Project Information
My wife's grandfather, who served in WWII, was stationed at the Sugamo Prison in Japan from 1946-48. He recently passed and never really spoke much about his time he served in the war. His wife (grandma) one day was showing me his old military photos and uniforms, because I too am a veteran. I love old military items and history, so as I was looking at his discharge papers and enlistment documents I felt the need to build a memorial for his service and accomplishments. I discovered that a lot of the items he earned were missing, such as the medals and buttons. I was able to locate EVERYTHING on Ebay or various other WWII websites according to his discharge paperwork. At the service the American Legion performed a beautiful ceremony and also honored him with the "Poppy flower" ceremony - which is the organizations memorial flower. The flag was donated by the Legion and I used the same flag, unfolded for the display. It turned out beautiful. I used maple for the frame, maple veneer for the backing and had Army green felt placed inside the two displays. I had the glass special cut, which slides directly into the channels I cut in each display. The tears and hugs I recieved from grandma were worth the hard work and time I devoted to this project. Enjoy & Happy Woodworking-