South Korean War Flag

My South Korean War Flag dated January 3rd, 1951

The acquirement

I bought this South Korean flag on eBay a while ago for just 98 USD. I was nervous when the auction ended because I thought that was very cheap. Luckily, I won — and I’m very pleased to have it in my collection.

Flags and designs still in use today are difficult to date precisely. But based on the note that came with this flag and some investigation, I’m 100% certain it’s actually from the Korean War. Let’s take a look :)

The note

This note was attached to the flag (and still is) and it reads:

Mason, Korea

January 3, 1951

Dear Kenneth

Just a little flag for a keepsake.

I hope you like it.

Sincerely yours

Clifford P. Ochoa

The story

I haven’t been able to locate any place called “Mason” in Korea, other than a university — so it’s still a mystery where Mr. Ochoa wrote the note.

But I did some research on Clifford Patrick Ochoa himself, and it turns out he was a soldier in the U.S. Army: 4.2 Mortar Company, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was born on March 18, 1928, and enlisted on December 23, 1947, with Army serial number 1054897 and the rank of Corporal.

A quick lookup in the National Archives database reveals he was KIA (Killed in Action) on October 2, 1951 — about 10 months after he sent the flag to Kenneth. I’ve requested his records from the archive, and the death certificate states he was killed in the field near Sabwa-Mayn, Korea, due to a missile strike to the head and right side of the body, causing a fatal wound.

From what I can tell, this must have occurred during the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge, which took place from September to October 1951.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Heartbreak_Ridge

He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

Link to his grave:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3616076/clifford-patrick-ochoa

Part of his death certificate

Next, I needed to confirm that this Ochoa was in fact the same person who sent the flag. A certificate from the archive includes his signature — and it's nearly identical to the one on the note.

His signature

This was a remarkable find — it confirms that the flag truly dates back to the Korean War. Sadly, Mr. Ochoa died before the war ended, which means the note and flag were indeed sent during his service. Could someone have replaced the flag and reused the original note? In theory, yes. But the aged tape affixing the note to the fabric is deeply bonded, making it clear that this is authentic.

The fabric feels somewhat like silk, but it’s hard to say exactly what it is. It might be a synthetic silk or a lightweight rayon. The flag is printed, and over time the colors have faded — particularly along the folds.

It could potentially have been used as a table flag or perhaps part of a shrine display.

It measures 70×47 cm (approximately 27.5 × 18.5 inches) unstretched.

Photos of the flag