If you’ve ever visited the home of someone who’s served in the military you’ve undoubtedly seen a “Me Wall.” That’s the one wall the spouse relegates all the plaques, awards, gags, doohickeys, falderal and other flotsam and jetsam given when someone departs a duty station. So needless to say, in my cottage by the sea (after I win the lottery), there will be a Me Wall for my husband. And if this writing gig goes well, I might even get a Me, Too! Wall somewhere. One can dream…
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| Thomas Kincaid's imaginary cottage by the sea |
If you’ve ever visited the home of someone who’s served in the military you’ve undoubtedly seen a “Me Wall.” That’s the one wall the spouse relegates all the plaques, awards, gags, doohickeys, falderal and other flotsam and jetsam given when someone departs a duty station. So needless to say, in my cottage by the sea (after I win the lottery), there will be a Me Wall for my husband. And if this writing gig goes well, I might even get a Me, Too! Wall somewhere. One can dream…
Anyway, back to my post. On display somewhere on the wall I plan to display the command coins my husband has amassed during his tenure in the Navy. A command coin is a small--maybe two inches round but surprisingly heavy--coin that military personnel collect the way your grandmothers collected magnets or spoons from every state she visited. Every ship has a coin, usually with a picture or silhouette of the ship on one side and the motto or ship’s crest on the other. While each is unique and interesting to look at, it’s the story behind the command coin story that I find so interesting. So if you will indulge me just a few minutes of maritime history and lore here…
