Challenge Coins: Keeping Memories Alive

One of my ancestors fought as one of the paratroopers who landed on D-Day

. While he does not tell us many stories about his experiences he has told us one. After he landed he gathered his parachute around himself to keep warm. He kept that parachute throughout the war and then cut it up in pieces and sent all of those pieces to us, his family members. It was a great gift and a symbol of his sacrifice and courage.

Most people don't know this but there is another piece of honor that service members keep that is not a medal, commendation, award or even letter of recommendation. These are challenge coins. Challenge coins are self-minted coins meant to honor and commemorate teams and military units that have worked together. They are different from award or commendations because traditionally they are kept by the service member at all times. Although this tradition isn't as enforced as it used to be it is still an important part of military history and camaraderie. Challenge coins are supposedly named because they were used by service members to identify one another. One soldier would "challenge" another soldier to produce his coin and prove his loyalty and identity.

Their use as verification has mostly faded. Ever since World War I front line fighters memorize challenges and responses to easily identify each other in the dark. The coins have been used to verify identity in at least one case during World War II when a British airmen found himself without any other proof that he was not a German spy than his challenge coin. There are not many other stories of these coins being used for life or death identification but it's very nearly a certainty that members of units have found and identified each other years after their service by showing their challenge coins.

These challenge coins carry more than just a single event with them. They are symbols of a team and of a specific challenge endured with brothers in arms. They are hard earned and usually cherished by all that know of them. Unlike the piece of parachute I received challenge coins can't be split up and members don't usually receive more than one coin for their service. They are therefore kept close and cherished. If I did have a challenge coin I would frame it and keep it on display.

by: Art Gib

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