Flag that flew at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, on display at historic courthouse

Dean Hensley, Hendersonville Times-News
·4 min read
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The Pearl Harbor flag is in a frame and on display at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse. The flag flew on Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.
The Pearl Harbor flag is in a frame and on display at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse. The flag flew on Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.

HENDERSONVILLE - Mike Morgan, the chief communications officer for Henderson County, always stops and reflects at a special display located in the lobby of the Historic Henderson County Courthouse: an American flag that was at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous words still can be heard about that day in a speech on Dec. 8, 1941: "Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan."

The flag makes Morgan think about the grandfather of his wife, Lara. His name was Jim McCauley, and he was supposed to be at Pearl Harbor on that fateful day, Morgan said on Dec. 5 as he gazed at the flag in the courthouse.

A photo of the attack on Pearl Harbor is in a frame along with the flag that's on display at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse. The flag flew on Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.
A photo of the attack on Pearl Harbor is in a frame along with the flag that's on display at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse. The flag flew on Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.

"He got delayed, thank goodness. He got there a week or two after the attack," Morgan said.

Dec. 7 is now the National Pearl Harbor Day of Remembrance. This year marks the 82nd anniversary of the attack.

A plaque talks about the history of the Pearl Harbor flag that's on display at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse. The flag flew on Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.
A plaque talks about the history of the Pearl Harbor flag that's on display at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse. The flag flew on Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.

"We're standing here looking at history right in front of us," Morgan said. "It is kinda cool to come in here at the Historic Courthouse and see this flag and think of how it proudly flew over Pearl Harbor with everything that went on there that day and the devastating attack that pulled us into World War II."

How the flag got to Hendersonville

A plaque on the framed display of the flag, which also has photos of the Pearl Harbor attack, reads that the flag was flying on Dec. 7, 1941, at the Pearl Harbor Quarters of Lt. Commander Horace B. Compton, who was a Hendersonville resident.

After his service, Compton brought the flag home with him to Hendersonville and gave it to a neighbor, the plaque said. Compton then told the neighbor to find a proper home for it.

A photo of the attack on Pearl Harbor is in a frame along with the flag that's on display at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse. The flag flew on Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.
A photo of the attack on Pearl Harbor is in a frame along with the flag that's on display at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse. The flag flew on Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.

A letter also framed in the display is from former North Carolina Congressman Charles Taylor, and it was addressed to Capt. Vincent Colan, who was the neighbor of Compton. Colan had sent a letter to Taylor requesting information about Compton's service at Pearl Harbor.

Through the National Personnel Records Center, Taylor was able to confirm that Compton was in service on Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor during the attack. The letter of confirmation came in 2005, and just two years later, Colan died at the age of 93.

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A native of Long Island, New York, Colan had moved to Hendersonville in 1971. He retired from the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Navy Reserve after 40 years of service, according to his obituary, and earned a Silver Star as damage control officer for helping keep the USS San Francisco afloat for a safe return to Saipan after it had struck a mine.

After moving to Hendersonville, he founded the Pearl Harbor Day Commemorative Committee.

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A temporary home

The Pearl Harbor flag will be at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse for a limited time, according to Henderson County Manager John Mitchell.

“The flag that flew at Pearl Harbor serves as a poignant reminder, a symbol of resilience, sacrifice and the enduring spirit of a nation united in the face of adversity and will be on permanent display at the Veterans Services offices when the VFW renovation is completed," Mitchell told the Times-News on Dec. 5.

The county purchased the VFW building located at 900 N. Main St. in April 2021 and renovations are still ongoing. Morgan said the project is expected to be complete in July 2024 and when it is, the flag will be prominently displayed there, he said.

"We are honored to be able to display the Pearl Harbor flag at the Historic Courthouse," Mitchell said. "Dec. 7, 1941, is a day that Americans will always remember. It’s because of history like this that the Board of Commissioners determined to secure and renovate the VFW building. Stewarding these artifacts and caring for veterans and their families remains a high priority in Henderson County.”

The Historic Courthouse's Henderson County Heritage Museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. It's closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Piece of history: Pearl Harbor flag on display at historic courthouse