Honoring Our Heroes: Showcasing Service Memorabilia

If you or a loved one has served or is currently serving in the armed forces, police, fire and/or emergency services, what better way to honor these everyday heroes than with a display that showcases this service to others. Whether it is a flag flown over country, a burial flag or other important service memorabilia, find a way to display it so it can be shown with great pride.

Each branch of service carries its own traditions, and each individual will have their own personal mementos and relics from their own journey, so try to make the display unique and customized to the individual. Here are a few things to consider:

Honoring the Flag. The American flag holds a special place in the hearts and minds of Americans, young and old. Many times, service members and family are gifted these flags as a show of respect and gratitude for their time in service. Whether it is to honor the sacrifice these brave men and women often make, or is a flag that is carried throughout one’s career and flown in different travelled countries, you want to be sure to find a beautiful flag display case to showcase such an important piece of an individual’s history.

Uniform Displays. There are so many different variations and components of service uniforms, as uniforms often change throughout the years, there are differences in rank and job descriptions, etc. Consider using a jersey display case to encapsulate the service members’ uniform or a component of their uniform. For instance, if he/she was a military pilot, consider framing their “bomber jacket” and/or another piece of their uniform with patches that help tell their story.

Use pictures. Throughout one’s career, there will be a number of photographs taken of them at special occasions, job advancements, or even photos taken of them “in action.” To help tell the story of one’s time in service, use these pictures to highlight their dedication and commitment to their work. If there is a history of service in one’s family, consider adding these photographs to the display as well. If it is an old photograph or classic black and white, use vintage picture frames to help highlight the time and era.

Rewards and Medals. It is inevitable that throughout a person’s time in service, there will be rewards and medals given for their hard work. You can use a shadow box to display these medals and rewards. Ribbons on medals tend to be colorful and will help to add a visual effect to your memorabilia display. For someone who has many years of service, it is a good idea to have him/her document what each ribbon is and why such medal was awarded. You can then attach the description to the back of the shadow box or frame for future use and reference.

Use other small artifacts to create more interest. There are so many different aspects of one’s career and so many items that are collected along the way. While flags, uniforms, medals and pictures are wonderful pieces of memorabilia, consider also including the smaller objects that were used throughout one’s career. These items could be patches, badges, coins, dog tags, or anything that holds some significance to the service member.