People will have a
chance to get a first look at some recently rediscovered Japanese
artifacts this weekend at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum's
Visitor Appreciation Day.
Six World War II
era Japanese flags were recently discovered by museum officials and
will be on display during the event on Saturday, May
17.
Tech. Sgt. Steven
Wilson, director of the museum, called the flags "very historical
and rare."
"In terms of
historical value, they're absolutely priceless," Wilson
said.
The discovery of
the flags coincides with the 2008 Visitor Appreciation Day, an
annual showcase for the museum that is free to the public. Wilson
said he discovered the flags last week while looking through some
old boxes.
Saturday will be
the first opportunity for civilians to view the
artifacts.
One of the flags
is the Imperial Japanese War flag, according to Wilson. The flag
has a red sun with 16 rays radiating across it from a white
field.
Another flag is
the national flag of the Empire of. That flag has a sun disc
positioned just to the left of the center on the white field in the
background, which makes it different than country's current
official flag, which has a perfectly centered sun disc, Wilson
said.
Wilson said the
flags, along with four other smaller Japanese "prayer flags," were
given to Japanese service members by well-wishers during the World
War II era.
All of the flags
have writing on them that has not yet been translated by museum
officials, but Wilson said the flags were usually inscribed by the
families of Japanese service members.
Wilson said he is
not sure how the museum came into possession of the flags; however,
it is possible that an airman serving in World War II took the
flags as souvenirs and they somehow ended up at the Ellsworth
museum.
"It wasn't
uncommon for them to obtain these things as souvenirs and bring
them back with them," Wilson said.
The ink used on
the flags is made of special materials intended to preserve the
writings for a long period of time.
Wilson said the
flags will not be permanently displayed because the museum does not
have the funds to do so. He said the flags would need to be encased
using a special ultraviolet, light-proof glass to avoid
deterioration, and such materials are not in the museum's
budget.
But the items will
be on display Saturday and on other special occasions and will also
be available for viewing by appointment for students, researchers
and others who are interested.
There will be a
number of other displays during Visitor Appreciation Day, Wilson
said, as well as some interactive events.
Another rare
artifact, a B-1A engine, will also be on display, Wilson said.
Wilson believes it is the only fully-intact B-1A engine still in
existence. The engines are rare because the craft was discontinued
after only four models were built.
The project was
eventually revived and evolved into the current B-1B Lancer bombers
used by the base.
In addition, the
Black Hills Scale Modeler's Club will have a display and will be
available to assist children with assembling free snap-together
kits.
A number of other
activities will be available for visitors, Wilson said. And
visitors can buy a hot dog and a soda for a quarter.
Organizations
wanting to be a part of Visitor Appreciation Day should call Wilson
at 385-5188.
Contact Ryan
Woodard at 394-8412 or
ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com
If
you go
What:
Visitor Appreciation Day
When: 9 a.m.
to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 17
Where: South
Dakota Air and Space Museum, adjacent to the main gate of Ellsworth
Air Force Base
Cost:
Free
