Memorial day words and some thoughts.

A coin left on a headstone or at the grave site is meant as a message to the deceased soldier’s family that someone else has visited the grave to pay respect. Leaving a penny at the grave means simply that you visited.

The Meaning of Coins on Military Headstones

When leaving a coin on a veteran’s headstone, each kind of coin means something different. The meaning of the coins left on a veteran’s headstone is as follows:

• Penny: When a one-cent coin is left, it simply means that the headstone has been visited.
• Nickel: When a 5-cent coin is left, it signifies that the visitor attended boot camp with the fallen veteran.
• Dime: When a 10-cent coin is left, it means that the person visiting served alongside the fallen veteran in some capacity.
• Quarter: When a 25-cent coin is left, that means the visitor was there when the soldier passed away.

Hello fallen soldier

I sit in a field of white markers outside of Paris in 1979. Once young men, once brave men. 50,000 white markers of great men who die for freedom. I am honored to sit with them in the fields of France. I told the noon sun. Please ensure these fallen soldiers know. We remember them and they are not forgotten.

John Castellenas