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If you have been presented with a Crater Criminal Justice Training Academy, Challenge Coin; you are receiving this challenge is for one (or more) of the following reasons:
These coins are presented by the Academy Director, the current version of the coin has been in use since 2012.
To learn a little about the Challenge Coin, we have provided some information here for your reference.
A Challenge Coin is a small coin or medallion (usually military), bearing an organizations’ insignia or emblem and carried by the organization’s members. Traditionally, they are given to prove membership when challenged and to enhance morale.
In addition, they are also collected by service members. In practice, challenge coins are normally presented by unit commanders in recognition of special achievement by a member of the unit or a “friend” of the unit.
Challenge Coins surfaced during the World War II era. The Practice of carrying a coin designed specifically for a unit was popular with the Army Special Forces.
Carrying the coin at all times and presenting it when “challenged” to prove affiliation with that unit resulted in a number of consequences for those who could not produce a coin; the most popular required the coinless soldier to buy a round of drinks. That practice continues to be popular today
Carrying the coin at all times and presenting it when “challenged” to prove affiliation with that unit resulted in a number of consequences for those who could not produce a coin; the most popular required the coinless soldier to buy a round of drinks. That practice continues to be popular today
There are several stories detailing the origins of the challenge coin; most from the military.
The WWI Story:
According to the most common story, challenge coins originated during World War I. American volunteers from all parts of the country filled the newly formed flying squadrons. Some were wealthy scions attending colleges such as Yale and Harvard who quit in mid-term to join the war. In one squadron, a wealthy lieutenant ordered medallions struck in solid bronze and presented them to his unit. One young pilot placed the medallion in a small leather pouch that he wore about his neck. Shortly after acquiring the medallion, the pilots’ aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire. He was forced to land behind enemy lines and was immediately captured by a German patrol. In order to discourage his escape, the Germans took all of his personal identification except for the small leather pouch around his neck.
In the meantime, he was taken to a small French town near the front. Taking advantage of a bombardment that night, he escaped. However, he was without personal identification. He succeeded in avoiding German patrols by donning civilian attire and reached the front lines. With great difficulty, he crossed no-man’s land. Eventually, he stumbled onto a French outpost. Unfortunately, saboteurs had plagued the French in the sector. They sometimes masqueraded as civilians and wore civilian clothes. Not recognizing the young pilot’s American accent, the French thought him to be a saboteur and made ready to execute him. He had no identification to prove his allegiance, but he did have his leather pouch containing the medallion. He showed the medallion to his would-be executioners and one of his French captors recognized the squadron insignia on the medallion. They delayed his execution long enough for him to confirm his identity. Instead of shooting him they gave him a bottle of wine.
Back at his squadron, it became tradition to ensure that all members carried their medallion or coin at all times. This was accomplished through challenge in the following manner – a challenger would ask to see the medallion. If the challenged could not produce a medallion, they were required to buy a drink of choice for the member who challenged them. If the challenged member produced a medallion, then the challenging member was required to pay for the drink. This tradition continued on throughout the war and for many years after the war while surviving members of the squadron were still alive.
The WWII Story:
According to another story, challenge coins date back to the second world war and were first used by Office of Strategic Service personnel who were deployed in Nazi held France. The coins were simply a local coin used as a “Bona Fides” during a personal meeting to help verify a person’s identity. There would be specific aspects such as type of coin, date of the coin, etc. that were examined by each party. This helped prevent infiltration into the meeting by a spy who would have to have advance knowledge of the meeting time and place as well as what coin was to be presented, amongst other signals, as bona fides.
While a number of legends place the advent of challenge coins in the post-Korean Conflict era (some as late as the Vietnam war), or even later, Colonel William “Buffalo Bill” Quinn had coins made for those who served in his 17th Infantry Regiment during 1950 and 1951.
There is another story about an American soldier scheduled to rendezvous with Philippine guerrillas during WWII. As the story goes, he carried a Philippine solid silver coin that was stamped on one side with the unit insignia. The coin was used to verify, to the guerrillas, that the soldier was their valid contact for the mission against the Japanese.
The challenge coin tradition has spread to other military units, in all branches of service, and even to non-military organizations as well as the United States Congress, which produces challenge coins for members of Congress to give to constituents.
Today, challenge coins are given to members upon joining an organization, as an award to improve morale, and sold to commemorate special occasions or as fundraiser
References
1. “Challenge Coin”, http://www.wikipedia.org. Accessed 26 September 2013.