Veterans Question

[Jeepnik]

Like Vito I never heard of challenge coins when I served ( 71-77). Perhaps they became a thing later.

My kids have them and according to them "play the game". Among those they served with it was a sort of one upmanship. Who ever had the lowest ranking coin bought the booze. All in good fun.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

I know of challenge coins, not the protocol, as I never one them in my time of service. My Grandson was given one at basic training graduation.

My Son graduated basic 1.5 years ago. When the ceremony was over and we were allowed to leave the stands and find him, I shook his hand, and he said "I have something for you". He reached in his (small) dress white pocket and handed me a RTC Great Lakes challenge coin. Of all the coins I have, this one means the most, and will never be played in the game.

I served 24 years on active duty and never heard of the concept of "challenge coins" until long after I retired from the military. I already have enough in my pockets without adding a big coin to keep with me all the time. These coins do sound a bit like a participation trophy and would mean about the same thing to me.

Then you don't truly get the concept. A participation trophy? not hardly. Although, as I stated before, there are too many now. Marketing took advantage of a time honored tradition. You can buy them online now. Not "official" but there are coins for everything now. It is a honor to be "coined" by a higher ranking official, or a member of another command. It was also a good feeling to not be caught off guard when a bar tab was tallied and someone placed one on the bar.....I think you have stated you were Medical Corps.....sort of a different group and possibly didn't participate in such things.

Like Vito I never heard of challenge coins when I served ( 71-77). Perhaps they became a thing later.

My kids have them and according to them "play the game". Among those they served with it was a sort of one upmanship. Who ever had the lowest ranking coin bought the booze. All in good fun.

Exactly. It is a sense of pride in a way. But yes, all in good fun.

 

[Killer Bee]

gathered a few myself along the way, several navy of course, army, coast guard, fbi, etc

not participation trophies by any means but something you give someone for a special accomplishment or performance, or special deployments and evolutions, and sometimes just a token of comradery between other units or branches of service, even other gov agencies and foreign military. been going on since ancient rome

sure it's been commercialized like everything these days with mass produced generic coins that subsequently dilute the sentiment however personalized unit and command staff coins still hold special meaning to those who give them out and hopefully those receiving them

while president of the fcpoa of my unit we had coins made for such occasions, this was the last deployment coin before my retirement

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Bravo Zulu KB!..........some just don't get it I guess.

 

[Jeepnik]

My Son graduated basic 1.5 years ago. When the ceremony was over and we were allowed to leave the stands and find him, I shook his hand, and he said "I have something for you". He reached in his (small) dress white pocket and handed me a RTC Great Lakes challenge coin. Of all the coins I have, this one means the most, and will never be played in the game.

Then you don't truly get the concept. A participation trophy? not hardly. Although, as I stated before, there are too many now. Marketing took advantage of a time honored tradition. You can buy them online now. Not "official" but there are coins for everything now. It is a honor to be "coined" by a higher ranking official, or a member of another command.

Mostly it is about alcohol

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Mostly it is about alcohol

Can't deny that from some of my experiences

 

[Watertender]

I still carry a challenge coin but it says USAF RETIRED now. I have a fair number of them and one that I cherish is the one given to me by a good friend and Ruger owner who goes by WATERTENDER on this and the ROCS forum. Thank you again Carl.

Ron, thank you for the opportunity to give you a coin. I think very highly of veterans and try to show my appreciation. You earn it the hard way.

I started giving challenge coins to veterans many years ago when I would have coffee with a WW2 and Korea USMC veteran. My friend Charlie always wore a Marine Corps hat, I saw a Marine Corps challenge coin when I was looking for something else online and bought it for him.

When Charlie died my wife and I went to his calling hours and his coin was in the casket with his American flag. I asked his nephew about the coin and he said that it was his Uncle Charlie's proudest possession that he would show people. His nephew said that he was holding it when he died. I thought if it meant that much to Charlie that it would mean that much to other veterans.

I have a case in my truck that has challenge coins in it for the different branches of the service and I try to keep coins in it. I have bought some specially for the veterans who I know personally but many times I see someone wearing a military hat and ask about their service. I do this at the local diner and go to my truck to get them a coin. Other people know what I am doing and watch as I give the coin to the vet. Most times it's greatly appreciated. I have had only one guy give me some crap about giving him a coin so I asked him if he would prefer to be cussed at instead and walked away.

Thank You to EVERY veteran here. I greatly appreciate your service.

 

[Jeepnik]

I think I understand now. Killer Bee talks about "deployments". We didn't "deploy". We went to Vietnam or Thailand with occasional side trips to Laos & Cambodia.

 

[vito]

It seems clear that the major use of these coins is to avoid paying for one's bar tab by hoping a fellow vet does not have a coin with him (or her). Since I don't go to bars I can feel confident that not having a challenge coin will not make a difference in my life.

 

[eveled]

Very informative thread. I've been hearing of these coins but didn't know the whole story.

My Dad carried a coin from AA in his pocket for years. It was a gift from a visiting uncle my Dad found him a meeting and took him to it. That was 30+ years ago. So it probably predates challenge coins.

My Dad was a recovered alcoholic. He said he never wanted a drink as bad as he did after that meeting.

I got this at work for working safely. I guess its a challenge coin?

Not something I need in my pocket.

 

[Yaworski]

Unless I'm mistaken,, they started as a way for Special Forces team members to be able to identify with other Teams when going places,, & doing stuff. Plus,, I heard that if you didn't have your coin on you & were "challenged" in a bar,, you had to buy a round of drinks for everybody.

That's my recollection as well. Special units had them and as I recall, they were pretty simple things that you carried to show membership in one of those units. As with many things, they went over the top and went from identifiers to elaborate commemorative items. Special people give you their coin and then you display it.

 

[Watertender]

The story I heard was that it originated during WW1. An American pilot flying with the Lafayette Escadrille was shot down and escaped to the British and French lines. He was in civilian clothing so was considered as a possible spy. He had a medallion from his college and was taken to a British headquarters to be interrogated. One of the British officers recognized the crest on the medallion and started asking questions about the school. Come to find out they had a mutual friend who was serving in another area and he was contacted to verify the identity of the guy.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

While wife and I were visiting the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg TX. I received a Challenge Coin from the Captain of the USS Nimitz. He was giving a talk at the Museum about the USS Nimitz and Admiral Nimitz. After the talk I introduced myself and told him that my son was his Air Boss. I guess that was good enough to receive his coin. I also received one of my Sons.
Yea back in the old days in the USAF we didn't have them that I was aware of.

 

[freakindawgen]

Never heard of them till several years ago. 1977-1981 In the Navy serviced the Helos that trained Navy and Marines to fly. Most of the instructors were Vietnam veterans and many were awesome crazy. Good times. We delt with them daily face to face made friends with some. I think if there were any, they would have come from them.

Also, we didn't need a challenge coin to drink. Even on 3rd weekend without a payday, most of us were broke. We would put all cash we had in a pot and we all drank off that.

 

[Tensaw]

My son has received a few for recognition of excellent work at the Guidance Weapons Evaluation Facility (GWEF) in Eglin Air Force Base.

 

[hittman]

 

[Mobuck]

I have a USMC challenge coin given to me by my Wounded Warrior deer hunter. A bunch of guys sitting around a table in the hospitality suite during one of our agency meetings were BSing about their past and I quietly laid that coin on the table just to see the responses. Two of the five others laid out theirs. Later (minus the BS'ers) we talked a bit about how/where the coins came from. I made no claims but just receiving the coin from another Marine connected me with the others.