Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery offers cleaner alternatives to old traditions
SAN ANTONIO - By the rows of gleaming white marble headstones at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, almost anyone who has been there will realize it is a very unique burial ground.
"National cemeteries are national shrines," says cemetery director Jerry Lefler.
Lefler said that as a result, few balloons, stuffed toys and other memorabilia are left on graves, besides fresh or plastic flowers left in vases provided by the cemetery.
Lefler said these items are removed once a month because otherwise they could damage a headstone or create a hazard for lawn mowers servicing the area.
But there is a cherished tradition that can create some problems.
According to Earl Fontenot of the Wounded Warrior Project organization, leaving coins on graves was a silent tribute during the Vietnam War, when it was unpopular to express support for troops, even fallen soldiers.
According to Fontenot, change left by someone on tombstones serves as a message to the families of the deceased.
He said a visitor leaves a penny if they visited each other, a nickel if they trained together, a dime if they served overseas together, and a quarter if they were around when they passed away.
Still, Fontenot says he understands how they can be a problem: "Especially here where it's humid, if it rains, these coins can stain tombstones."
Lefler said cemetery workers regularly collect them because the coins can otherwise discolor and damage the white marble headstones.
"Then you have to take a grinder and sand the surface of the marble," Lefler says.
He said the coins collected will be used to purchase plants and trees and to further beautify the cemetery.
But they say there are cleaner alternatives to honor your loved one.
Lefler said there is now a Veterans Legacy Memorial, operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which is a special Web page for more than 10 million veterans where their families can leave photos, messages and personal memories.
So instead of leaving the coin on a tombstone, "take a picture of it. Pick up the coin and then upload the photo to the VLM," Lefler says. "Then it will stay forever. That way you preserve the beauty of the headstone."
Fontenot also offered to make the headstone coin photo part of the family's personal memorial or altar in their home.
In addition to little patriotic gnomes and small American flags, Joanne Longoria said she plans to leave a coin on the grave of her stepfather, a World War II veteran who fought in Europe.
"For everything he did for us and for his sacrifice," she said.
When Longoria talked about the idea of taking a photo and posting it on the Veterans Heritage Memorial website, he said: "I'll do it shortly after I finish decorating his site."
Perhaps even more meaningful than memorials, Fontenot said, "As civilians, you want to live a life worthy of their sacrifice."