The World War II Service Flag at St. John Lutheran Church
by Allen Martinets
When Shirley Fischer was searching through the cluttered closet at St. John Lutheran Church last fall, she did not expect to find a priceless heirloom. But when she opened the dusty old box buried deep on the closet shelf, and carefully unfolded the large piece of cloth that she found inside, she fondly remembered the homemade flag from her youth. She had re-discovered the St. John Lutheran Church's World War II military service flag, a 75-year old patriotic and sentimental symbol that had once been proudly displayed at the church during one of our country's most difficult periods.
Recent commemorations in the United States and Europe of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, properly reminded us of the dedication and bravery of the thousands of Allied military men who fought, bled, and died for our precious freedoms. But little was said about the sacrifices and support of those back home, those millions of folks in the big cities, the suburbs, the small towns, and on the farms. Today, it is difficult to understand and appreciate the sacrifices and hardships faced not only by those men and women on active duty, but by the common folks back home who supported the American military forces. They held scrap drives to collect metal for the war effort. They did without gasoline, rubber, and other commodities that were severely rationed. (Flat tires on cars were repaired not replaced, and a tire tube with a dozen or more patches was typical.) Housewives went to work in the factories and on the farms to replace the men who had gone to war. Virtually every American household planted a Victory Garden to assure that their family and neighbors had a reliable food supply.
And the folks back home proudly showed their pride and patriotism with prominent displays of the American flag, patriotic posters and banners, and other emblems of patriotic and military significance.
One such emblem was the military service flag, also known as the "sons of service flag." These military service flags were first displayed during World War I, but became prominent throughout the country during World War II. They were proudly displayed in thousands, possibly millions, of homes, churches, schools, and other institutions of service men and women throughout the United States, both in the cities and in the rural areas.
But when VE Day and VJ Day ended the wars in Europe and in the Pacific, and after the men came back home to their families, the country tried to return to normal and to quickly put the devastating war behind them. The World War II veterans were generally reluctant to discuss their sometimes horrific war experiences, and most patriotic displays and emblems were promptly discarded or packed away. And so it was with these military service flags, so that most of us born after World War II have never before seen or even heard of these important historical symbols. (Although the service flag tradition was never officially terminated, and is still observed in rare instances, the tradition generally went out of vogue after World War II.)
During World War II, the military service flag took two forms: the small home (or family) service flag that was displayed at the homes or residences of active military service members; and the larger institutional service flag that was displayed at churches, schools, civic societies, and other organizations to honor that organization's members who were in active military service. The home service flags were small flags, typically about 12'' X 18", usually homemade, with a white center background and a surrounding wide red border. A star or stars (one for each active service member in that family) were affixed to the center white area, with a blue star signifying a family member in active military service, and a gold star signifying a family member killed while in active military service. The home service flag was typically displayed prominently in a front window of the family home, where passers-by could easily recognize and respect that family's personal contribution to the war effort.
The institutional military service flags were larger, typically 24'' X 30" (or even larger), and were also usually homemade by a member (or members) of that organization. The colors were similar to the home service flags, a white center background and surrounding wide red border, and with blue stars designating members in active military service and gold stars designating members killed in active military service. Because these institutional service flags often honored numerous members in active service, the arrangement of the stars took many forms. Often, the stars were simply arranged in rows and columns, sometimes in circles or ovals, and sometimes (especially at churches) in the shape of a cross. These institutional service flags were usually prominently displayed behind the podium or pulpit, or inside the entrance, at the organization's meeting place where they could be easily viewed by the organization's members.
The St. John Church's World War II military service flag generally follows the traditional design. The beautiful flag is most likely homemade, but the identity of the maker (most likely a church member or members) has probably been lost to history. The flag is about 24" X 30", with a white central background and a bright red border. In the center white area, fifty-eight (58) blue stars are arranged in the shape of a Christian cross around a row of four gold stars and one blue star.
Today, it is hard for us to imagine that from just this one church in the small farm town of Bartlett, Texas, there were 62 young patriots, all St. John church members, who answered the call to duty, and who served our country courageously on ships and battlefields, and at military facilities scattered throughout the world. And, it is important to remember that of these 62 young people, four did not return to their families:
Christian L. Foerster, age 22, son of Louis Foerster, Jr. and Frances Schroeder Foerster, died on August 7, 1943, in a Temple, Texas hospital, after being sent home to recover from an operation performed while on active duty in Brigham City, Utah.
