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Created
For Veterans
By Veterans
High Quality, Personalized Military
Certificates Since 1998
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The
Founder and President of
CJM Military Certificates
is Cory J. Matthews, a
WW II Combat Veteran.
Cory,
whom we call "Corky" went
about a search to find
a special, personalized
military certificate that
would enhance the wall
now displaying his Military
Discharge Certificate.
After finding none tht
met his approval he set
out to design one himelf,
and thus came into being,
the one and only, CJM Military
Certificates.
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Cory
J. Matthews displays the very first Merchant
Marine certificates we developed. |
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The
majestic Mogollon Rim during the winter,
which rises to 8,000 feet. This huge cliff structure
is an escarpment, 200 miles long from west to east. |
We
are located in the heart
of Arizona,
in the small town of
Payson, nestled
in the mountains
at about 5000 feet
above sea level below
the majestic Mogollon
Rim, where we are continually
15 to 20 degrees cooler
in the summer than Phoenix,
90 miles to the south
of us.
Payson
sits within the largest stand
of Ponderosa Pine in the world.
We have four mild seasons, and
yes, this part of Arizona does
get snow.
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A
Bit of History:
After graduating from college Cory
honed his design skills and became a successful creator of
advertising displays. In fact, recently, on a trip to northern
Arizona he stopped at restaurant-tavern and was pleased to
see a Miller Beer display that he had created and sold 10,000
of over 50 years ago. He
had a keen eye when working with artists and knew his manufacturing
techniques.
Cory
loves flying and had his own airplane,
so traveling long
distances to see his clients was
half the fun. Now, at the age of
84 he is still an active pilot,
and getting there is still half
the fun. After all, pilots do have
that special "air" about
them.
As
a designer, when Cory considered the
layout of his Honorable Discharge he
was peeved at the looks of it, with
its typewritten name and all.
He
tossed ideas around in his head of
what it could have been, then searched
to find if someone made such a certificate.
He found there were none that would
display what he had in mind. So
with
determination of spirit Cory set
out to develop a certificate that
all of our veterans would be proud
to display on the wall of their home
or office and show off at every opportunity.
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Basic Certificate of Service was created first. |
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2002 a
local graphic artist and webmaster, Kathleen
Hicks
joined ranks with Corky to develop and produce the Basic
Military Certificate. Corky took out an ad in a few military
magazines, Kathleen developed the layout for those ads and
people started to order. Our designes expanded and grew
over the years to what you see today.
Kathleen
provides the design-work for the certificates, all advertising
including several magazine publications, brochures and website
development. She fills all of the certificate orders as
they come in and continues to add medals, badges, ribbons
and military symbols of various kinds to her library, always
expanding and improving the certificates. You can see some
more samples of her work at her Computer
Creations website. |
Kathleen
Hicks |
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From
the start, we begin with high quality photos. Each image
is individually cropped and enhanced to show true color.
Veterans soon began to ask for medals so we kept the idea
in mind, but after seeing the lousy layouts of other companies
who had tried to do them we hesitated, not wanting to compromise
the layout and balance of our unique design. Then, one day,
we hung Two Medals. A purple heart and a bronze star. That
was just the beginning. |
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It
was not long before we were adding other medals to the certificate,
and then badges and ribbons as well. Our veterans loved
the idea and began calling to tell us how they were so thankful
and surprised that they could have such a representation
of their time in the service. It truly told their story
to their friends and family, and some even ordered a copy
for each of their grown children so each family member would
have this record of their father's history to place in their
family albums. |
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Over
time we expanded our ability to add additional text, telling
of battles, battalions, ships and special experiences. We
had one such story of a soldier who flew in a rescue plane
delivering supplies and carrying back the body bags during
the war. His plane took 40 rounds of ammunition and kept
on flying. Sometimes people want to mention medals and honors
they received that we are not able to show in graphic form.
Some fought under a famous commander. We do all we can to
tell your story on your highly personalized certificate. |
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One
day we received a request for lots and lots of medals
and ribbons, so we tried it. We came up with what we now
call our All Medals Certificate. We can now place up to
18 medals and 20 ribbons on an All Medals Certificate.
We
also now offer your certificate placed in a Beautiful
Cherry Wood Plaque displaying a Classy Gold Border
for those who would like for their certificate to be already
prepared for hanging or wrapping as a gift.
You
can also receive a laminated, wallet size copy of
your
certificate.
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From
the beginning, this service for our fellow veterans has fulfilled
a great need and tells the story of one's military service accomplishments
that no other certificate comes close to doing.
We love for folks to call us, telling of their specific needs
and personal experience, so we can adjust the certificate to carry
as much information as possible.
What
is most heartfelt for Cory and Kathleen is that so many contact
us with compliments of how great their certificate is and how
much it means to them. Cory really "flipped-out"over
a testimonial from a Korean War Veteran, which said, "When
I give a compliment about my Certificate of Service I know of
what I speak. I am retired as an advertising art director of the
world's second largest advertising agency. I would vote your work
worthy of the Gold Medal."
Still
today we keep listening to your requests and adding more and more
ideas. We now offer custom appreciation and specialty certificates.
Sit a while; take a look at our many designs throughout the site.
Use our text ideas or give us your own.
We
would love to hear what you would like to display on your certificate.
You can call us on our toll free number to order personally by
phone: 1-866-447-1011.
You
can also order by mail
or online.
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CJM
Military Certificates
704
N. Easy Street #1
Payson,
Arizona 85541
Toll
Free: 1-866-447-1011
Local 928 468-1011
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
E-mail
us:
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