All gave some. Some gave all. Whether or not you’ve personally met a veteran, you can thank them for their sacrifice when you visit their gravesite. If your loved one was a veteran, there are many ways you can honor them at their burial site. But even if you didn’t know a veteran buried in a cemetery, there are little ways to show your thanks that make a big difference.
5 Ways to Honor a Veteran in a Cemetery
1. Secure your loved one’s burial honors.
To honor a loved one who was a veteran, provided they were honorably discharged, they are eligible for several funeral and burial honors. These honors include the playing of “Taps” and the presentation of the U.S. flag. When available, the ceremony will also be attended by a uniformed detail of at least two military representatives, including at least one representative from the decedent’s service, who will present the flag as a keepsake to the next of kin.
A burial flag will also be provided for free, and veterans are also eligible for other memorial items, like a Presidential Memorial Certificate and headstones or other monuments. Your funeral director and cemetery staff can help ensure your loved one receives the honors they earned.
2. Place coins on the headstone.
Coins are a common way to show respect to a veteran in a cemetery, with each coin having a special meaning. A penny on a gravestone means that you did not know the person, but you still wanted to pay your respects. A nickel symbolizes that you trained at the same boot camp as the decedent, while a dime means you served together. A quarter on a gravestone represents that you were there when they passed.
Often, these coins will eventually be removed by the cemetery staff, who typically donate them to a charity that serves veterans.
3. Bring flowers.
Like the coins have their own meanings, every flower has its own meaning. Some of the flowers that befit honoring a veteran include chrysanthemums, which symbolize honor and respect, and forget-me-nots, symbolizing that you will remember their sacrifice.
Another good choice is the poppy, the official memorial flower of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, as it represents the blood shed by American service members.
4. Donate in their honor.
To commemorate all that veterans have given, you might consider giving back in their honor. That can mean donating monetarily to a charity that supports veterans, but it can also mean donating your time and skills. You might consider seeing if you can volunteer at your local Veterans Affairs Community Living Centers or State Veterans Homes. Or look for ways to support local veterans, such as by providing transportation to injured veterans.
5. Decorate graves in their honor.
Another great option is to get involved with Wreaths Across America, which places flags and wreaths on veterans’ graves. One day a year, more than two million volunteers come together to lay wreaths at more than 4,500 cemeteries, but the organization has many ways to volunteer throughout the year. You can also sponsor a wreath to help them honor more veterans.