Marine gift ideas

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Show your soldier how much you care with these thoughtful Marine gift ideas

Whether your Marine is serving overseas right now, just left for training or retired years ago, the Corp is always going to be important to them. Show them how much you appreciate their sacrifices with Marine gift ideas just right for who they are now.

For the retired Marine

If the Marines in your life have long years of service behind them, choose gifts that show them you appreciate their dedication and devotion to the Corp and its values. Whether it’s a birthday, holiday or the anniversary of their service enlistment or retirement, here are some ideas for a gift they’ll love:

Wall art and framed photos — Having images of devoted friends and special places hung where they can be seen is a wonderful gift for a retired Marine. Enlarge and frame treasured photos, or take a few smaller snapshots and create a photo collage. If photos aren’t available, consider graphics or other artwork that shows places they served, ships on which they sailed or patriotic images that remind them of why they dedicated so many years to the Corp.

A service scrapbook — Gather photos, letters, documents and other memorabilia from your soldier’s years in the Marines and create a scrapbook documenting their experiences. Use color copies of important papers and duplicates of treasured photos to avoid damaging irreplaceable originals. Most scrapbook stores offer military and even service specific scrapbooks, papers and stickers, plus papers and stickers from different states and countries, so you can easily put together a book that shows where — and who — they were throughout their Marine Corp career.
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Marine gift ideas for the soldier overseas

If your Marine is on active duty and far from home, send them some gifts that show how much you miss them. Some ideas to consider are:

A care package — We’ve all seen the stories about how many of the basics today’s soldiers lack, so send your Marine a gift of love with a care package from home. Include comfort items like snacks, packaged drink mixes and soup mix. Don’t forget personal care items like favorite soaps, toothpastes or hair care products. Then add the loving touch. Photos from home, a book or magazine, a warm pair of socks or a silly t-shirt. Letters. Prepaid calling cards. A calendar from his or her home state or town. Whatever you include, your marine is sure to appreciate each and every item, and the love behind it all.

Toys and games — Just because your Marine is a grown up, doesn’t mean they don’t like toys! In fact, a few games are a great stress reliever, especially for soldiers serving in high-risk areas. Choose smaller, hand-held games to make moving them from place to place easier. Be sure to include plenty of batteries, including some rechargables with a wall charger (and current adapter, if needed.) Executive desk toys like table-top basketball, mini Zen gardens or cube people are good choices for Marines with more stable locations. A teddy bear decked out in a Marine Corp tee shirt is another favorite, especially for the kids to send to a mom or dad who’s far away.

For the new recruit

If your Marine is just starting his or her career in the military, show them you’re proud of the path they’ve chosen with gifts like:

Marine Corp sweatshirts, hoodies and t’s — Give your new Marine clothing that proudly proclaims their new allegiance. They’ll love wearing them, and will feel your pride as well. And while you’re at it, get a few for yourself and send your soldier a photo of you wearing it. That’s one picture you can guarantee they’ll be proud to post!

Books on Marine Corp history — Inspire the new Marine with books on the history of the Marine Corp and the U.S. military. Or choose biographies of the brave men and women who served. The lessons learned and difficulties overcome will help the new soldier overcome their own obstacles as they go through training.

Whether you take one of these Marine gift ideas, or come up with more on your own, the Marine you honor will be happy to know that someone who cares about them, understands why they care about the Corp!