Military Challange Coin Collector

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Chief collects bits of history
by Beth Young
Hilltop Times staff"The history of the coin is to recognize our airmen and they don't do any good sitting in a drawer."

— Chief Master Sgt. Franklin Smith

As the movers load up the trucks for Chief Master Sgt. Franklin Smith, the heaviest one will not be the books or dishes, but the one marked "coins."
More than 20 years ago Chief Smith began collecting military coins. His first coin, from the Security Police Academy and held together with super glue, he received in 1981. Since then his collection has grown to more than 400 coins.
"This is my way of collecting history," he said. "And every one of these coins I have carried in my pocket before I put it on display."
The coins have been collected throughout Chief Smith's career — 11 different bases from New Jersey to Japan. He has coins from all over the world and each branch of the military. He has even helped design a few. Each coin represents something for him. Some are for places, some for events and some for people.
"This one is special," said Chief Smith as he holds up his favorite, a Marine Corps basic coin. He received it in 2001 when he had the opportunity to go to the Marine Corps Ball in St. Louis. A Marine veteran approached him and gave him the coin.
"He told me, 'I want to thank you for your service' when he gave me his coin," Chief Smith said. "I shook his hand and noticed on his suit coat he had two purple hearts."
Chief Smith asked about his experiences and learned that he had earned the merits in World War II.
"Then I gave him my coin and thanked him for his service because my service will never match what he had to sacrifice for our country," he said. "(I have) four-star and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force coins, but none mean as much to me as that gentleman's coin."
Chief Smith doesn't just enjoy collecting coins; he loves to give them out.
"The history of the coin is to recognize our airmen and they don't do any good sitting in a drawer," he said. "I try to find at least one person a week to give a coin to and most of the time more than that because there are so many great people at Hill, it's hard not to do that."