In November, the IBEW introduced the Veterans Challenge Coin, not only as a way to honor our members who served in the military but also to strengthen camaraderie among veterans. To get yours, scan the QR code at the end of this article or visit ibew01.formstack.com/forms/veteranchallenge.
This tradition has deep roots in IBEW history. Over a century ago, a similar coin was made for our members serving in World War I.
In 1918, the IBEW began publishing an Honor Roll in every issue of The Electrical Worker listing members from Canada and the United States who went overseas to fight. The lists were grouped by local union and compiled from honorary withdrawal cards that were issued to enlisted members. According to the lists, approximately 9,000 IBEW members, or 10% of the membership at the time, served in World War I.
Hoping to honor these members with something more than a card, Dayton, Ohio, Local 82 created an Honor Coin, details of which were announced in a full-page ad in the October 1918 issue of The Electrical Worker. It read: “Our boys are now getting into the thick of the fight, and many will be killed, wounded and made prisoners. This coin will go a long way to keep up the spirit of our Brothers and be a constant reminder of the boys in the Local back home who have not forgotten [them].”
The coin featured an eagle on the front and the IBEW seal on the back along with space for inscribing a member’s name and local. The coins were offered in bronze or with a silver finish and were priced at $1 apiece, with cheaper rates available if purchased in bulk. The ad recommended that a hole be drilled at the top of the coin so it could be worn as a necklace. In the days before dog tags, this would provide identification in case of an accident or death.
The ad concluded: “Our members and their relatives will no doubt keep these coins for many years, passing them from generation to generation, keeping the IBEW in the minds of the people as the union who fought for democracy.”
There is no record of how many coins were distributed. But, incredibly, one of them was unearthed in November 2025 in Tacoma, Wash. While searching an old dump site for vintage glass bottles, Connor Wiley from Local 302 of the International Union of Operating Engineers stumbled upon an IBEW Honor Coin buried in the mud.
“I’ve been hunting old relics for six years now and this was the first coin of any interest I’ve found,” Wiley said. “I posted it on a subreddit for the IBEW, and it got over 40,000 views. As a fellow union member, finding this coin meant a ton to me.” As a token of his appreciation for that history, Wiley donated the coin to Tacoma Local 76.
“Being able to connect to this era of history is very personal for me,” said Clint Bryson, business manager of Local 76. “My great-grandfather served in France during World War I and lost both his legs. His son, my grandfather, really had to step up for his family. He was the first to become an IBEW member, which completely changed our family’s history and opportunities. My father, brother and I are all Local 76 inside wiremen.”
As for the coin, Bryson is planning to display it at the hall once it has been restored. “We have plans to display more of our historical items, and the coin will certainly be a part of that. We’re thinking of making a frame that can be rotated so both sides can be seen, along with a nice copy of the 1918 article.”
Unfortunately, the line on the coin for the member’s name is left blank, so we’ll never know who it was meant for. According to the Honor Lists printed in The Electrical Worker, there were 12 men from Local 76 who fought overseas in this war: Oscar E. Anderson, L.T. Collier, Oney Cross, Gus Eide, Jos. E. Harvlee, C.C. Humphrey, Fred Johnson, Merle Leedy, C.C. Snyder, Fred C. Stevens, John Sullivan and Ed Williamson.
In any case, the coin’s recovery and restoration will bring a renewed sense of appreciation to the members of Local 76 and a reminder that the IBEW has always honored brothers and sisters who serve. For the good of the union, and for the good of our two great nations.
Veterans
To have the new Veterans Challenge Coin sent to you free of charge scan the QR code or visit: ibew01.formstack.com/forms/veteranchallenge
Visit nbew-ibewmuseum.org for more on how to support the IBEW’s preservation of its history. Have a an idea for this feature? Send it to [email protected].
