Though faded, flag bears 45 years of soldiers' bonds

A Vietnam vet's son was carrying his father's old banner when he was killed in Iraq

By William Cole

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 26, 2012

~~<p>A war-torn Vietnam-era battle flag with thousands of miles of travel and decades of service and sacrifice interwoven with its stars and stripes is making a return to Hawaii from Afghanistan — before heading back to the country next year.</p>
<p>The flag belongs to Allen Hoe, a Honolulu attorney and Vietnam War veteran whose 27-year-old son, Nainoa, an Army first lieutenant, was felled by a sniper's bullet in Mosul, Iraq, in 2005. The 1995 Kamehameha Schools graduate was carrying the flag with him when he died.</p>
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A war-torn Vietnam-era battle flag with thousands of miles of travel and decades of service and sacrifice interwoven with its stars and stripes is making a return to Hawaii from Afghanistan — before heading back to the country next year.

The flag belongs to Allen Hoe, a Honolulu attorney and Vietnam War veteran whose 27-year-old son, Nainoa, an Army first lieutenant, was felled by a sniper's bullet in Mosul, Iraq, in 2005. The 1995 Kamehameha Schools graduate was carrying the flag with him when he died. Login for more...