Edgar O. Steglich, age 35, son of Richard E. Steglich and Ida Steinhauser Steglich, was killed in action in France on July 11, 1944.
Lynwood Beyer, age 19. son of Henry H. Beyer and Ella Gersbach Beyer, was killed in action in Germany on November 8, 1944.
Franklin W. Fischer, age 24, son of Frank Fischer and Meta Schultz Fischer, was killed while on active duty in India on August 5, 1945.
Very few of these World War II institutional service flags are known to still be in existence. That is what makes the St. John flag so precious. After Shirley re-discovered the old flag, and with generous donations from St. John members, she had the flag professionally cleaned, repaired, and framed. For the last several months, the flag has been prominently displayed on the north wall in the fellowship room at the church's Teinert Recreation Center (TRC). But at first glance, most observers do not realize just what the flag is or what it represents. Yet, after a brief explanation, almost everyone recognizes the special significance of this precious piece of church history.
One of the gold stars on the St. John service flag reminds us of the irony that often accompanies war. In the front window of their farmhouse west of Bartlett during WWII, St. John member Frank Fischer and his family proudly displayed their own service flag with two stars: a gold star for their eldest son Franklin, who was killed in India, and a blue star for another son, Gilbert, who was serving in the Philippines. Gilbert (Shirley's late husband) was in active and dangerous combat on the Philippine Island of Luzon, fighting valiantly with the U.S. Army forces trying to retake the Philippine Islands from Japanese invaders. His safety was in constant jeopardy and his family was rightly concerned about his fate. Meanwhile, older brother Franklin was serving at an airbase in northern India, in a noncombat role at an isolated military hospital laborary. Franklin's unit was supporting the crews of humanitarian supply flights over the Himalayan Mountains to Chinese villages isolated by Japanese invaders (commonly known as "Flying the Hump"). The Fischer family was generally relieved that Franklin was in a noncombat role. But as fate would have it, it was the noncombatant, Franklin, who would earn the gold star. Franklin was killed on August 5, 1945, while a passenger in a supply plane that experienced mechanical failure and crashed in the jungles of India returning back to base from Calcutta on a routine supply mission. Gilbert, after returning home from dangerous combat, would eventually return to Bartlett, establish a successful farm and family, and live out a full and productive life of 91 years until his death in 2014.
When Shirley Fischer was searching through the cluttered closet at St. John Lutheran Church last fall, she did not expect to find a priceless heirloom. But when she opened the dusty old box buried deep on the closet shelf, and carefully unfolded the large piece of cloth that she found inside, she fondly remembered the homemade flag from her youth. She had re-discovered the St. John Lutheran Church's World War II military service flag, a 75-year old patriotic and sentimental symbol that had once been proudly displayed at the church during one of our country's most difficult periods.
Recent commemorations in the United States and Europe of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, properly reminded us of the dedication and bravery of the thousands of Allied military men who fought, bled, and died for our precious freedoms. But little was said about the sacrifices and support of those back home, those millions of folks in the big cities, the suburbs, the small towns, and on the farms. Today, it is difficult to understand and appreciate the sacrifices and hardships faced not only by those men and women on active duty, but by the common folks back home who supported the American military forces. They held scrap drives to collect metal for the war effort. They did without gasoline, rubber, and other commodities that were severely rationed. (Flat tires on cars were repaired not replaced, and a tire tube with a dozen or more patches was typical.) Housewives went to work in the factories and on the farms to replace the men who had gone to war. Virtually every American household planted a Victory Garden to assure that their family and neighbors had a reliable food supply.
And the folks back home proudly showed their pride and patriotism with prominent displays of the American flag, patriotic posters and banners, and other emblems of patriotic and military significance.
One such emblem was the military service flag, also known as the "sons of service flag." These military service flags were first displayed during World War I, but became prominent throughout the country during World War II. They were proudly displayed in thousands, possibly millions, of homes, churches, schools, and other institutions of service men and women throughout the United States, both in the cities and in the rural areas.
But when VE Day and VJ Day ended the wars in Europe and in the Pacific, and after the men came back home to their families, the country tried to return to normal and to quickly put the devastating war behind them. The World War II veterans were generally reluctant to discuss their sometimes horrific war experiences, and most patriotic displays and emblems were promptly discarded or packed away. And so it was with these military service flags, so that most of us born after World War II have never before seen or even heard of these important historical symbols. (Although the service flag tradition was never officially terminated, and is still observed in rare instances, the tradition generally went out of vogue after World War II.)
