HACKENSACK, N.J. (Sept. 5) - The American flag that was raised by three firefighters over the wreckage of the World Trade Center, one of the most enduring images of Sept. 11, has disappeared. After it was removed from the site during cleanup, the flag was believed to have been flown on U.S. ships serving in the war in Afghanistan, then returned to New York City officials in March. But the flag that city officials preserved measures 5 feet by 8 feet. The flag the firefighters raised on Sept. 11 measured 4 feet by 6 feet, according to its original owners. ''It's just a really awkward and difficult situation,'' said Lark-Marie Anton, a spokeswoman for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. ''What it represents is really what's important.'' Bloomberg has asked city fire officials to investigate what happened to the flag. Jeffery G. Scism, IBSSG, (<A HREF="http://blacksheep.rootsweb.com">http://blacksheep.rootsweb.com</A>) ~~ "Genealogy is the art of the Living haunting the Dead."