Your personalized DIY military retirement gifts ideas will highlight the retired life of soldiers. You know when a veteran retires from the army after over 2 or even 3 decades’ service, he usually has similar mixed feelings as the retirees of other professions do- the sadness to leave the fellows he has worked with for long time, the excitement to begin a new chapter of his life as well as the relief to release the responsibility from his shoulder.
However, the military career is very different from other professions. A person who joined the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps etc. has to face more dangers, endure more hardship and suffer longer separation from his family and friends. Sometimes he even has to risk his life to fulfill his tasks or missions. He is likely to get wounded in battles and sacrifice himself to defend his country and protect his compatriots. It is necessary that we express our deep appreciation and good wishes to these veterans when they get retired.
Personalized, design-it-yourself retirement gifts are heartwarming and touche military heart. Personalization makes military gifts last forever. It takes a little time and thoughts to make a good choice. Sometimes you may rack your brain in doing that. This article offers some helpful tips to save your effort for finding a good gift to a retiring veteran.
What’s an Appropriate Military Retirement Gift?
An appropriate military retirement gift is one that commemorates the military career, highlights the contribution and honors the achievements of the retiree.
A personalized military gift with the retiree’s name, rank, dates of service, the emblem or insignia of his branch and unit as well as the honors that he has been awarded in his military career will be well received. It reminds him of those unforgettable important moments that worth commemorating in his military career and the challenging missions or tasks that he risked his life to fulfill with his peers.
Choosing Personalized Military Retirement Gifts
1. Shadow Box and Display Case
Shadow box and display case are traditional military retirement gifts for veterans. Imagine when the retiree receives an elegant DIY shadow box or display case filled with the medals, awards and the pictures or the models of the ship or the aircraft he operated or supported , how proud and touched he will feel?
The medals or awards displayed inside the shadow box highlight the retiree’s military achievements and recall all the joy and harder ship he has experienced to make those achievements vividly. The flags and military patches from each base where he was stationed remind him of the time when he was stationed in different bases or when he was deployed to other countries or regions.
2. Personalized Retiring Plaque
Another gorgeous traditional military retirement gift is a personalized retiring plaque. The plaque can be of crystal, wood or metal. The crystal plaque is beautiful and popular nowadays. It is a big surprise to the retiree if you present him with a DIY crystal plaque engraved with his name, rank, dates of service, his military branch and division as well as their insignia and crest at the party to celebrate his retirement.
You can also highlight the achievements that the retiree made in his military career and include a retirement wording, saying or slogan that is frequently used in the army or a note to express your appreciation to the retiree’s dedication in the plaque.
The retiree may well be overwhelmed by the stunning beauty of the crystal as well as moved by the sincere words on the plaque. A crystal plaque is a perfect way to acknowledge a veteran’s loyalty and contribution to the country. After the retiree receives the plaque, he may well put it on his desk or grace the wall at home or in his office.
The crystal plaque is an adornment as well as a memento. Those important dates of his military career engraved on the plaque commemorate his military service to the country and the honors that he had tried so hard to earn. The personal information engraved on the plaque is the most touching part of the gift. The retiree will surely cherish this gift and proudly show it to others.
3. DIY Military Clothing
Another great DIY military retirement gift is military clothing. A wide variety of military clothing such as hats, jackets, t-shirts, ties and sweats can be personalized to be fantastic military retirement gifts. The retiree would love to wear a jacket with its pocket embroidered with his name and rank, a belt buckle with the emblem of his branch, or a hat with a special slogan of his unit on it.
T-shirts, ties, bandanas can all be designed to have the retiree’s name initials, the branch and the unit that he served in as well as the military insignia and crest on them.
Military clothing is a very special military retirement gift. When the retiree wears it, he always feels the honor and pride to have been one member of the army to serve his country, and the clothing also tell others that this is a respectful veteran who has made contribution and sacrifice to his country and the people.
4. Retiring Clocks and Watches
Clocks and watches are also traditional military retiring gift that can be designed as you like.
A wall clock with the branch emblem on the face can be hung by the retiree proudly at home, recalling the memory of his military career full of danger, harder ship and challenge. A pocket watch in gold or silver plated metal can have a front adorned beautifully with the branch crest and unit insignia.
The back of the watch can be engraved with the retiree’s name and service dates as well as a meaningful message or an appreciation phrase to the retiree.
There are a wide selection of watch designs and styles available for you to choose from. The reason that a clock or a watch is always one welcome choice of military retirement gifts is that it’s a testament to the honorable past when the retiree served this country and the future life to enjoy after retirement.
To give either a clock or a watch as a retirement gift symbolizes that you look back on the retiree’s military career with admiration and wish him the best on the rest of his life.
5. Military Ring
A ring can be completely custom made to the retiree with his name, rank and his dates of service engraved inside in addition to the emblems and insignias from all branches for the sides or on top under the stone. Finely crafted and stylishly designed, the military ring is an elegant and beautiful jewelry worn by veterans as a special reminder of their military career.
In closing, what makes a military retirement gift stand out is personalization. When you’re searching for military retirement gifts, consider what branch the retiree served in. Was he a member of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard? Did her serve in a specialized or elite unit within the branch? Think about including the retiree’s name, his rank, his dates of service, the crest and insignia of his branch and a picture of the aircraft or ship that he operated or supported into the design.
A tailor-made military gift highlights the retiree’s military achievements, commemorate the unforgettable events and people together with the joy and harder ship in his military career as well as express gratitude to his dedication to his country and the people.
To give a DIY military retirement gift is a way to recognize the veteran’s dedication and sacrifices. Recognizing this is not only of great importance to the retiree, but also to their families and friends. Each veteran deserves a personalized military retirement gift to say “Thank You” and to wish them the best.
