• Flag of my Father

  January 25, 2011

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  Tags:  

  afghanistan   military   life   war   army-family   fao     

  When I was growing up I often heard about how my dad flew a small lone star flag from his command Jeep and Sherman tank during the war. My dad was a 28 year old tank battalion commander during WWII. His unit, part of the 3rd Armored Division, saw heavy action from the breakout of the Normandy beachhead to the Elbe link-up with the Soviets. Somehow, the little flag survived all of that combat. It even survived the 30-mile, Christmas Eve forced march through German lines when my dad’s task force was cut off by a German Panzer Division during the Battle of the Bulge. After my father passed away in 2005 this flag was a link to his military career. During my deployment to eastern Afghanistan last year, my brother mailed me the flag. I was honored to fly the flag from an antenna on one of our MRAPs and was thrilled to share this on video with my nephew’s middle school class on Veteran’s Day 2009. By linking how Army service transcended several generations in my family I feel I was able to share the Army story with the public.

  submitted by Major William Hogan on Jan 25 2011

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