The meaning behind the tradition of leaving coins on veterans’ gravestones
For those that have visited grave-sites of U.S. veterans, you may have noticed coins on the top of headstones that were left behind by previous visitors.
A coin left on the headstone is a message to the deceased veteran’s family that someone has visited their grave and paid their respects. Each type of coin left on the top of the headstone for the veteran has its own meaning. Veterans grave sites (Youtube) A penny left on the top of the headstone means that the grave-site was visited. A nickel indicates that the person visiting the site trained at boot camp with the deceased veteran, while a dime means the person served with them in some capacity. A quarter left at the grave means that the person who left the coin was with t… Continue Reading (2 minute read)
>The money placed in national and state veterans cemeteries is collected and put towards future burial costs and cemetery maintenance.
Well, that’s a conveniently well-planned and useful tradition.
It’s not bad though. I actually think it’s pretty neat to have a way to know that your loved one is being visited, but if they’re being collected then idk if the family members are getting a chance to see them anyway.
I was in the military, and did ceremonial stuff with funerals and such, and have never heard of this. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Cool read though. I appreciate it.
As I travel around central Texas, I stop at old cemeteries just as a break from driving. I have seen this many times, but did not know the reason. Now I do and will leave pennies.
Man the VA is really struggling huh?
“Earn this. Oh, and Ryan — you’re gonna need a bunch of quarters.”
Here I sit
Broken hearted
Paid a dime
Because we served together
This has been posted many times before, it’s not a real thing.
Making it Rain means you were 7000 miles away and green lit the operation.
My grandmother made this into her own tradition. She brings a penny for my Grandfather’s grave when she visits, and also brings him a pebble from one of his favorite places – their front garden, the McDonald’s he ate at every morning, the park down the street, etc. Something to tie the visit to a place he would remember fondly.
Huh. When I go visit my dad at Arlington, I always leave a 1940 nickel, because he used to sing me that song “If I had a nickel…”
i don’t go to military cemeteries at all, so to some random dude like me this reminds me of schindler’s list
Now you can just tap your debit card on the headstone.
If you leave a lump of coal it means you served with them, and were glad to see them get knocked off by enemy combatants
If you leave 69c, it means you did the deed