PILOT SPIN
Spin Zone => Spin Zone => Topic started by: Old Crow on May 03, 2023, 10:49:39 AM
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Memorial Day is coming up so don't be surprised if you see coins on gravestones.
"The tradition of leaving coins on the headstones of military men and women can be traced to as far back as the Roman Empire," the folklore-focused guide continues. "Soldiers would insert a coin into the mouth of a fallen soldier to ensure they could cross the ‘River Styx’ into the afterlife."
"Due to the political divide in the country over the Vietnam war, leaving a coin was seen as a more practical way to communicate that you had visited the grave than contacting the soldier's family, which could devolve into an uncomfortable argument over politics relating to the war," the MVAD (Montana Veterans Affairs Division) reports.
- Pennies: Leaving a penny signifies a person has visited the fallen veteran’s grave.
- Nickels: Leaving a nickel signifies the person who visited the fallen veteran’s grave trained with the deceased at boot camp.
- Dimes: Leaving a dime signifies the person who visited the fallen veteran’s grave completed a part of his or her service with the deceased in some capacity.
- Quarters: Leaving a quarter signifies the person who visited the fallen veteran’s grave was present when the deceased died.