An evil relic

   Like everyone my age I have stuff that I have gathered over the years. It's stuff that belonged to others before us, our parents, grandparents or whoever. We hang onto that stuff out of a sense of loyalty or respect. But often that stuff is just packed away somewhere, gathering dust and forgotten for the most part. Then we stumble across it, or it pops into our minds for some unknown reason. That happened to me last evening. For some reason, I have no idea why, I remembered I have this artifact from WW2 tucked away in a box in the attic. The story behind this isn't exactly clear as it wasn't talked about very often. From what I know an uncle of mine brought it home. Which uncle I haven't an idea. I believe they all went to war. If any of them fought, on the ground, in German occupied territory I can't say. The story is that it was removed from a headquarters building in Germany. This artifact is a rather large Nazi flag. It isn't designed to be flown from a pole but rather hung on the wall.

  As I said for some reason that flag came to mind, and I wonder what to do with it. Some years back I returned an artifact that my father had bought home from the war. I called it an artifact but what it was is a pay record taken off a Japanese soldier. Dad never said exactly how he came to get that as he was a flight engineer on B-24 bombers and so wasn't engaged in ground combat. The fact is he seldom talked about anything from the war. But I had it and decided it should be returned, if possible, to a family member. I contacted the Japanese consulate and through them it did get returned. I received a letter from them saying the family thanked me, but they didn't want me to know who they were. I never found out anything more about that. It was a very personal thing, I understand that. Still, I was disappointed that I didn't get a direct thank you from that family. Perhaps that was too much to expect.

 Now that flag is a different matter altogether. It is simply something left from that time in history and something most people wouldn't want to even see. My father certainly kept it put away and I've done the same thing. I did take it to school for show and tell and that turned out badly. There were Jewish kids in the classroom and that symbol on that flag was a "trigger." We didn't call it a trigger back then; however, it was just plain frightening and upsetting. Maybe my German last name contributed to that. I have never shown it to anyone publicly since that time. I wouldn't sell it although I'm certain someone would be interested in buying it as a collector of such memorabilia. I don't see that flag in that fashion, it isn't an amusement. It is a part of history. 

  I wonder if I should simply donate it to some museum. I don't know what else I could do with it other than destroy it. I really don't want to destroy it because it is a part of history no matter how repugnant. I'm certain there are many of these flags around, taken as prizes by the soldiers fighting. It isn't a rare or valuable thing. But then a part of me says your father kept it all those years, I've had all these years, and perhaps it should just be passed down. I can't see it ever becoming acceptable to display, something that a future generation would want to claim but I can't simply discard it either. And the truth is a part of me hesitates to even contact anyone about it. I wouldn't want anyone getting the wrong idea. But maybe I'm just being dramatic. I'll most likely just leave it in the attic, tucked away out of sight. I do feel like I should include some explanation with it, in the box, to clarify the situation. I wouldn't want someone to find it thinking I'm some kind of closet Nazi! 

 Seeing that pay record from a Japanese soldier did stir me to take some action. I just felt like if it was my fathers' or grandfather, I would like to have that. I assume he was killed in action and that's how my dad came to possess that. I know that soldiers often took such things as trophies. I get that, they were just young men in the most stressful situation you can imagine. Call it machismo, bravado or whatever, it is a release. Knowing nothing about this soldier other than he was fighting a war, whether he wanted or not, it seemed fitting that it be returned. I understand the family receiving it may have a different view altogether. 

 That flag though, it stirs something else deep down inside. It shouldn't be here, but it is. It should never have existed at all, but it did.  It should never be forgotten or dismissed as a simple artifact. I guess what I'm looking for isn't a home for that thing, but a grave. What is creepy is that it is the real thing. It isn't a reproduction, prop or a souvenir. It was held and displayed by real Nazi's! Not movie Nazi's, not make believe, the real deal. It's an evil relic! Good thing I'm not superstitious. 

 I did attempt to donate it to the Smithsonian Institute at one time, but they weren't interested. There was an online form to fill out. Answering the questions, I discovered they would not accept that flag. I was surprised by that but that is apparently their rules. I felt like they would be interested in it but that isn't the case at all. They are not accepting any more relics from WW2. I didn't want to just start an internet search for interested parties for the obvious reason. Guess it just stays in the attic for now.