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Do you have a box/s of military treasures that you would run into a burning house to save? What do you have in there and why is it significant? Most importantly, does everybody else know the significance? You see it all the time. Someone inherits something in grandma and grandpa's attic and it looks cool, but you don't know the whole story behind it. What is in YOUR box?
Posted in these groups: 
Genealogy
Genealogy
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 112
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Ya'll are probably sick of reading post where I mention this, but my 'box of treasure' is the shadow box of my Grandfathers awards and decorations. He is an original member (I always say that, because that is how he refers to himself when speaking about his time in Burma) of the Merrill's Marauders. I would go into a burning building to save his original medals and patches...
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SSG Jim Foreman
SPC Jay Heenan. I'd run into a burning building to save that. Much respect to your grandfather and his battle buddies.
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LCDR (Join to see)
Awesome! Much respect to your grandfather. I have to agree with SSG Jim Foreman, I'd run in to save that stuff too.
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CPO Emmett (Bud) Carpenter
Thank you SFC Merino. He received it for doing the recon on Yap. They were the first to deploy from a submarine. Of the five who went ashore only my dad and one other person returned. The other 3 were captured and executed by the Japanese.
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My Marines had this thing cut from metal (about 3' by 2') and gave it to me during the deployment. I've received mounted awards, framed pictures, and lovely plaques, but damn it, if I don't love this thing and how it reminds me of that unit. I would leave everything else behind before losing it. Fortunately, I don't think it would burn down.
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CPO Jon Campbell
That's a pretty cool thing. I got tired of seeing the same old retirement gifts, so when a CWO who had been a great mentor to many of us retired, we gave him a Glock 33 custom engraved at the factory in Austria. It turned out really great.
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CPO Jon Campbell
It wasn't an easy thing to have made, but it was worth it. Had to find a Glock company rep and then went back and forth with the factory about the design and they don't speak English. It was worth it though.
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A few years ago I went to an auction and bought an old wooden military issue tool chest that had been used by a Marine as a footlocker in WWII. It has a USMC padlock on it and had been stored in a barn and forgotten since 1945. It was an incredible time capsule. The owner had candles in it and they had melted all around everything. A Japanese newspaper had disintegrated and confetti from it coated everything. It took a long time to get everything out of the wax, but I found German coins, an engagement ring box, Parker pens from his high school graduation, airplane tools, a black book with girls names and numbers, base passes, and lots of other stuff. The best thing was the dog tags that were the old style with acid etched fingerprints.
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I have a photo of my Great Grandfather in uniform along with a surfmans medal. He was in the predecessor of the Coast Guard. Pretty neat.
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PO2 Jonathan Scharff
GySgt Brian Robinson where would you get a new ribbon? Thanks for your response.
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GySgt Brian Robinson
Any place that mounts ribbons would be able to do it for you. I know a lot of Military surplus stores do it. May even be able to get the ribbon off line and do it yourself. Then again being that old they may not stock the correct ribbon. I'm by MCAS Cherry Point let me look into it for you and see what I can find.
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PO2 Jonathan Scharff
That is very kind of you GySgt Brian Robinson. Thank you for looking into that for me.
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My grandfathers bayonets that he brought back from WWII. On the left is a Japanese Bayonet and on the right is his US Bayonet. Very interesting, I can't imagine what these two weapons have seen.
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SPC Blaine Cohick
Absolutely. I will keep these and then hand them down to my children while letting them know what a hero their grandfather was!
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An 82nd Airborne Division wristwatch that I received as an award for being the 82nd Airborne Division Trooper of the Month, April 1977. Have I mentioned that before, SFC Mark Merino? :-)
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I wouldn't try and save my "treasures" I'd be hoping for the best. However my most prized possession is a flag that was flown over a base in Afganistan on the 10yr Anniversery of 9-11. Hopefully if someone were to come across it the certificate that is with it would explain the significance of it
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I have my grandpa's medals from WWII, the flag that was on his coffin when he passed, a picture of his platoon from basic training, my few ribbons, my C-cap from my class A's, a C cap and epaulets from my former love's uniform of the Luftwaffe, and my basic training platoon photo.
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SFC Mark Merino
PV2 (Join to see) Who did pop pop serve with during WWII? That's just awesome. Greatest generation RESPECT!!!
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PV2 (Join to see)
He was in the US Army. He did his training at Ft. Sill. He was in the Army of Occupation in Germany.
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