You may be unfamiliar with the two military coin traditions, as I once was. These traditions are said to date back to the time of the Roman Empire. Of course, there are those who share other origin stories, but regardless of what you believe, both traditions have endured for decades.
The first is the challenge coin which represents an achievement, an affiliation with an organization, or a memorable occasion. The challenge coin is a symbol that someone values a veteran’s effort and tells a story of pride and connection. Challenge coins are also left on headstones.
During an interview with the late Jim Westby of Mabel in 2021, he proudly showed his Third Battalion Fifth Marine Division challenge coin and proudly explained what challenge coins are. “Coins are from wherever, police department, fire department. The Marine Corp guys started the challenge coins,” Westby said.
He always carried his coins with him. “Here’s how it works,” he explained. “Say you and I are in the bar, and I know you were in the military. I slapped the coin on the bar. He does not have his coin, so he buys me a drink. If he produces a coin, I buy the drink. It is a great conversation starter – it gets things rolling.”
During RAGBRAI, which passed through Decorah in 2017, the Air Force team stopped at a local nursing home to visit an Air Force veteran, Ernest Corson. During their visit, he was given a challenge coin recognizing their affiliation. There were no dry eyes in the room.
Robert Gross, administrator at the Veterans Cemetery in Preston, explained, “Some service members leave their military challenge coins as a memento to honor a fallen comrade from their unit.”
You will find a collection of challenge coins on display at the Minnesota Veterans Cemetery office in Preston.
The other tradition involves placing coins – pennies, nickels, dimes, or quarters – on the headstone of decreased veterans to honor the decreased and leave a message for the deceased’s family members.
You don’t have to be a veteran to leave coins on the graves of veterans. Grab a roll of pennies and every time you visit a cemetery leave a penny on the headstones of veterans to pay your respects. A nickel means that the person who left it trained with the deceased in boot camp. A dime signifies that the visitor served in some capacity with the decreased, and a quarter means the visitor was present when the service member was killed.
Becoming aware of the coin tradition when it was shared by a former student of mine, John Heston, a retired Navy Seal, it was immediately clear that it was more than a tradition – it was a sign of respect and honor for his fallen comrades. He wanted to ensure that his fellow service men and women were never forgotten. He has made it a point to leave a quarter on headstones.
“All the veterans I know that died on my watch – every single one – I left a quarter,” he said. “It means you were there when they died.”
If you visit the Veteran’s Cemetery in Preston, you are bound to see coins left on the graves. The staff at the cemetery collects the coins and place them in a jar in their office. The money is used for the upkeep of the cemetery.
According to an article by the Department of Military Affairs, the custom of leaving coins can be traced back to the Roman Empire. The article explained that “Coins were placed into the mouth of fallen soldiers to pay for passage and protection across the River Styx, which separates the world of the living from the world of the dead. In Navy mythology, coins were placed under the mast of a ship to pay the ‘ferryman’ for safe transport to the afterlife in the event sailors died at sea.”
During the Vietnam War, the practice became a quiet way to honor the fallen amid a time of political division and controversy. The coins served as a subtle gesture of respect for service members and a message of respect for family members.
The tradition is a year-round act of love and remembrance for fallen comrades and their families.
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