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Show Insignia collection the largest of its kind... s v-. 1 h s B 9 - "If . By TIM ST. CLAIR Chronicle Staff His calling card states, "Douglas J. Stephen, Collector of Military Insignia." Indeed, he is. Mr. Stephen has a collection of over 1000 military badges that he says "is the largest of its kind from Colorado to California and from border to border." The collection is primarily made up of metal hat badges from the armed forces of countries in the British Commonwealth. Mr. Stephen has badges from the United States, England, Germany, U.S.S.R., South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Malta, Thailand and Hong Kong. But his special love is for Scotland. To obtain badges from around the world, Mr. Stephen writes to various units. He also trades with collectors from other countries. The badges date from 1900 to the present. It all started 12 years ago when Mr Stephen was 15 years old. He was lead drummer for The Westminster Regiment of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets. At a summer camp, he began collecting the cap badges of all the units present. Soon he was writing to countries around the globe in his quest for badges. "I'm almost a maniac at it at times," Mr. Stephen said. His oldest badge is an 1850 helmet plate from the British infantry. An elderly couple from Salt Lake found an old medal and asked Mr. Stephen to take a look at it. It turned out to be an 1862 Medal of Honor worth about $7500. He has seven complete sets of badges among his collection, besides several others that are near complete. To aid his collecting, Mr. Stephen has a library of 35 books about badges. Often the mere shape or placement of a single leaf on a badge is all that differentiates between them. Some badges change over the years as regiments implement the designs of other regiments they have captured in battle. Mr. Stephen is from New Westminster, British Columbia. He is a cultural geography major at the University and came here "because I like it and for no other reason." He is a Scottish Canadian first and a collector second. His badges from Scottish military units are his favorites. "My collection stems from my love for Scotland," said Mr. Stephen. "The Scottish people hold as much to their culture as the Blacks do to theirs," he explained. He regularly wears a Scottish Douglas J. Stephen stands beside his collection of world and date as far back as 1850. One oik military insignias that come from all corners of the badges is a Medal of Honor that's worth M bonnet that resembles U.S. Coast Guard hats. "People see my bonnet and chuckle. But now I feel I can really be myself," said Mr. Stephen. He is extremely proud of his Scottish heritage and displays it in many ways other than his collection. He is a- Scottish drummer and has served with numerous bands. Besides The Westminster Regiment, he was in the Seafourth Highlanders in Vancouver and the Irish Fusiliers of Canada (Vancouver Regiment). He also served with "The Black r r ' i Watch (Royal Hin Regiment) of Canada." Qm Mr Stephen is a member oit Salt Lake Scots Pipe Band, f practices drumming on a piece, a conveyor belt. Mr. Stephen put on his kilt W (continued on pa? r I .from border to border m around tr th 4 I who pped them up paid for the meas. They slept in jails and fire stations along the way. "You tell me somebody who won't p ck VO"up because you're wearin kilt, said Mr. Stephen. around to the sound of flavin cameras and gipainp 'ashlnS u spying passengers Jen back up to Vancouver. Mr' nToHn Sf tHeV made he trip Svf:i5:h--ei; 1 m pjee 1) 1 He said the Scots are fierce fighters. In War I, the Germans a to the kilted Scots as U Hell." As Mr. S Put it, ."A defeated ;an; there's ust no such i asked the age-old question at a Scotsman wears under 'tilt Mr. Stephen said, "To tell ih, nothing." He told of an Ant on the bow of a ship kilt blew up and hooked 'jome of his other clothing. : it staved until he turned |