Shadow box

Shadow box

My dad was a BM2 in the Navy stationed in Pearl Harbor when World War II ended in August 1945. He was on the aircraft carrier USS Corregidor, CVE58, part of Carrier Division 24. During his time in the service he accumulated many small items which he kept in a cigar box in his Navy bag. The things he collected were novelties such as 5-cent tickets good at the USO club in Honolulu, various pictures of the chaos in downtown Honolulu after the war ended, chevrons with different ranks on them, ribbons with battle stars on them, tobacco ration coupons and liberty passes. There was a ticket to the Breakers Dance on Aug 8, 1945, which was two days after the bombing of Hiroshima and one day before the Nagasaki bombing. There were also some of his ship's papers (the Corregidor Boomerang) published monthly on mimeograph paper for the troops’ entertainment. Included in the cigar box was a tattered top stripe of a flag that Corregidor flew, perhaps in the Gilbert Islands, Guadalcanal, Saipan or Marinas operations.
All of these items and many more treasures remained in his Navy bag until I recently resurrected them and made a shadow box, which is now on display at Pine City American Legion Post 51 where my dad was a 40-year member. Every time I go in the Legion and look at the items, I get a feeling of satisfaction knowing that others can now admire the trinkets my dad thought to preserve in his cigar box. I encourage any of you out there who may have military items that could be of interest to others to display them proudly in your Legion instead of letting them sit unnoticed in a basement or attic.

John Hoyny Jr.
Pine City Minnesota Post 51