A golden shellback is more impressive; it means they’ve crossed the International Date Line. Even rarer, crossing at the Prime Meridian grants you access into the Order of the Emerald Shellback.

Some might call it destiny that brought a deceased Navy veteran’s family a piece of history Saturday. The story starts about four years ago, in the attic of a vacant Portsmouth home. James Sh… ...

But it was only fairly recently that the now 94-year-old Morrow told a friend that one of his personal prizes of the war, his Shellback certificate, never made it home.

The Navy has a club or certificate for just about every important mile marker on the globe, according to the Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C.

Though Santa is known for his travels, the command would only go as far as to say he was "likely" also a Golden Shellback, meaning he had crossed the Equator at the 180th meridian in the Pacific.

But it was only fairly recently that the now 94-year-old Morrow told a friend that one of his personal prizes of the war, his Shellback certificate, never made it home.