Pictured above is a personalized U.S. Air Force-themed retirement chest and shadowbox.
Don’t simply pack your memories in cardboard boxes or stick them in a storage unit. Proudly commemorate and display your career with this combination of shadowbox, flag displays and storage chest.
We’ve made a 2-foot long x 1-foot deep (front to back) x 1-foot tall chest. In this version, we’ve added two flag displays encased behind plexiglass. 3×5′ flags are typically provided at retirement ceremonies, along with a unit or a component flag.
The glass is held in place by decorative molding stained to match the color of the wood.
Instead of adding metal hinges, we’ve added rustic and stylish strips of repurposed leather to match the aesthetics of the chest.
The hardware (hinges, latches, screws) are all gold-colored, to help it stand out brightly against the dark wood stain.
The inside of the chest and shadowbox tray are all lined with black matted felt. This is perfect for pinning medals, awards, nameplates, or gluing patches, badges, and anything else you can imagine. This is a perfect way to personalize your own chest.
As mentioned above, we’ve also added a shadowbox tray, which rests on two brackets. This allows for a few inches of storage underneath. If you hang the shadowbox on a wall or place it on a shelf, that frees up even more space inside the chest.
Many of our clients report storing uniform items, pictures, books, and other items of significance inside their chests. Others use it as a small, decorative office coffee table or something to add to their diva dens or man caves. We’re always excited to see how the chests are personalized and utilized when they make it home.
On the outside of the chest, we’ve personalized the lid with the USAF wings, and the recipient’s rank and name in smooth, black, machine cut vinyl. This offers a nice contrast to the stained and textured all-wood chest.
How would you personalize yours?
This makes a great gift for our fellow service members (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard), emergency medical services (EMS, EMT), law enforcement (Police, Federal agencies), and Firefighters.
