First, a quick history…
Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Major General John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30.
It’s believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
Georgia National Cemetery
When I recently visited the Georgia National Cemetery where my mom’s body is buried, I saw coins on headstones and didn’t know what they represented. I’ve learned their significance since then, though, and it seemed like an appropriate thing to share on Memorial Day.
A coin left on a headstone lets the deceased soldier’s family know that somebody stopped by to pay their respects. 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 was killed.
So what happens to the coins after Memorial Day?
The money is collected and is put to various uses depending on the cemetery—grounds maintenance, the cost of burial for soldiers, or the care for indigent soldiers.
So if you visit the grave of a fallen soldier in coming weeks or months, you might remember to leave a coin. To show the family that someone else is remembering too.
Blessings on your Memorial Day, which also happens to be our own Deb Raney’s birthday! I won’t say which one it is, but I think it’s a milestone bday (which I’ll be having soon enough!) I’m right on your heels, Deb!
Be sure and comment below and
wish Deb a Happy Birthday!
Love to all,
Tammy
Tamera Alexander
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Thanks, Tammy for letting us know about the Memorial Day coins left on the graves of the fallen soldiers. What a blessing it must be for the relatives to see the
coins and know that their loved one was honored for giving their lives for our country! Happy Birthday Day Deb!!! Alva
Happy Birthday Deb. Your right behind me. My birthday was yesterday (29)…So i guess we can share together lol………Hope you have a good one….and eat enough cake for me, cuz i didnt have any yesterday.
I was 29 too, Barbara!! Well, 29×2+a few. 😉
Blessings on you special day Deb! Happy B-day!!
Hope your birthday is a wonderful one, Deb. As my grandmother used to say, “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?” That’s your “real” age. Enjoy!
Oh, whew! I’m only 34! I love your grandmother’s math!! 😉
So interesting! I think I will remember that when we visit a cemetery.
Happy Birthday Deb Raney!
Sweet Tammy! Thank you so much for such a sweet birthday greeting. My “milestone” birthday was actually last year, and I celebrated by getting a speeding ticket for going my age in miles per hour. Ouch! I won’t say how many, but the fine did almost bankrupt us! I’m staying off the roads this year! (Except for going out for tiramisu with my dear hubby tonight. Mmmm! I’ll eat a piece for you!)
Bless her heart, Tammy’s memory isn’t what it used to be. LOL And I think I’m three days older than she is, so I’m treading very carefully here! But I do remember your story from last year – in fact, you wrote a whole post on here about your birthday, including the details of your “gift” from the local police as well as all the sweet things your family did. 🙂 (Of course, the archive feature on this blog is extremely helpful in jogging the memory!!)
Happiest of birthdays to you, my friend! Sending you a promissory hug from Texas, which I will deliver in person at ACFW in August! <3
LOL! Thanks for setting the record straight, Linda! And now I have to own up to that extra year. 😉
Happy Birthday, Deb! I hope you have a great day and enjoy making memories with family and friends. : ) Tammy – I’d never heard about the coins on the gravestones. Interesting.
Happy Birthday Deb! Have a blessed day! Also, thank you for sharing the information about the coins.
Happy, happy birthday Deb! May it OVERFLOW with blessings! 🙂
I did not know the significance of the coins. Great info! What a wonderful way to let the family know that someone else cares, too. I have seen small rocks placed on top of headstones, and I was told that was a Jewish custom.
Happy birthday, Deb! Today is also my mother’s birthday. Growing up, my Mom’s birthday was ALWAYS on Memorial Day. Since they started observing some holidays on Mondays only, it has fluctuated through the years. Thrilled that today is her actual birthday on the actual holiday! If she was alive, she’d be 97. She passed at the age of 93. (By the way, she is buried with my Father in a Veterans’ Cemetery).
I’m honored to share you mom’s birthday! And I, too, am thrilled when my birthday falls on the actual holiday like it always did when I was a kid. Wonderful memories of your mom, and so precious that she is buried with your father.
Thank you for this interesting piece of Memorial Day information. I never knew. And, happy birthday to one of my favorite authors–Deborah Raney. I hope you have a joy filled day. Blessings.
Very interesting about the coins! And… happy birthday to Deb.
Happy Birthday Deb!
Today would have been my mother’s 104th birthday. She died in 1983 at 71. That is something you never get over. I have a candle burning in her memory . In a Jewish cemetery you leave a stone on the gravestone to indicate someone has visited.
Happy Birthday Deb!
I had no idea. Is this done at all the National Cemetery’s?
I knew about the Jewish custom of leaving a rock on the headstone.
Happy Birthday Blessings to Deborah Raney.
Thanks for the interesting information – so nice to ponder and know!
I don’t remember hearing about this custom. Is it just a southern custom?
I didn’t see anything like this at our cemetery this morning (in Kansas).
Happy Birthday, Deb!
We’ve found pennies on my sisters gravestone for years now, and I never knew what it meant until recent years. I love the tradition, and now when we visit, we leave them too.
That’s a very touching tribute, Tammy. Thanks for sharing its roots and meaning. I’m deeply grateful for the thanks we express to those who have faithfully served our country, often at the cost of their lives, to keep our freedoms.
Thanks again, Tammy, for the sweet birthday tribute, and the fascinating blog post! And thanks, dear readers of this blog, for the birthday wishes and for your devotion to Inspired by Life…and Fiction. We appreciate you more than you’ll ever know!