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USS Indianapolis

January 14, 2019 By PNR Leave a Comment

NAVY HISTORY!

Trivia: Do you know who Captain Charles Butler McVay, III is?!

ANSWER: Charles McVay was the captain of the USS Indianapolis, which was torpedoed and sunk between Guam to Leyte Island on 30 July 1945 by a Japanese submarine.

They’d “just delivered the bomb, the Hiroshima Bomb.” Of the 880 men who went into the water, only 321 were rescued. The sharks took the rest during a period of four days, mostly scavenging corpses.

The American public was infuriated to hear of the Navy’s apparent abandonment of the crew and demanded answers.

The Navy was quick to place the blame on Capt. McVay, who, as skipper, was most directly responsible for his men. He stated to his officers that he hoped the sharks would get him while floating in the water.

During the investigation, he was reprimanded primarily for failing to zig zag properly to make his ship more difficult for a submarine to hit.

The Japanese submarine commander, Mochitsura Hasimoto, testified in Capt. McVay’s defense, stating that he would easily have been able to hit the ship whether it was zig zaging or not.

The Navy also claimed that no SOS messages were received, which was not the case. Three were received at separate stations, and none were acted upon.

The mission to deliver the atomic bomb components was so top-secret that almost no one on board, including Capt. McVay, had any idea of its existence, but the ship’s path, arrival, and departure were known on official maps.

The Navy was supposed to announce the arrival, or missed arrival, of the ship at Leyte, and never did so. The crew adrift in the open sea was only discovered by chance when a PV-1 Ventura flew over on routine patrol.

Capt. McVay was court-martialed and stripped of his rank, but Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz reinstated him when the public’s outcry in his defense became hard to ignore.

Capt. McVay did, however, receive hate mail and death threats for the rest of his life from family and friends of the Sailors that died.

This was also the start of the MOVEREPS (Movement Reports) which were to track ships movements.

Capt. McVay committed suicide in 1968.

OATH OF ENLISTMENT!

January 7, 2019 By PNR Leave a Comment

OATH OF ENLISTMENT!

Every young man and woman who has ever worn the uniform of the United States military began their service by raising their right hand in front of the flag and uttering specific words signifying their allegiance and dedication to duty.

These sacred words are known most commonly as the oath of enlistment, and they signify a sacred trust placed in the hands of those who utter them.

The words, however, have not remained unchanged throughout United States history. In fact, they began quite differently as the nation was being born.

The military oath was first enacted by the Continental Congress on 14 June 1775 in conjunction with the formation of the Continental Army.

At the time, congress created an oath of enlistment for those who would serve as enlisted personnel. An oath of commission was also created for those who would serve as the commissioned leaders of the enlisted force.

The original oath of enlistment differed slightly from the oath today in that the enlistee agreed to “bind himself to conform” and specified the term of enlistment as one year.

The most glaring difference of the original oath of commission than the oath of today is that the officer was required to “recognize the 13 United States” and then he had to name them.

After the revolution, the enlisted oath was changed to one very similar to the current oath and remained unchanged until 1950, and the version used today was adopted.

The oath of commission was changed in 1789, 1830, 1862, 1884 and 1959 to the version in use today.

Although the military oath has changed significantly over the history of the United States, the basis of the oaths and their meanings remained the same.

The military oath requires that those who take it remain eternally loyal to the United States and defend the constitution against “all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

The military oath is a time honored tradition that often has a profound effect on those who swear by it.

Harold “Pee Wee” Reese

January 7, 2019 By PNR Leave a Comment

SOMETHING YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW?!

Trivia: Do you know who Harold “Pee Wee” Reese was?!

ANSWER: Pee Wee Reese was a Major League Baseball player and a Navy Chief!

Harold “Pee Wee” Reese was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1938 and played with the Louisville Colonels in the American Association.

When the Pirates’ minor league agreement with the Colonels came to an end afer the 1938 season, Reese was obtained by the Boston Red Sox, who sold him to the Brooklyn Dodgers for $35,000 and four players.

