Challenge coins are part of a military drinking game, you are supposed to carry one with you at all times, if you are caught at a bar without one, you buy a round.
Personally I have never owned one, have never been given one and will never buy one. If anyone asks, my standard response is “we didn’t have that crap in the Olde Corps, didn’t need it to know we were Marines or to buy each other drinks.”
Thanks, that’s what I was thinking! Guess I missed the briefing on the drinking game; I have a couple of coins, but I don’t recall them being part of some big solemn tradition; it was more of a ‘thanks for being a warm body at this five hour formation’ kind of a thing.
I have never heard of this Challenge coin until today. My Father was Career Old Corps I am Vietman Corps and never heard of the coin from my Father or any of my fellow Marines. This may be an Army tradition or to new for me to have known about it.
I’m not really familiar with the coins. However, I did receive one on behalf of Col Lewis Millett (Medal of Honor recipient 1951) and another from Adm. Giambastiani (Vice Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, USN) and another from the (then) commander of the Marine Corps Barracks in D.C.
But none of that was comparable to getting a hug from Silke Hagee at the Commandant’s house. :)