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Created
For Veterans
By Veterans
High Quality, Personalized
Military
Certificates Since 1998 |
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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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 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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2002 a
local graphic artist and webmaster, Kathleen
Converti 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
Converti 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
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."
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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