Military Retirement Shadow Boxes
For someone who has spent a large part of his life in the armed forces, nothing is special than the memories of his professional life, which he would always like to cherish. Many people come up with different retirement gifts for these military personnel, which are usually presented to them during the retirement ceremony or a special luncheon thrown by close friends and family. There is a wide range of items that these soldiers might like, but the one that they will surely love and will hold dear to their heart is a military shadow box.
Shadow Boxes
A military retirement shadow box usually contains medals and ribbons, photographs and the national flag of the country or a military flag. It may also include the final badge of the rank received by that soldier. To put it in a nutshell, a military retirement shadow box contains all the things that a soldier is proud of and wants to remember for the rest of his life.
The shadow box is actually an enclosed case like the one used for dioramas. It allows light to pass through, only at a certain angle so that the mementos placed inside are not affected by light. The size of the shadow boxes can vary depending upon the quantity of memorabilia that one wants to include in the box. A large shadow box will not only accommodate more memorabilia but will also gives more scope for enhancing the design elements.
Placing the memorabilia in a systematic and orderly fashion is the key to the soldier's heart, owing to the disciplined life that he is used to. Usually, the insignia is placed at the top; next, the medals are arranged in a column, starting with the highest medal of honor at the top. This is followed by ribbons, and different badges like parachute badge, rifle badge or bayonet badge. If there are still more memorabilia to accommodate, they can be added at this stage, and can be followed by the soldier's photo.
There are many companies in the USA that are into the business of military retirement shadow boxes. The costs of these boxes vary depending upon the size and durability of the box.
If you are in a hurry to visit the soldier's felicitation ceremony and can't spare the time to go shopping, or if you are not carrying enough money to buy a suitable military retirement shadow box, you can make one of your own using cardboard, colored paper and whatever memorabilia you can collect. Presenting a customized shadow box as a retirement gift can be a very thoughtful alternative for a greeting card. The soldier will surely be touched on receiving a gift that has a personal touch to it.
Other Military Gifts
Some military personnel like collecting objects related to a particular war that they had actively participated in. These objects could be knives, daggers, guns or even military uniforms placed in display boxes. Presenting them with these objects instead of a complete shadow box can also prove to be a wonderful retirement gift.
Sometimes, a soldier might have to retire prematurely due to injury or some other reason. In such cases, this individual may want to pursue some long cherished hobby, after retirement, which he was not able to pursue during his tenure in the military. Presenting a gift that complements his hobby can be another great retirement military gift idea. To state a few examples, a person whose hobby is cycling, you can gift him a helmet or even the entire cycling gear. For somebody keen on writing, gifting him a sturdy, vintage style study table can also be a unique gift idea.
However, before presenting a retirement gift to any military retired personnel, remember that these people have made great sacrifices for the country and have suffered a lot of grief in their life. So, present them something that has a personal significance to their lives and which will silently tell them that you are proud of them and that their achievements will always be remembered.
