Challenge Coins

[CSEMARTIN]

Share your Challenge Coins and the story behind them.

 

I just finished the Citizen's Police Academy and was given this coin by the Chief of Police.

[BritinUSA]

No interesting story, just a cool coin.

 

 

 

[EEH]

Mi

Edited May 30, 2019 by EEH
Here’s mine

[IronicTwitch]

Only 16 of these were made and handed out to support contractors that were key contributors to get this block upgrade into first flight test.

Edited May 30, 2019 by IronicTwitch

[EA308]

 

[CSEMARTIN]

This thread is dead to me now.

[RangerTrace]

yeah.....

 

I have some cool ones at home.  I'll post next week.

[Sawdustnsteel]

On 7/10/2019 at 4:46 PM, CSEMARTIN said:

This thread is dead to me now.

 

Why cause EA308 posts a cool coin with some retired guys name on it?

 

hell he can’t hurt ya no more,.  

 

[jhgtyre]

On 7/12/2019 at 1:29 AM, Sawdustnsteel said:

 

Why cause EA308 posts a cool coin with some retired guys name on it?

 

hell he can’t hurt ya no more,.  

 

A good attitude and one we should stick with so this thread can remain open.

[jhgtyre]

[armydad]

Too many cool ones to choose from and stories to go with them.

[George16]

Here are my challenge coins from the different commands I was stationed with during my navy career. Some were also from friends when we exchange or swap challenge coins.

 

I made the U.S flag mount using red and white oak and bought the stars from an online store and glued them in place. There are some more but I don’t want to put too much so as not to overcrowd the flag.

 

[Sawdustnsteel]

7 hours ago, George16 said:

Here are my challenge coins from the different commands I was stationed with during my navy career. Some were also from friends when we exchange or swap challenge coins.

 

I made the U.S flag mount using red and white oak and bought the stars from an online store and glued them in place. There are some more but I don’t want to put too much so as not to overcrowd the flag.

 

My nephew got all mine from my Time in the Army and DOD from 1991-2012 the day he commissioned. I’ll ask him to take photos. 

He’d said seeing all the coins and patches from everywhere was a contributing reason for him to join. The ass chewing I gave him post high school when he was going to enlist was why he did 4 years at UK and got a commission;)

[Dranoel]

Many, many years ago (1983), I was In the Navy stationed onboard the USS Nimitz. We pulled into Livorno, Itally for a 3 day port call. % min after the anchor dropped an announcement came across the 1MC. The was a Soviet frigate also in port. If we were going ashore it had to be in civilian clothes. NO ONE would be allowed on the liberty launches in uniform. If we saw Soviet sailors we were to avoid them at all costs. Cross the street, turn and walk away, go around the next corner whatever it took to avoid the possibility of a fight that could cause an international incident.

 

So a couple buddies and I ventured into port to have a look around. ("Have a look around" was code for find a place to get whiskey) We did a little sight seeing and around noon walked into a nice looking restaurant for lunch. No sooner had we placed our, order but the waitress sat three other young men at the table next to us. They were wearing Soviet Naval Enlisted Uniforms. My buddies went full panic mode. "What do we do? They're sitting right there! The s#!t is gonna hit the fan, I know it!" 

 

I said, "Calm down. Nothing bad is gonna happen." The sailors heard me. So I looked over at them and said, "Any of you speak English?"  Two of them nodded, "Da. Da. You are Americans from Carrier? "  "We are. Pull your table over here." They looked at each other and then got up and shoved their table up against ours. We ate. We drank. We talked about everything 20 yr old guys talk about. Girls, cars, motorcycles, music, and what life was like on our respective ships. We also learned that we tell the same jokes. No one asked for classified information and none was offered. Just 6 kids from opposite sides of the world having lunch, drinking wine and talking about guy stuff. For FOUR HOURS. 

 

As we got up to leave, I remembered that I had a 50 cent piece in my pocket that I had been carrying as my "Good Luck" coin. I pulled it out and put it in the hand of Yuri, Whom I had spent the most time conversing with. (can't recall his last name for the life of me but I couldn't pronounce or spell it either) "Something to remember me by."  He had a surprised look on his face, said thank you and jammed his hand into his own pocket. He pulled out this coin and gave it to me. "что-то, чтобы запомнить меня." (Something to remember me by) We shook hands and went our separate ways. 

 

And that coin has been in my pocket every day since. Closest thing I have to a challenge coin. 

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by Dranoel

[BritinUSA]

This is why we need a LIKE button....

[RangerTrace]

2 hours ago, Dranoel said:

Many, many years ago (1983), I was In the Navy stationed onboard the USS Nimitz. We pulled into Livorno, Itally for a 3 day port call. % min after the anchor dropped an announcement came across the 1MC. The was a Soviet frigate also in port. If we were going ashore it had to be in civilian clothes. NO ONE would be allowed on the liberty launches in uniform. If we saw Soviet sailors we were to avoid them at all costs. Cross the street, turn and walk away, go around the next corner whatever it took to avoid the possibility of a fight that could cause an international incident.

