It never ceases to amaze me of the things you learn as you move through life. I guess that's what makes life interesting and worth living.  A good friend of mine, Dick McKinney shared some information with me a couple of years ago in an article he read regarding National Cemeteries.

If you ever go to one and look at the tombstone, look closely to see if there is a coin on top of it. If you come across a tombstone of a soldier with a coin on it, it means someone stopped by to pay their respect. Some tombstones have quarters, others dimes, nickels and pennies placed on them by visitors.  There is a reason for this and it is something I never knew before reading Dick's article.

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.

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There are 10 National Cemeteries in Illinois including one in Quincy.  Iowa has two National Cemeteries including one in Keokuk and the closest of 4 National Cemeteries in Missouri is in St. Louis.

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