Ohio National Guard News

Ohio Battle Flag collection connects to state's military history

By Stephanie Beougher, Ohio National Guard Public Affairs

Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mann, Ohio Army National Guard historian, inspects the National Flag, 5th Infantry Regiment, among the flags housed at the Ohio National Guard headquarters located at the Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler Armory in Columbus, Ohio. The Adjutant General’s Department works in partnership with the Ohio History Connection to maintain the Ohio Battle Flag collection. (Staff Sgt. Michael Carden, ONG)

1st Battalion, 166th Infantry (among the post-World War I flags).

National Flag, 5th Infantry Regiment.

Cliff Eckle, a history curator with the Ohio History Connection, examines the Organizational Colors, 12th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (1861-1865), part of the “Follow the Flags Exhibit” at the Ohio History Center in Columbus, Ohio. Eckle is the curator of the pre-World War I inventory of the Ohio Battle Flag collection maintained at the center. (Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mann, ONG)

One of the National Flags in the “Follow the Flags Exhibit” at the Ohio History Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Cliff Eckle opens a conservation cabinet custom-built to safely store flag collections.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (06/14/17) — For centuries, battle flags have served as a symbol for Soldiers of the state or country they've sworn to protect and serve.

At one time, the flag served as a rallying point on the battlefield. Soldiers could look to the flag to know when to move forward, or when to pull back. It was a position of honor to carry the flag and keep it flying, but it also meant enemy guns were aimed at you.

“There are so many stories of valor and heroism that these flags tell. In some cases the blood of the color bearers is on these flags. That speaks to why it's important to maintain and preserve for future generations,” said Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mann, Ohio Army National Guard historian.

The Ohio Adjutant General's Department owns a collection of more than 900 battle flags, which makes it one of the largest collections in the country. The collection is held in partnership with the Ohio History Connection. Mann keeps a watchful eye over flags from post-World War I through the present at the Adjutant General's Department located at the Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler Armory in Columbus, while Cliff Eckle, a history curator at the Ohio History Connection in Columbus, maintains flags from the Mexican War through World War I.

“One thing to notice is when you open those storage cabinets, it concentrates some of the smells of the past. You can smell the gun powder and the wood smoke from 150 years ago,” Eckle said.

The flags include many variations of the stars and stripes, intricate embroidery and the names of battles and honors painted along the stripes.

Time has taken its toll on some of the older flags in the collection, especially those made of silk. The Ohio History Connection has worked since 1998 to raise funds to conserve some of the Civil War flags. At a cost of up to $30,000 per flag, the majority of the collection still hasn't been conserved.

Mann said specially designed cabinets keep some of flags protected from the elements.

“There are special trays in the cabinet where the flags can lay flat and out of the light. Light is very bad for textiles. It breaks the fabric down. The flags are maintained at about a 68 degree, 50 percent humidity environment, and kept at that level throughout the year,” he said.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of America's entry into World War I, and a new exhibit at the Ohio History Connection includes flags from the 37th and 83rd Divisions, which were primarily composed of Ohioans.

View the full Ohio Battle Flag Collection on the OHIO MEMORY web site