Have you ever come across a quarter, or any kind of coin, on top of a soldier’s grave stone and wondered what the symbolism is? It is usually placed there as a sign of respect for the fallen, yet there is even more significance when it comes to a quarter.
When he was cleaning stones at the National Cemetery, Dave Malenfant kept coming across coins on headstones. Finally he inquired as to what this was all about. Dave was told that by leaving a coin it lets the deceased soldier’s family know that somebody had stopped by and paid respect to their loved one.
It turns out all coins have significance. Dave learned the following about what each coin represents:
“Leaving a penny means you visited. A nickel means that you and the deceased soldier trained at boot camp together. If you served with the soldier, you leave a dime. A quarter is very significant because it means that you were there when that soldier died.”
What a great way to leave your respect and appreciation for fallen soldiers. It’s a subtle, yet powerful nod, that indeed they are remembered and greatly admired, appreciated and thought about constantly for giving up the ultimate sacrifice in order to keep us safe.
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