Can anyone identify the woman in this picture or the flag she is holding?
http://tinyurl.com/4v88y

Thanks,
Clark

Clark,
I cannot identify the lady, but I wonder if the flag is that of a brigadier general. I do know in modern decades general officers are allowed to display a regular-sized red flag with a centered large white star for however many stars they wear on their collar. This is why they are called "flag officers." I plead ignorance as to how old is this tradition. Perhaps someone can enlighten us on that.
This does not explain the blue background.
We note the lady is dressed severely, perhaps in black. I wonder if she is mourning her recently-departed husband, a brigadier general. Carrying the US flag along with the one with the star conveys to me a service to the country.
I cannot make out the background, but I suspect it to be a photo studio backdrop. This doesn't give any clue as to her identity or location unless another reader recognizes the studio from another photo they have seen taken against the same backdrop.
What do you think?
Bruce Nichols