Flag symbol of wing's efforts

  • Published
  • By Maj. David Kurle
  • 455 AEW public affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  The 442nd Fighter Wing is deployed now for the third time since the Global War on Terror officially began in October 2001 and one NCO brought along a memento that has come to symbolize his, and the 442nd's, participation.

Tech. Sgt. Paul Hanson, deployed to the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, purchased an American flag after graduating from high school and has flown it on all three of the wing's deployments.

"I graduated high school in 1976 and we were the ‘Spirit of '76,'" Sergeant Hanson said. "It's flown here, and it's flown at Tallil (Air Base, Iraq), it's flown at Kirkuk (Air Base, Iraq) and now it's flown here again."

As the flag has flown over combat zones three other times, it's becoming worn, so Sergeant Hanson hoisted it only briefly during the wing's latest deployment, supporting Operation Enduring Freedom with its A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and accompanying maintenance Airmen.

"It's getting dry and brittle," Sergeant Hanson said.

"I dragged it out of the box after September 11th and it was basically brand new when we came over here the first time," he said. The 442nd deployed with its A-10s here in 2002.

Sergeant Hanson has plans for the flag when he gets home from his current tour in Afghanistan.

"It's going to be a wall plaque," he said. "I'll list the deployments it's been on and give it to the (Veterans of Foreign Wars).

"I just get attached to things, and I know that when a flag gets tore up, you're supposed to destroy it, but I just can't do it," Sergeant Hanson said.