Posted on Jun 19, 2015
What do you do with your old medals and ribbons?
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I have an annoying assortment of no longer accurate pre-built ribbon and medal racks (I never had patience to build them myself). I don't want to throw them away or sell them because it seems wrong and might contribute to a stolen valor problem, does anyone know of any ribbon rack sites that recycle them somehow or another creative method of disposal/reuse?
EDIT: I am talking about outdated sets of awards after you get more and your old pre-built set is no longer accurate, what do you do with them?
EDIT: I am talking about outdated sets of awards after you get more and your old pre-built set is no longer accurate, what do you do with them?
Awards
Medals
Ribbons
Badges
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 68
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Capt Richard I P. I've kept the most recent set on my Dress Blues (Miniature Medals) and a set on my Dress Whites (neither of which I use anymore) and I have one set on my Class A Dress Greens that I had when I retired and I have two in a display case in the living room, and the rest are packed away. One of these days my wife is going to get me a shadow box to display them and my rank from E-1 to E-6 and 2LT to COL, along with some insignia from some of my units that I was assigned to (someday). I will most likely hand them down to my (3) daughters and their grandchildren. I've got my Dad's Korean War Medals and last ribbon set. I will had them down as well - why not, I'm proud of my Dad's service and purple heart and your children should be proud of yours as well. I usually pitch the racks that are out of date and I've got one more to get put together (Updated) with my last award LOM for ceremonies and invitations that I receive to attend events and I wear my retirement dress black uniform.
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SPC Mark Brown
A box in the basement, what is left of them that is. I only had a couple to begin with. I have more since I left the Army than I did when I was in. They keep introducing new stuff and retroactively awarding them and just mailing them out. Meaningless.
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I gave some of them to my son who is a soon to be SPC. The others are stored in a bag.
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I treated them as "consumables." Ribbons got dingy/tattered a while. I have all my originals in a keepsake box, but my medal racks I saved the anodized medal and shifted it to the new pre-made as a cost saving measure.
It's not too bad until they start overlapping, as that is easy to just make yourself.
It's not too bad until they start overlapping, as that is easy to just make yourself.
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A great question. I always hang on to them. Even the professionally manufactured ones can sometimes be pried off and re-used by other Soldiers.
If they are just loose ribbons, I keep them as spares just in case someone else looses one of their ribbons during a formal event. (it's happened!)
If they are just loose ribbons, I keep them as spares just in case someone else looses one of their ribbons during a formal event. (it's happened!)
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I would take the ribbons and marksman awards to Supply NCO and see if they want them to add them to the ribbon supply they have. I would keep the medals and display them.
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I also bought a shadow box to display my Medals, Ribbons, Coins, Pictures, Arm Patches & Rank. When family, friends civilian & Military look at my shadow box, they can see that I Defended, The United States Of America, with The U.S.ARMY. HOOAH!!!
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