Research Fodder August 29, 2015

“Vietnam War – During the Vietnam War, it became popular to leave coins on the graves of fallen soldiers. The denomination of the coin held significance in this case. A penny was left by a casual friend or acquaintance. Someone who trained in boot camp with the deceased would leave a nickel. A soldier from the same company would leave a dime and a family member a quarter. The coins were a way to for soldiers to leave a message to the family of the fallen when they didn’t have direct contact. The money was also sometimes considered a down payment on a beer or a hand of poker when the mourner met the deceased again.”