American flag. Possibly from George Hontos' interment. The white border portion of the flag, to which links have been attached to the flag can be clipped to a flag pole, and has also been stamped with the words "5'x9 1/2' Philadelphia Q. M. Depot." Because it was issued in 1943 the flag only has 48 stars. The flag has been hemmed on the end with the stripes. The hem is now 21 inches but at the bottom, a few of the stitches have come undone and the hem has fallen.

At a military funeral, an American flag is used as a pall. The flag is then folded 12 times by the honor guard so that it is in a small triangle with the stars showing. The flag is presented to the deceased's family. This is an integral part of the ceremony of a military funeral.

The stamp on the flag refers to the Philadelphia Quartermaster's Depot. The arsenal made flags and clothes for the US Military.

George James Hontos was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 27th, 1920. The son of James and Cornelia Hontos, brother of Dimitra, Arthur, and John, who also served in the United States Navy. Two weeks following the Pearl Harbor disaster, he was called to serve his country in the Army. He trained for six months at Camps Yulen and Wallace, Tex. On March 1, 1942, the 434th Coast Artillery Battalion (Anti-Aircraft) was activated. With this outfit, he was sent to England. After the completion of training, they took part in the liberation of Africa. George died from a landmine left by the Nazis, trying to aid some wounded women and children in Tunisia, on May 24th, 1943. Private George J. Hontos was posthumously awarded the Soldier's Medal and the Purple Heart.

The content on this site is made available for research and education purposes only. The use of these materials may be restricted by law or the donor.

Any other use, such as exhibition, publication, or commercial use, is not allowed except by written permission in accordance with the NHM Image Rights and Reproduction Policy.

For questions on image rights and reproduction, please contact nhmcollections@hellenicmuseum.org