Article originally appeared on QPolitical
When a cemetery worker found a mysterious quarter on top of a headstone, he decided to do some investigating.
As a proud employee at the National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan, Dave Malenfant decided to share his emotional discovery on Facebook.
One of Malenfant’s responsibilities at the cemetery for fallen soldiers is the “Cleaning of the Stones.” While doing that one day, he noticed a quarter placed on one of the headstones and became curious about it.
When Malenfant discovered a nickel placed on a different stone, he realized there had to be a reason behind it. Compelled by what he saw, he took photos and decided to look into it. When he learned their meaning, his heart was so touched that he had to share the story with others.
“A coin left on a headstone lets the deceased soldier’s family know that somebody stopped by to pay their respect. 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,” Malenfant explained on Facebook.
Watch this video to learn more about the coins left on soldiers’ graves:
