According to Radio Iowa, a historic American flag carried by Iowa soldiers during World War II has been restored and returned to the Grout Museum in Waterloo.
The flag was donated in 1960 by Brig. Gen. Howard Jesse Rouse, who commanded the Iowa National Guard’s 133rd Infantry Regiment in Waterloo. Museum officials say evidence indicates the flag was carried by the first American soldiers to set foot in Europe on Jan. 26, 1942.
The 133rd was part of the 34th Infantry Division, which included soldiers from Iowa and Minnesota. The Waterloo regiment later became known as the “Ironman Battalion” because of the number of days it spent in combat in Europe, including a reported 611 days in Italy.
The silk 48-star flag had been forgotten in storage before it was rediscovered about five years ago. The museum raised funds to have it restored by a Minneapolis company.
Museum officials are now seeking relatives of soldiers who served with the 133rd Infantry Regiment as they work to develop an exhibit for the flag.
