The troops of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit carried the flags with them when they went into combat in Iraq.

"When I accepted these flags last year I made two promises. I said first we would carry them wherever we went, and second, I said we would do so with honor. I'm here this morning to report that mission accomplished in both areas," unit commander Colonel Richard Mills said at a ceremony honoring the flags' return to New York.

"I am proud to accept these flags, and assure you they will proudly fly over Ground Zero as a symbol of your commitment and as a symbol of this nation's commitment to defend freedom and honor the heroes we lost on September 11," New York Governor George Pataki said.

The flags were given to police officers of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in honor of 37 of their colleagues who died when the trade center collapsed after the attack with hijacked airliners.

WAR.WIRE