for his actions on Guadalcanal and in New Georgia in the Solomon Island group. After the war ended, he was discharged in 1946, and returned to Schenectady, N.Y. He later moved to Florida.
The flag, now cleaned and framed, was given to his daughter, Betty Bush, a Plant City resident, who recently donated it to the Photo Archives and History Center for display during its veterans exhibits.
