Sankovic flag to fly over cemetery

C. E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery has selected the casket flag of Joseph R. Sankovic for the honor of flying over the Veterans Memorial Monument for the coming year.

Each year on Memorial Day, veterans of Flathead County raise a new flag at the monument in the Conrad Cemetery in honor of a veteran.

The ceremony takes place just before the Memorial Day salute to veterans scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday.

United Veterans of Flathead County’s color guard will retire the flag of last year’s veteran Henry Thornton ‘Hank” Haaven and raise Sankovic’s casket flag presented by his family.

Members of both families participate in the ceremony.

A number of years ago, the family of Harry Farrington donated a new flagpole in memory of all Montanans who have served their country in the military. It flies over the white marble structure donated by the United Veterans that is engraved with the names of those who gave their lives in combat whether buried at Conrad or elsewhere.

Born in Pittsburgh, Sankovic died on Oct. 28, 2006, in Kalispell at age 81. He was a soldier and a graduate civil engineer as well as an accomplished competitive target shooter.

Sankovic was awarded the Distinguished Rifle Marksman Badge and was named a member of the President’s Hundred (service rifle) at the National Matches in Camp Perry, Ohio. He won several state championships in high-power and long-range matches.

In the 1980s, his ability won him a position on the Army’s All Guard National Team.

When World War II started, Sankovic left high school at 18 in his junior year to enlist in the Army. He deployed to the Pacific Theater with a combat infantry unit that included heavy construction companies.

Sankovic helped build airstrips and communication centers in remote areas of the Pacific. He was in combat in Luzon and New Guinea. He was credited with downing a Japanese Zero fighter with his .50-caliber Browning machine gun.

He remained in Japan to assist with rebuilding projects.

After his service, Sankovic finished high school and attended the University of Pittsburgh where he received a degree in civil and mining engineering. He moved to Butte in the early 1950s and  worked in underground mining.

In the ’60s, he came to Kalispell after going to work for the Forest Service where he remained through his retirement in 1987.

Sankovic continued as a professional soldier along with his civilian employment. Wanting to be the best, he re-enlisted and was accepted into Army Special Forces for special warfare training and jump school which he completed at 39.

He served with several Special Forces groups and was a non-commissioned officer at the time of his retirement and honorary discharge. Sankovic made his last jump in South Africa in 1996 when he was 71.

He was married to Beverly Sankovic, who died in February. He was survived by a son and four daughters.