As a POW in a Japanese prison camp during World War II, James “Denny” Landrum helped to construct a forbidden American flag out of bed sheet, using colored pencils to fill in the stars and stripes, and a stolen fireman’s pipe for a flagpole. Landrum, a Virginian, was held for 18 months after the sinking of his submarine, and could have been executed by his jailors for making the flag.

When he was finally rescued in 1945, Landrum and the flag featured prominently in an iconic photo of the freed POWs. However, Landrum lost track of the flag soon after their release.

Landrum spent several years searching for the flag, but passed away in 1980 before it was located. His son took up the search, and after more than 30 years, located the flag in a storage facility at Washington DC’s Naval Museum. Senator Warner has asked the Navy to loan the flag to the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond for display.

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