Reese made his debut with Brooklyn on 23 April 1940. He played 84 games his rookie season and batted .272, sharing the shortstop position with player-manager Leo Durocher.

By 1942, the 24 year-old was a National League all-star but that was to be his last season in the major leagues for the duration of the war.

Reese enlisted in the US Navy.

Reese was stationed at Norfolk Naval Air Station in 1943, where he regularly played baseball. In 1944, he was sent to Hawaii and played for the Aiea Hospital team.

He joined the Third Fleet team for the US Navy’s Pacific tour and was then assigned to Guam where he was shortstop and assistant coach for the 3rd Marine Division baseball team.

In early 1945 he was discharged from the Navy with the rank of Chief Petty Officer.

Back with the Dodgers in mid 1946, Reese was named to the National League all-star team for nine consecutive seasons.

Reese was instrumental in showing support for Jackie Robinson when he broke the color barrier in 1947. As Robinson was being heckled by fans in Cincinnati during the Dodgers’ first road trip, Reese went over to Robinson and put his arm around his shoulder in a gesture of inclusion and support.

After his playing career ended in 1958, Reese worked as a broadcaster with CBS, NBC and the Cincinnati Reds.

Pee Wee Reese was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. He passed away in Louisville, Kentucky on 14 August 1999, at the age of 81.

WE Can Do It!

January 7, 2019 By PNR Leave a Comment

BACK STORY OF THIS POSTER CALLED “ROSIE THE RIVETER”!

This poster was created by American graphic artist. J. Howard Miller.

In 1941, Miller’s work came to the attention of the Westinghouse Company and he was hired to create a series of posters to sponsor the company’s War Production Coordinating Committee.

This poster is commonly called Rosie the Riveter, however at the time of the poster’s release that name wasn’t associated with the picture. That came a year later when a popular patriotic song called “Rosie the Riveter came out.

The poster became a symbol for women who produced war supplies and took new jobs replacing the male workers who were in the military.

Miller based the “We Can Do It!” poster on a United Press International picture taken of Geraldine Doyle working at a factory.

Ironically, Doyle only lasted two weeks on the job before quitting because she feared a hand injury would prevent her from playing her cello.

The poster did not become widely known until the 1970’s and 80’s when it began to be used by advocates of women’s equality in the workplace

SIDE NOTE:

Geraldine Doyle, who was the inspiration behind the now famous poster, died in 2010 at the age 86.

Doyle didn’t know she was the model for the poster until 1984, when she came across an article in Modern Maturity magazine, now known as AARP, which linked a photo of her to the poster.

Designing Challenge Coins: Knowing Where to Start

January 6, 2019 By PNR 2 Comments

Differences in 3D, 2D and Offset Print Challenge Coins

Creating a design is the most exciting part of ordering challenge coins. It gives our clients a chance to let their imaginations run free and a place to bounce ideas off the walls and see what sticks. Through years of experience, we have become experts on the ins and outs of the design process by creating one of a kind challenge coins for all walks of life. Our art team has skill and experience, and our sales team is friendly and knowledgeable. Together, they help every customer figure out what kind of coin is best suited for their ideas: 3D, 2D or offset print.

Each one of these styles will flesh out a design in a different way, and knowing which one to choose is the start of the whole process. When describing a coin as either 2D or 3D, we are indicating the number of levels on the coin face. A 2D coin has only two planes of metal: a raised surface and a recessed surface. A 3D coin has the potential for any number of levels with rounded and sloped edges between the raised and recessed portions of the coin face.

Offset print challenge coins look like they could fit somewhere in the middle of these two design options. Offset printing is the process of transferring an image onto a rubber “blanket” and then rolling that image onto the coins. It’s called “offset” because the ink is not directly transferred onto the surface of the coins. It’s a hard method to describe in words, but the final results speak for themselves. Take a look at the comparisons below to get an idea of how each style looks.

