LAST EDITED ON Jan-27-15 AT 00:50 AM (EST)
 
I mentioned in her 1946 bio for Our Witches at War that Yoshika holds the Order of the Golden Kite, a high Fusō military decoration. Like the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross that several of the Karlsland witches hold on the show (it's a plot point in a couple of different episodes), the Order of the Golden Kite was a real WWII military medal (in this case of the Empire of Japan, not Germany like the Knight's Cross). Yoshika being a holder of it was a detail I added myself, to add a little more depth and color to her record... or at least I thought it was.

However, I was just re-watching a bit of the Strike Witches movie and noticed something. In one of the early scenes, set in Yoshika's bedroom in her home near Yokosuka, there's a slow pan across her desk, showing some photos and mementos she has of her time with the 501st. I've pieced together a couple of screencaps to show the whole thing in one frame.

Resting on the book at left is a Knight's Cross - note the ribbon, meant to be worn at the collar. Iron Crosses Second Class also came on a ribbon, but it was shorter and affixed vertically, as it was intended to be worn from a buttonhole, and the Iron Cross First Class had no ribbon - it was post-mounted and meant to be pinned to a breast pocket flap. It's a little surprising that Yoshika has one of these, since she's not a Karlsländer nor was she fighting specifically in the cause of Karlsland, but not inconceivable - Admiral Yamamoto had one in real life (with Oak Leaves and Swords, no less), evidently just because Hitler thought anybody who could stick it to the American Navy that thoroughly deserved to have one.

However.

Over on the right, sitting on the book in the upper righthand corner...

... if I'm not mistaken, that's an Order of the Golden Kite. In gold, so of fifth or higher class.

I do love it when a plan comes together.

--G.
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Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
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