 

So a couple buddies and I ventured into port to have a look around. ("Have a look around" was code for find a place to get whiskey) We did a little sight seeing and around noon walked into a nice looking restaurant for lunch. No sooner had we placed our, order but the waitress sat three other young men at the table next to us. They were wearing Soviet Naval Enlisted Uniforms. My buddies went full panic mode. "What do we do? They're sitting right there! The s#!t is gonna hit the fan, I know it!" 

 

I said, "Calm down. Nothing bad is gonna happen." The sailors heard me. So I looked over at them and said, "Any of you speak English?"  Two of them nodded, "Da. Da. You are Americans from Carrier? "  "We are. Pull your table over here." They looked at each other and then got up and shoved their table up against ours. We ate. We drank. We talked about everything 20 yr old guys talk about. Girls, cars, motorcycles, music, and what life was like on our respective ships. We also learned that we tell the same jokes. No one asked for classified information and none was offered. Just 6 kids from opposite sides of the world having lunch, drinking wine and talking about guy stuff. For FOUR HOURS. 

 

As we got up to leave, I remembered that I had a 50 cent piece in my pocket that I had been carrying as my "Good Luck" coin. I pulled it out and put it in the hand of Yuri, Whom I had spent the most time conversing with. (can't recall his last name for the life of me but I couldn't pronounce or spell it either) "Something to remember me by."  He had a surprised look on his face, said thank you and jammed his hand into his own pocket. He pulled out this coin and gave it to me. "что-то, чтобы запомнить меня." (Something to remember me by) We shook hands and went our separate ways. 

 

And that coin has been in my pocket every day since. Closest thing I have to a challenge coin. 

 

very cool

[IronicTwitch]

2 hours ago, BritinUSA said:

This is why we need a LIKE button....

+1

[Dranoel]

Thanks guys.  It's not really something I show off a lot. It's more of a reminder of a personal life lesson. Regardless our differences, we're all a lot more alike than we realize.

[EEH]

Cool story,,

How many times have you thought ,, what ever happened to that guy ?  

[Ken6PPC]

On 7/22/2019 at 5:53 PM, Dranoel said:

Many, many years ago (1983), I was In the Navy stationed onboard the USS Nimitz. We pulled into Livorno, Itally for a 3 day port call. % min after the anchor dropped an announcement came across the 1MC. The was a Soviet frigate also in port. If we were going ashore it had to be in civilian clothes. NO ONE would be allowed on the liberty launches in uniform. If we saw Soviet sailors we were to avoid them at all costs. Cross the street, turn and walk away, go around the next corner whatever it took to avoid the possibility of a fight that could cause an international incident.

 

So a couple buddies and I ventured into port to have a look around. ("Have a look around" was code for find a place to get whiskey) We did a little sight seeing and around noon walked into a nice looking restaurant for lunch. No sooner had we placed our, order but the waitress sat three other young men at the table next to us. They were wearing Soviet Naval Enlisted Uniforms. My buddies went full panic mode. "What do we do? They're sitting right there! The s#!t is gonna hit the fan, I know it!" 

 

I said, "Calm down. Nothing bad is gonna happen." The sailors heard me. So I looked over at them and said, "Any of you speak English?"  Two of them nodded, "Da. Da. You are Americans from Carrier? "  "We are. Pull your table over here." They looked at each other and then got up and shoved their table up against ours. We ate. We drank. We talked about everything 20 yr old guys talk about. Girls, cars, motorcycles, music, and what life was like on our respective ships. We also learned that we tell the same jokes. No one asked for classified information and none was offered. Just 6 kids from opposite sides of the world having lunch, drinking wine and talking about guy stuff. For FOUR HOURS. 

 

As we got up to leave, I remembered that I had a 50 cent piece in my pocket that I had been carrying as my "Good Luck" coin. I pulled it out and put it in the hand of Yuri, Whom I had spent the most time conversing with. (can't recall his last name for the life of me but I couldn't pronounce or spell it either) "Something to remember me by."  He had a surprised look on his face, said thank you and jammed his hand into his own pocket. He pulled out this coin and gave it to me. "что-то, чтобы запомнить меня." (Something to remember me by) We shook hands and went our separate ways. 

 

And that coin has been in my pocket every day since. Closest thing I have to a challenge coin. 

 

 

 

What a cool story!  

 

Thank you for sharing that...  

[Dranoel]

1 hour ago, EEH said:

Cool story,,

How many times have you thought ,, what ever happened to that guy ?  

 

Every time I put that coin in my pocket.