military things

"Being a soldier, fighting for this country, is neither Republican nor Democrat."
--Max Cleland

As the holidays approach, I can't help but think of our service men and women stationed away from home—whether it be overseas or out-of-state. As my uncle says, “No matter what you think of this or any other war, the men and women who fight and die for us deserve to be honored.” I couldn't agree more. Here at Things You Never Knew Existed, we've done our best to honor the brave people who serve or have served. From organizing care packages for the relatives of our own employees to searching for items to offer that help families pay tribute to their loved ones in the military, we try. As a salute to the military, our buyers have done a great job of finding good quality Things to honor all four branches of the service.

Things To Wear

Our POW/MIA Combo helps us remember that not everyone came home from Southeast Asia after Vietnam and that we should never, ever stop looking for them. And our “All Gave Some, Some Gave All” collection honors the fallen, the injured and the survivors. Each of the items features a screaming eagle with American and POW/MIA flags as wings. I've seen a lot of military-themed hats—nearly all baseball caps—so I was surprised when I saw this collection of Military Cowboy Hats. The black felt hats are embroidered with gold lettering and service ribbons. For the Marine in your life, we picked up this very nice bomber-style leather jacket complete with slanted front flap pockets and knit cuffs. And while much ado has been made over lapel pins lately, we are proud to offer these “Proudly Served” pins for each branch of the military.

Things to Display

I guess you could consider our Mascot Watches Things to wear, but since they're pocket watches, I think of them as Things carried or displayed. They showcase the official mascots of the U.S. Armed Forces. I know several people with kids in the service—I'm thinking these would be great Christmas gifts for both parents and kids. Our Insignia Flags are faithfully reproduced and since they're made out of polyester, they can take a beating outdoors.

Things to Wake You Up

Both of these items could fall under the “display” category, but they do more than just sit there: they bugle you out of bed with that old standard, “Reveille”. Our Jeep Alarm Clock is a faithful reproduction of the classic military jeep and even has working headlights and horn. You can choose a civilian beeping alarm instead of “Reveille” (but why?) Check out the sound clip to find out why the Drill Sergeant Alarm Clock is my favorite of the two.

If you're planning to send a Christmas gift to a friend or loved one in the military, please remember Armed Forces mail can be slower than regular mail, so it's best to shop and ship as early as possible. To all of our service people at home and abroad: We salute you.