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Created
by Veterans for Veterans
High Quality Military Certificates Since
1998 |
CJM
MILITARY CERTIFICATES started with a dream to make a certificate
that would display much more than the Honorable Discharge
and with high quality images in full color be worthy of
a prominent position on the wall of our servicemen and
women's homes and offices. Our founder and President,
Cory J. Matthews, a WW II combat veteran went about a
search to find such a certificate, and after finding none
started to design it himself, and thus came into being,
the one and only, CJM Military Certificates.
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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.
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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.
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 80 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.
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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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After
trying three graphic artists Corky found one who could design
and develop the certificate he had in mind. Kathleen Converti,
a local graphic artist and webmaster joined ranks with Corky
to develop and produce the certificates in 2002. Corky took
out an ad in a few military magazines, Kathleen developed
the layout for those ads and people started to order.
Kathleen
provides design of 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. Kathleen is a mom of five
daughters, now most of them grown, and a proud new grandma
of a baby girl. You can see some samples of her work at
her Computer
Creations website. |
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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
an 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."
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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