Custom Bottle Opener, Custom Challenge coin bottle opener, unique bottle opener, coin bottle opener, military bottle opener, — Custom Bottle Opener

Choosing the Right Style For Your Design

Each of these styles comes with their own advantages and disadvantages when considering certain design factors. For example, 3D coins are excellent for adding depth and detail to a design but, ironically, we do not recommend using a 3D mold to depict a person’s face. The human brain is hardwired to recognize facial features and expressions, so even the smallest imperfection is easily noticeable. Offset print coins work much better at capturing the likeness of an individual. Knowing which design to choose comes from knowing which styles are best suited for your design ideas.

3D designs are the best option for customers looking to create something with layered details and incredible depth. We make law enforcement challenge coins with 3D police badges that have the authentic ridges and curves of the real counterpart. Some military coins incorporate 3D images of emblems, equipment or vehicles like helicopters or trucks. The coin minting process starts with sculpting the mold with a 3D CAD file. Once the coins are minted, our production team puts them all through a meticulous deburring process that smooths out all of the rough edges and ridges, ensuring a uniform quality in the entire set.

2D coins only have two levels as opposed to the potentially limitless levels of a 3D design. But that does not mean they cannot have depth or substance in their set up and artwork. 2D coins are perfect for recreating company emblems and logos, military insignias and team mascots and colors. They are also perfect for creating stylized representations of people and faces. When comparing 3D and 2D coins the biggest difference is depth in design, however, 2D coins still offer plenty of avenues to create colorful and intricately detailed artwork.

Offset print challenge coins are the best option for anyone looking to recreate a picture or person’s face. The final product is almost like a blend of the massive depth and detail of a 3D coin and the more paired down coin construction of a 2D coin. Making offset print challenge coins starts with designing a mold, just like any other coin, and the design image is transferred onto each coin after the minting process.

Coin size will play a role in how a design is implemented as well. For 3D artwork, we do not recommend going any lower than 1.5”. 2D and offset print designs are better suited for smaller coins, however, we can work with almost any specifications or sizes. Standard coins range from 1.5” to 3”, but we have made oversized coins and oddly shaped coins for all sorts of different customers. While there are certain challenges associated with any type of design, we stand by our ability to have any project produced and delivered within 14 days.

Knowing Where to Start

Challenge coins possess a personal quality that comes directly from our clients. Their ideas shape the entire project and the end result is something truly meaningful to their organization or team. Our job is simply to help each customer make those design inspirations a reality, and we hope that the information here offers the right starting point.

Knowing where to start comes down to knowing what type of challenge coin to choose.

3D challenge coins are the best option for adding depth and shape to a design. Choosing sizes over 1.5” helps to ensure that no fine details are lost as artwork is downsized onto a smaller surface, but our production team can make any size work.
Custom 2D coins do not have the same potential as 3D coins for layered textures but they still afford plenty of opportunities for intricate detail. The two levels on the coin face are perfect for recreating colorful logos, emblems and character art.
Offset print challenge coins show the exact likeness of a person or particular image. The final product is a perfect recreation of a supplied pictured and has a smooth surface and glossy shine framed within the borders of the coin.

When a client can’t decide on just one of these styles, we tell them not to worry. It’s entirely possible to order a coin with 2D designs on one side and 3D designs on the other. Or you can have a coin made with both 2D and offset print designs. Especially when a customer has their heart set on a 3D design, choosing to mix and match these styles is a good way to save money on the final product. Deciding what style of challenge coin to make will have the greatest effect on your order, so make sure to check out some examples and get inspired before getting started.

PITCH AND RUDDER SERVICES

Making custom quality challenge coins and Military belt buckles are one of our specialties. If you’re interested in getting a designing a custom buckle or Quality Challenge coin for your Division, Command, or Mess we’ve streamlined the process, click the get started link at the bottom of the page and someone from our design team will be with you within 48 hours to bring your vision to life. If your interested in making something awesome in metal, so hot you need glove to put it on your belt check out Pitch and Rudders Custom Military Belt Buckles.