What's in your military treasure box?

My grandfather's rank and issued bible from WWII.

My grandfather, James C. Coe, served in WWI. He was in the North Dakota National Guard and was mobilized along with Guard members from other Central Plains States. My son and I build a shadow box for his items: WWI victory medal with France clasp, corporal rank, 41st Infantry Division patch, and diary. Diary chronicles his time in France, redeployment on troop ship, out-processing at Camp Dix, NJ, and train ride home. Priceless.

What I have is a challenge coin from 272 NPTT, the reason that coin means so much to me is because of the bothers I served with, at no time in my career did I ever serve with a group of soldiers that was more family then them. There is something to be said about small team units that brings you closer to the people you served with.

The other treasure box, is currently still being held by the person who earned the memories that fill not only the wall but the box that they reside in. My grandfather a Marine combat veteran of the Korean War asked me what I wanted left to me in his will. I told him that he could leave everything to everyone else in the family the t bird the lake house all of it, but I asked him if he would leave me his Marine Corps awards everything he had during his time in service, my grand father asked me why that was all I wanted of him, to me it's a piece of my grandfather no car no house could ever be, to me it's the one thing my grandfather is, a Marine who shared with me a love for service, a man who taught me to be stronger by standing for those who could not or would not. Honestly I don't ever want to take position of those treasures because I know that the day I do, will be the day that I lose the one person in this world that I love more than life itself.

My dad's shadow box the nursing home provided for his room so visitors would know a veteran resided there. Also his VA 'issued' funeral flag. My mom insisted I have it, because she kept the regulation sized funeral flag I'd had flown for him at Mildenhall RAF, England. They met while he was stationed at Bentwaters, & Mildenhall was a base they'd often come to visit me when I flew through. I had the flag flown for him, while he was still cognizant of himself & most his memories as he descended into Alzheimers. My family was mostly all present when I presented him & my mother with that flag, & read them the letter the base had included, thanking him for the honor of flying that flag for him & for his service. He hugged onto that flag the rest of the day, not letting it out of his sight. After he was gone, my mother kept it, and asked me to accept the one from the VA in his memory, since I was also a veteran. Sitting here in tears reliving the memories.

I have a box now that I made myself, displays my mini-medals and other devices which is my closet. Has my retirement flag, dog tags etc. the drawer keeps all my challenge coins and large medals that were earned etc. I had lost almost everything from my office during Hurricane Katrina. That is all that is left. 21 years of memorabilia. most cannot be replaced. The awards, plaques, trophys etc I donated to the Special Olympics.

i still have my original enlistment papers, all my apr/eprs (on thumb drive and cloud) and my Retirement Cert signed by George W Bush.

I will have my medals and ribbons as well as all the rank insignia I've worn over the 20 years I served. Just finished the design of the box and will build it with some nice figured wood as soon as I finish a coffee table for my wife.

My deployment flag. It went to the Middle East with me and back 4 times. Everything else is replaceable. That flag is not.

My box contains a flag from every country that I have worked in, my "I Love Me" book, photos if me and some of my teams and counterparts as well as some gifts that were given to me (and yes they are approved by the DoD 5500.7-R Joint Ethics Regulation). Some people know the significance behind some of the items and some are mainly just for my own personal reflection.

I still have a storage unit which I had gotten before the deployment to put my life into while I was in Afghanistan. I have hard cases in it full of my cammies, skivvies, boot socks, deployment gear that I picked up in Afghanistan, and a cardboard box full of books I read on the deployment (over 40 of them). I also have another box full of stuff including paperwork, challenge coins, and various mementos from throughout my life.

Most of my box is now mounted on a sword holder that I made. I was only recently able to justify buying my NCO sword and it is so dam cool I just had to show it off. The plaque that holds it and its crossed scabbard is surrounded by My ribbons and shooting badges, ROKMC badge, MACSOG badge, ARVN armor and rangers pins, a M48 and 1st MarDiv pin, my original PFC and Cpl. chevrons (the black all worn off and tarnished) and a plate that capsulizes my Marine history.

Still in the box: some linked 7.62, M1 clip, a black ARVN tanker beret, thread bare ROK camo jacket, a rather large chunk of razor sharp shrapnel, about 200 photos and about 300' of super-8 film. Lastly Marine docs and the MS. for my first book....oh yeah, the SKS in the gun safe. All of that pretty much tells its own story.