During World War II, the military service flag took two forms: the small home (or family) service flag that was displayed at the homes or residences of active military service members; and the larger institutional service flag that was displayed at churches, schools, civic societies, and other organizations to honor that organization's members who were in active military service. The home service flags were small flags, typically about 12'' X 18", usually homemade, with a white center background and a surrounding wide red border. A star or stars (one for each active service member in that family) were affixed to the center white area, with a blue star signifying a family member in active military service, and a gold star signifying a family member killed while in active military service. The home service flag was typically displayed prominently in a front window of the family home, where passers-by could easily recognize and respect that family's personal contribution to the war effort.
The institutional military service flags were larger, typically 24'' X 30" (or even larger), and were also usually homemade by a member (or members) of that organization. The colors were similar to the home service flags, a white center background and surrounding wide red border, and with blue stars designating members in active military service and gold stars designating members killed in active military service. Because these institutional service flags often honored numerous members in active service, the arrangement of the stars took many forms. Often, the stars were simply arranged in rows and columns, sometimes in circles or ovals, and sometimes (especially at churches) in the shape of a cross. These institutional service flags were usually prominently displayed behind the podium or pulpit, or inside the entrance, at the organization's meeting place where they could be easily viewed by the organization's members.
The St. John Church's World War II military service flag generally follows the traditional design. The beautiful flag is most likely homemade, but the identity of the maker (most likely a church member or members) has probably been lost to history. The flag is about 24" X 30", with a white central background and a bright red border. In the center white area, fifty-eight (58) blue stars are arranged in the shape of a Christian cross around a row of four gold stars and one blue star.
Today, it is hard for us to imagine that from just this one church in the small farm town of Bartlett, Texas, there were 62 young patriots, all St. John church members, who answered the call to duty, and who served our country courageously on ships and battlefields, and at military facilities scattered throughout the world. And, it is important to remember that of these 62 young people, four did not return to their families:
Christian L. Foerster, age 22, son of Louis Foerster, Jr. and Frances Schroeder Foerster, died on August 7, 1943, in a Temple, Texas hospital, after being sent home to recover from an operation performed while on active duty in Brigham City, Utah.
Edgar O. Steglich, age 35, son of Richard E. Steglich and Ida Steinhauser Steglich, was killed in action in France on July 11, 1944.
Lynwood Beyer, age 19. son of Henry H. Beyer and Ella Gersbach Beyer, was killed in action in Germany on November 8, 1944.
Franklin W. Fischer, age 24, son of Frank Fischer and Meta Schultz Fischer, was killed while on active duty in India on August 5, 1945.
Very few of these World War II institutional service flags are known to still be in existence. That is what makes the St. John flag so precious. After Shirley re-discovered the old flag, and with generous donations from St. John members, she had the flag professionally cleaned, repaired, and framed. For the last several months, the flag has been prominently displayed on the north wall in the fellowship room at the church's Teinert Recreation Center (TRC). But at first glance, most observers do not realize just what the flag is or what it represents. Yet, after a brief explanation, almost everyone recognizes the special significance of this precious piece of church history.
One of the gold stars on the St. John service flag reminds us of the irony that often accompanies war. In the front window of their farmhouse west of Bartlett during WWII, St. John member Frank Fischer and his family proudly displayed their own service flag with two stars: a gold star for their eldest son Franklin, who was killed in India, and a blue star for another son, Gilbert, who was serving in the Philippines. Gilbert (Shirley's late husband) was in active and dangerous combat on the Philippine Island of Luzon, fighting valiantly with the U.S. Army forces trying to retake the Philippine Islands from Japanese invaders. His safety was in constant jeopardy and his family was rightly concerned about his fate. Meanwhile, older brother Franklin was serving at an airbase in northern India, in a noncombat role at an isolated military hospital laborary. Franklin's unit was supporting the crews of humanitarian supply flights over the Himalayan Mountains to Chinese villages isolated by Japanese invaders (commonly known as "Flying the Hump"). The Fischer family was generally relieved that Franklin was in a noncombat role. But as fate would have it, it was the noncombatant, Franklin, who would earn the gold star. Franklin was killed on August 5, 1945, while a passenger in a supply plane that experienced mechanical failure and crashed in the jungles of India returning back to base from Calcutta on a routine supply mission. Gilbert, after returning home from dangerous combat, would eventually return to Bartlett, establish a successful farm and family, and live out a full and productive life of 91 years until his death in 2014.