Comes with hand-signed C.O.A.

What makes this flag so interesting is that this U.S. Ensign No. 9 marked flag (large type) was discovered in an old Normandy home in La Madeleine near the D-Day amphibious landing beach of Utah Beach directly aligned with UNCLE RED where the US forces landed on June 6th, 1944. This flag was folded up and left inside a box where it is believed to have been untouched since. It is unknown whether this flag was gifted to a Normandy civilian by a U.S. soldier or if this flag was left and picked up by a Normandy civilian as a liberation souvenir. If this flag could talk!

The NO. 9 type flag type is historically documented as being issued and flown on larger amphibious landing crafts including LCI (Landing Craft Infantry) and LCT (Landing Ship Tank). The NO. 9 marked flag is one of the most sought after number (No.) marks by collectors.

It is believed this flag is from the 1943 production year or the “D-Day Invasion Order” January 1944 production line from either the Valley Forge or Mare Island. Both were some of the most famous and notable flag makers for the military during WWII.

This flag is the exact NO. 9 flag type that all WWII amphibious landing crafts, LCI, LCT’s, etc. stormed the beaches of Normandy with as well as other beachheads in both the ETO and PTO. This flag is from the exact production line of some of the most famous flag seen in some of the most high-end and famous museums including: The World War II American Flag flown on LCT 595, one of the first craft to land at Normandy on June 6, 1944, Ensign Flown from LCI(L)-488 on D-Day at Omaha Beach Landing, LCT 530 (Landing Ship Tank) Took in the Utah beach amphibious landings in Normandy invasion.

The Mare Island Naval Station in San Francisco Bay was home to what was known as the Pacific Fleet, however, their flags were used throughout all theaters war during WWII. Mare Island’s is highly recognized for providing flags for all of the amphibious assault craft and ships in 1944 for the Normandy landings which were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D-Day, it was the largest seaborne invasion in history. The operation began the liberation of France (and later western Europe) and laid the foundations of the Allied victory on the Western Front.

Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first naval base on the west coast of the United States. It is 25 miles northeast of San Francisco, near Vallejo, California. During WWII the base was used for ship building and repair. There were 46,000 workers employed there during the war. It comprised over 900 buildings, and the base closed in 1996. The flag loft employed 500 workers, 400 women doing their part by working 8 hours a day 6 days a week.

Flag No. 9 was designated on the U.S. Ensign R.I.F. Chart to be hoist at 80” fly height.