Military retirement gifts have been around for centuries. Even thousands of years ago members of the Roman Army were gifted something special upon retirement. These days, retiring military servicemen and servicewomen can be just about as difficult to buy for as any other person, but this time you are dealing with someone who most probably is very set in their ways and very firmly know their likes and dislikes, especially the things they dislike! That results in a pretty tough challenge when it comes to buying them something fulfilling for their retirement that will truly make them happy.
Some people about to retire from the military, either the Navy, Army or Air Force, feel that they have had enough of the military life and want to dissociate themselves from it. The majority, however, will retain their link to the military for the rest of their lives and retain their sense of pride in their Service. Leaving the military after serving for some time can be tough; the most difficult thing I remember was losing that feeling of being relied upon by people; of being someone ‘important’ and ‘needed’. These good feelings were replaced by a sense of loss (almost the same feeling as losing a member of the family) and I recall the most difficult thoughts were when I was walking down the street and nobody was looking at me, nobody recognising who I was or what I had done, what I had experienced in my military life. It was like I had become a ‘nobody’. After a period of re-adjustment, those feelings gradually subsided and a new-found sense of acceptance prevailed.
My bond and association with the military, however, has remained and will do so until the day I die. After some 20+ years since leaving the military, I still have the retirement gifts that various people gave to me. They are on permanent display in my home and give me feelings of belonging. That’s pretty typical of most people who retire from the military and I find great joy in visiting the homes of other veterans and seeing their trophies, mementos and keepsakes from their time in the Service.
So what to buy them as the perfect Military Retirement Gift? Just click on one of the images below to be taken to items that veterans and serving military think are the best thing ever, or select one of the drop-downs in the menu-bar at the top of this page.
Just like the thousands of people who have already received one of our gifts, they won't be disappointed and, more importantly, they will remember you forever!
